Short Corner
Ansar register 19th title
Bangladesh Ansar retained the National Women's Handball Championship title by notching a hard-fought 29-28 point win over BJMC in the final of the Exim Bank sponsored tournament at the Shaheed Captain M Mansur Ali Handball Stadium in Paltan yesterday.
Ansar initially managed a slim 14-13 point lead over BJMC which they held on to till the final whistle to raise their tally to 19 titles. Ismat Ara Nishi top scored for Ansar with 11 while Rupu netted six goals for BJMC.
Earlier, Ansar beat Jamalpur DSA by 31-9 points and BJMC beat Bangladesh Police by 31-15 points to move into the final.
--Sports Reporter
Alve gets second place
Mahadi Hasan Alve had to once again content himself with a runner-up finish in the ITF Asian U/14 Development Championship 2019: Division-II after falling to Jordanian Mohammad Alkotop in the boy's singles event final in Bangkok, Thailand yesterday.
Alve, who lost by 1-6 and 0-6 to the same opponent in the final of the same tournament on January 12, failed to provide any resistance this time either as he suffered a 0-6 and 3-6 defeat to Alkotop.
Meanwhile, the pair of Bangladesh's Roman Hossain and Pakistan's Hamid Irar Gul succumbed to a 3-6 and 0-6 defeat against the Alkotop and Kasri Mahmani pair in the boy's doubles event final.
--Sports Reporter
Ronaldo likely in Madrid for tax fraud trial
Juventus forward Cristiano Ronaldo is expected back in Madrid on Tuesday to attend a trial for tax evasion in which Spanish prosecutors are asking for a 23-month prison sentence and a fine.
The Portuguese striker, who left Real Madrid for Juventus last July, is expected to plead guilty after he agreed a settlement worth 18.8 million euros with Spanish tax authorities last summer.
However, he is unlikely to serve any time in prison as Spanish law states a sentence of under two years for a first offence can be served on probation.
The prosecutor's office said it was seeking a fine of 5.7 million euros ($6.5 million), which it said Ronaldo had already paid, as well as interest of about one million euros.
-- Reuters
Barca win but could yet be disqualified
Barcelona overturned a first leg defeat to beat Levante in the Copa del Rey on Thursday but could yet be thrown out of the competition after being accused of fielding an ineligible player.
Barca won 3-0 at the Camp Nou, with Lionel Messi setting up two Ousmane Dembele goals and then scoring himself to seal a 4-2 victory on aggregate.
Their place in the quarter-finals, however, is under threat after Levante president Francisco Javier Catalan confirmed shortly before kick-off that the club would lodge a complaint to the Spanish Football Federation on Friday.
Levante claim Barcelona defender Juan Brandariz 'Chumi' played illegally in the first leg as he should have been serving a suspension. --Afp
Gattuso banned for Super Cup ref protest
AC Milan coach Gennaro Gattuso was on Thursday handed a one-game touchline ban for angrily confronting the referee after his side's Italian Super Cup final defeat to Juventus in Saudi Arabia midweek.
Gattuso, 41, angrily confronted officials for not awarding a penalty for a foul by Juventus's German midfielder Emre Can on Andrea Conti late in his side's 1-0 defeat in Jeddah.
Gattuso was punished for "shouting at the referee in a threatening manner and challenging his decisions, as well as having subsequently, while waiting for the prize-giving ceremony, addressed further offensive words and insinuations towards the referee".
--Afp