The New Nation - Internet Edition

Sports Reporter

Spondon KC, PWD SC, Lalbagh SC won their respective matches of the Third Division Football League on Friday.

At the Kamalapur Bir Sreshtha Shaheed Sepoy Mohammad Mostafa Stadim, Spondon KC outplayed Mirpur Eleven by 3-1 goals.

Sadi of Spondon KC scored two goals and his teammate Ripon neted one while Masud struck consolation for Mirpur.

At the Paltan Maidan, PWD SC defeated Shantinagar Club by 3-1 goals.

Kader of PWD SC scored two goals and his teammate Farhad neted one while Shahadat pulled off one for Shantinagar.

In the day's other match at the same venue, Lalbagh SC ovrpowered Government Printing Press by 3-1 goals.

Monwar, Anwar, Shakil of Lalbagh scored one goal each while Ismail of Government Printing Press returned one.

Meanwhile, City United Clu made a 2-2 draw with Dilkusha SC at the Kamalapur Bir Srestha Shaheed Sepoy Mohammad Mostafa Stadium.

Nayan scored two goals for City United Club while Jahangir and Saju neted one each for Dilkusha SC.

UNB, Dhaka

A brilliant hatrick by Sunny Borua helped Segun Bagicha High School earn a 4-0 goal win over Khilgaon Model High School in a third round match of the Dhaka School Football League (Under-11) at the Segun Baghicha High School ground here Friday.

Sunny scored the hatrick with four goals for Segun Bagicha High School.

In the day's another Under-11 matches, Motijheel Govt Boys' High School defeated Nidhu Smrity Govt Primary School by 2-0 goals at the Motijheel Govt Boys' High School ground.

Osman Gani and Nazmul Hossain scored one goal each in the 12th and 44th minutes for the winners.

At the Khilgaon Model School ground, Khilgaon High School edged past Motijheel Govt Primary School by a lone goal scored by Anisul Hasan Tanmoy.

In the day's Under-13 match at the Khilgaon High School ground, Shaheed Nabi High School beat Ali Ahmed High School by a solitary goal scored by Afsar Ali.

In the day's another match, Sena Palli High School blanked Haider Ali High School 3-0 at the Basabo Club ground.

Mahbubur Rahman struck twice while Rana Khan neted for the winners.

Jatrabari Ideal High School split points with Ideal School & College to a goalless draw at the Motijheel Govt Primary School ground.

AFP, Durban

India snatched a dramatic 37-run victory over hosts South Africa on Thursday to storm into the semi- finals of the Twenty20 world championships.

India, restricted to 153-5 in a game they had to win to stay afloat, hit back to stop South Africa to 116-9 and knock Graeme Smith's home team out of the tournament

India, South Africa and New Zealand finished group E of the Super Eights on four points each, but India took the Kiwis along into the semi-finals due to superior net run-rates.

In Saturday's semi-finals, India clash with Australia at the Kingsmead here while New Zealand meet group F leaders Pakistan at the Newlands in Cape Town.

In an unexpected turn of events, South Africa not only lost a match they appeared to be winning but failed to make 126 that would have helped them pip New Zealand on run-rate.

The hosts slumped to 31-5, recovered through a 69-run stand for the sixth wicket between Mark Boucher and Albie Morkel but failed to get past the tight Indian bowling backed by good fielding.

South Africa needed 17 off the final over to reach the magic figure of 126, but off-spinner Harbhajan Singh tied the batsmen down to concede just seven runs.

Left-arm seamer Rudra Pratap Singh led India's charge with 4-13 from his four overs while Shanthakumaran Sreesanth and Harbhajan claimed two wickets each.

"It is really disappointing not to make the semis of our own tournament," said Smith, the South African captain.

"But that is how it goes sometimes and we have to get on with life and get over the disappointment quickly."

The South Africans leave on Tuesday for a Test tour of Pakistan.

India's jubilant skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni said he was confident of defending the low total since he "had the bowlers to do the job."

"We knew we will be through if we get regular wickets and that is what the bowlers did," said Dhoni.

"It is great to be playing in the semi-final and we look forward to the game against Australia. I am sure our fans at home are happy and will be praying for our success."

India struggled with the bat after Dhoni won the toss and elected to take first strike.

