Former Spanish Basketball League (ACB) player and coach QUINO SALVO died at the age of 58 of brain cancer, which he had been fighting since September (EL MUNDO, 6/8). ... England cricket captain ALASTAIR COOK "has called for life bans for players found guilty of match-fixing." But he said that he would have "no problem" playing against Pakistan bowler MOHAMMAD AMIR, who served a five-year ban for the "lesser crime of spot-fixing and is set to tour England this summer." Cook said, "Amir has served his time. If you get caught match-fixing you should be banned for life" (BBC, 6/8). ... Slovenian FA boss ALEKSANDAR CEFERIN "plans to join the race for the presidency" of UEFA. Ceferin joins Dutchman MICHAEL VAN PRAAG as a candidate for the Sept. 14 election to replace MICHEL PLATINI. A statement from the Slovenian FA said that Ceferin "had the backing of the federations of Albania, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Cyprus, Macedonia, Montenegro, Russia, Romania, Serbia and Turkey." It added that Italy and the four Nordic countries "would also support him" (REUTERS, 6/8).
KESHI DEAD AT 54: Former Nigerian footballer STEPHEN KESHI "has died suddenly at the age of 54." One of "African football's best-known figures, the ex-Super Eagles captain is one of only two men" to win the Africa Cup of Nations as a player and a coach. NFF President AMAJU PINNICK said, "This is devastating. We have lost a superhero." Keshi, "who is reported to have suffered a heart attack by local media, also managed Togo and Mali." SUNDAY OLISEH, a former teammate and Keshi's successor as Nigeria coach, tweeted his shock at the "horrible news" and called Keshi "an iconic hero" (BBC, 6/8).
