SHORT CORNER

Hornets clinch premier basketball title

-- Sports Reporter

Hornets SC became unbeaten champions in the Unimed Unihealth Premier Division Basketball Championship, beating Rangers Club by 63-50 points in the title deciding match at the Dhanmondi Indoor Gymnasium yesterday. Hornets cruised to victory after having led the first half by 33-22 points. Jamil netted highest 25 points for the winners.

The managing director of Unimed Unihealth Pharmaceutical Company M Mosaddek Hossain distributed prizes among teams. Hornets received Tk 30,000 while Rangers received Tk 20,000 as prize money. The high-ups of Bangladesh Basketball Federation were also present.    

Robbie Keane calls time

-- Afp

Irish football legend Robbie Keane brought the curtain down on over two decades as a player on Wednesday saying his career had exceeded all his hopes when he was a "football-mad boy growing up in Dublin".

The 38-year-old -- his country's record goalscorer on 68 well clear of Niall Quinn who is next with 21 -- is to focus on his new duties as assistant manager to new Ireland handler Mick McCarthy.

Keane, who replaces Roy Keane (no relation) in the role after the latter and manager Martin O'Neill were fired last week, captained Ireland for a decade.

"Today, after 23 wonderful years, I am formally announcing my retirement as a professional footballer," Keane said in a statement. "From Crumlin United around the world to the likes of Milan, London and Los Angeles, I could never have imagined the path my football life would take.

"It has exceeded all the hopes I had as a football-mad boy growing up in Dublin."             

Boca go on strike, president confirms

-- Agencies

Boca Juniors will refuse to play any matches until they are awarded the Copa Libertadores title, the club's president Daniel Angelici has confirmed.

CONMEBOL president Alejandro Dominguez announced the second leg of the final - postponed after the Boca team bus was attacked before Saturday's game - will be played outside of Argentina on either December 8 or 9.

But Boca, whose players suffered injuries in the attack, will not play a rescheduled final according to Angelici.

"Boca listened carefully to the president's words," Angelici told reporters. "We have decided to submit a request for disqualification to River. Today we expand the petition with 46 more pages, with videos, photos and evidence. Now the Disciplinary Tribunal has to answer.

"We are not willing to play any matches until the court decides."               

Irish club makes a 'grave' mistake

-- Afp

News of footballer Fernando Nuno La Fuente's death, as American author Mark Twain said of reports of his own demise, have been greatly exaggerated and prompted an abject apology from his Irish club Ballybrack FC.

The south Dublin outfit reported they were not feeling up to playing their Leinster League match with Arklow due to Spanish player La Fuente's death in a motorbike accident early on Friday.

However, they later clarified in an apology that Fuente was alive and well, adding that the responsible party no longer worked at the club.