None of the first four batsmen made 20 before Dhoni and young Rohit Sharma retreived the situation by adding 49 for the fifth wicket

Dhoni hit 45 off 33 balls with four boundaries and a six.

The 20-year-old Sharma, bating for the first time in the tournament, made an unbeaten 50 off 40 balls, reaching his half- century off the final delivery with a six to mid-wicket off Johan van der Wath.

India were without Yuvraj Singh who was ruled out with a left elbow injury sustained during Wednesday's match against England in which he hit Stuart Broad for six sixes in an over.

The blow seemed to have a telling effect on the rest of the team even after openers Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir put on 32 for the first wicket in 4.3 overs.

Three wickets fell for one run in four balls following a double strike by veteran Shaun Pollock in the fifth over.

AFP, Paris

Overwhelming favourites Bayern Munich began their assault on the 2007/08 UEFA Cup title on Thursday with a 1-0 victory over Portuguese club Belenenses while English clubs had a mixed night

Totenham thrashed Cypriot side Anorthosis Famagusta 6-1 with England striker Jermain Defoe on target, Blackburn fell 2-0 at Greek club Larissa, while Everton and Bolton both had 1-1 draws.

It's 11 years since the Bavarian club won this competition, beating Bordeaux in the final, and for many of their supporters just appearing in this second-tier European competition is a disappointment as since then they have appeared in every Champions League competition, winning it in 2001.

Bayern fielded all their stars except Miroslav Klose who had a one-match suspension for a sending off hanging over from last season.

Though Bayern dominated the match, their 1-0 result was hardly awe- inspiring and they still have work to do in the second leg in Lisbon on October 4.

Bayern went ahead in the 35th minute when Luca Toni found the net after good work from Mark van Bommel.

The Italian striker, still handicapped by a right thigh injury, notched up his fourth goal in five competitive matches since arriving at Munich.

England striker Jermain Defoe was on the scoresheet twice as Totenham had a goal feast against Anorthosis Famagusta, hammering the Cypriot side 6- 1 in the first leg of their first- round clash at White Hart Lane.

Younes Kaboul opened the scoring early on and Michael Dawson, Robbie Keane and Darren Bent put Spurs within sight of the group stages before the break.

Defoe, who has not started a game this season and was not in the squad against Arsenal, scored with his first touch after coming on in the 63rd minute before the visitors pulled a goal back through Anton Zlogar.

But no-one could snatch the headlines from Defoe as he added his second in stoppage time, curling home from 25 yards out

Blackburn suffered a potentially disastrous defeat to Larissa, going down 2- 0 in Greece.

Mark Hughes' side were caught cold just after the half-hour as the Greek Cup winners struck twice in 90 seconds.

AFP, Taipei

The Olympic torch relay for the 2008 Beijing Games will bypass Taiwan after talks between the island and China over hosting a leg collapsed following a biter row, officials said today.

"The Olympic torch will not come to Taiwan because the two sides were not able to reach consensus over the arrangement of the relay after more than one month of discussions," said Yang Jong-her, Taiwan's sports minister.

"We deeply regret the result," the minister added.

The talks collapsed over the use of flags, emblems and songs on the island during the event, officials said. A deadline imposed by the International Olympic Commitee (IOC) to resolve the issue passed this morning.

Chinese Olympic organisers had asked that only flags, emblems and songs approved by the IOC should be used in Taiwan.

Taiwan and China split in 1949, but China still considers the island part of its territory awaiting reunification. Taiwan cannot use its national flags, insignia or songs at IOC events or other international sports competitions.

"Our commitee of course will follow IOC rules, but how can we control the people? It is a free country here and the people can use whatever they like to welcome the torch," Tsai Chen-wei, chairman of Taiwan's Olympic Commitee, told reporters.

Tsai, Taiwan's chief torch relay negotiator, and Yang said Beijing had insisted on adding restrictions just a day before an agreement was due to be signed.

"We had been actively seeking to welcome the torch in a carnival-like event t but the Chinese side in the last minute unexpectedly asked to add barriers," Yang said.

"It is a clear fact that China, even in sports activities, is suppressing Taiwan and downgrading Taiwan," the minister added.

But Yang said Taiwan would still participate in the 2008 Olympic Games in a spirit of sportsmanship.

Taiwan had called the proposed route for the torch relay-from Taipei to Hong Kong to Macau to China-a challenge to national sovereignty.