Burundi's FA "has elected" Burundi Senator REVERIEN NDIKURIYO as its new president, replacing LYDIA NSEKERA, "one of the few women to have headed a national federation." Nsekera, 46, was "also the first woman" appointed to FIFA's exec committee in '12. Nsekera "was ousted from her post" as head of the Burundi FA -- a job she had held since '04 -- "in favour of a member of the ruling party" (AFP, 11/18). ... Australian golfer JASON DAY said he lost eight relatives to typhoon Haiyan. Day lost his grandmother, an uncle and six young cousins in the storm in the Philippines. Day: "They found, I think, eight of our relatives [dead]. Six of them were children, and my grandma, and a couple more" (AAP, 11/18). ... Former NBA player SHAQUILLE O'NEAL said that "he is keen to see his minority-owned Sacramento Kings play a pre-season match in Qatar within the next two years." Speaking at a "Stars Chat" session at Aspire4Sport in Doha Sunday, O'Neal said that he will talk with the team’s co-owners, having held brief talks with Qatar Olympic Committee Secretary-General and Qatar Basketball Federation President SHEIKH SAOUD BIN ABDULRAHMAN AL THANI "over the possibility of playing a match in Qatar" (THE PENINSULA, 11/18). ... DIEGO MARADONA "has promised to devote his time to stamping out the menace of drug use in sports." Maradona: "I’ve experienced first hand the use or the misuse of drugs in sports. I would never want anyone, especially our young children, to go through the same thing" (GULF NEWS, 11/18). ... Six Australian rugby players "have been suspended and a further nine have been officially warned after a boozy night out in Dublin last week." In an "extraordinary punishment" handed down by coach EWEN MCKENZIE, players ADAM ASHLEY-COOPER, NICK CUMMINS, TATAFU POLOTA-NAU, BENN ROBINSON, LIAM GILL and PADDY RYAN "have been given a one-week ban" (DAILY TELEGRAPH, 11/18). ... Former British No. 1 ELENA BALTACHA "has announced her retirement from professional tennis." The 30-year-old Scot reached a career-high ranking of No. 49 in '10, "but has struggled with injury since" (London INDEPENDENT, 11/18).
