The New Nation - Internet Edition

Sports Reporter

Bangladesh Army and Bangladesh Navy moved to the final of the Total Victory Day Basketball Tournament on Thursday.

In the day's first semifinal, Bangladesh Army defeated BKSP by 97-41 points at the Mirpur Shaheed Suhrawardy Indoor Stadium.

Army dominated over their opponents by 44-13 points in the first half.

Mithun of Army scored 19 points and his teammate Tojammel caged 18 while Shetu of BKSP pulled off 18.

In the day's second semifinal, Bangladesh Navy beat Josephites by 72-62 points at the same venue.

Navy led the first session by 39-27 points.

Rashed of Navy top-scored with 27 points while Raja of Josephites netted17.

Today Bangladesh Army will face Bangladesh Navy in the final at 3.00 PM at the same venue.

President of Bangladesh Basketball Federation and Secretary of the Chief Adviser's Secretariat Kazi M Aminul Islam will distribute the prizes among the winners as the chief guest.

UNB, Dhaka

Rangamati DSA set up the final with Dhaka DSA in the Women's Football winning their respective semi-final matches at the Dhanmondi Women's Sports Complex here on Thursday.

The final match of the competition will be held on Saturday (Dec 15) at 3 pm. LGRD Adviser Anwarul Haq will witness the day's final event and distribute the prizes among the winners.

In the day's first semi-final, Rangamati DSA beat Khagrachari DSA by 2-0 goals. Mainu and Nubai scored one goal each for the winners.

Later, Sainu Pru of Rangamati DSA was adjudged player of the match.

In the day's other semis, Dhaka DSA defeated Narayanganj DSA, also by 2-0 goals.

Dalia Akter, who scored both the goals for Dhaka DSA, was adjudged best player of the match.

UNB, Dhaka

Bangladesh Cricket Board Thursday announced Shaheed Mushtaque and Shaheed Jewel Xis to play each other in the Victory Day Exhibition Cricket match on December 16 (Sunday) at the Dhanmondi Cricket Stadium.

Both teams consist of 14 players and one coach-cum-manager.

Shaheed Mushtaque XI: Shakil Haider, Saikat Ali, Amit Majumder, Nizamuddin Ripon, Iftekhar Nayeem, Mominul Haque, KH Ashiqul Islam, Ariful Haque, Tapash Ghosh, Saiful Islam Sohag, Muktar Ali, Sohag Gazi, Humayun Kabir and Rumman Islam.

Coach-cum-Manager - Mizanur Rahman Babul.

Shaheed Jewel XI: Rashedul Haque Sumon, Sanjoy Chakraborty, Sumon Saha, Salauddin Ujjal, Maruf Sunny, Arman Hossain, Rubaiyat Haque, Rashedul Islam, Raihanuddin Arafat, Shoaib, Kankan, Rezaul Islam, Rajon and Hasibul Hossain.

Coach-cum-Manager - Abdul Hadi Ratan.

The selected cricketers have been asked to report to their respective team coach-cum-manager by 7 am on the Victory Day (Sunday) at the Dhanmondi Cricket Stadium.

UNB, Dhaka

Four teams - Bangladesh Army, Bangladesh Navy, Bangladesh Rifles and Bangladesh Air Force - reached the semi-finals of the Victory Day Top-Five Men's Volleyball Tournament on Thursday. Bangladesh Navy will play Bangladesh Air Force in the first semi-final while Bangladesh Army will face Bangladesh Rifles in the other semi-final on Saturday.

In the day's matches, Navy beat Rifles by 25-19, 20-25, 25-17, 25-18 points while Army beat Water Development Board by straight sets (25-13, 25-15, 25-13) at the Volleyball Stadium here on Thursday.

Friday's matches: Men's group - Air Force vs Water Development Board (4:30 pm); Women's group - Ansars vs VDP (3:30 pm).

AFP, Yokohama

Brazilian legends Kaka and Cafu say they feel at home in Japan where they are playing the Club World Cup, with both players tasting success here before.

"I have only good memories about Japan. I want to make another good memory," superstar playmaker Kaka told the Japanese daily Sankei Sports ahead of AC Milan's semi-final clash with Japan's Urawa Reds here on Thursday.

"Urawa have enthusiastic supporters. But we have come here to bring the trophy to Milan. We are not complacent," said the 25-year-old.

Kaka visited Japan in 1993 as an 11-year-old member of the Sao Paulo FC junior team to play friendlies in Yamagata, a rural region north of Tokyo.

He was named the most valuable player of those matches and won 5,000 yen (45 dollars) in prize money.

"I still keep the money. That is a memento and I feel attached to it," added the millionaire star, who won the prestigious French Ballon d'Or player of the year just before heading to Japan for the tournament of continental champions. Cafu, a veteran defender at age 37, was Brazil's captain when they beat Germany 2- 0 in the 2002 World Cup final at the Yokohama International Stadium, the venue of Milan's semi-final and Sunday's final this week.

"It's a wonderful feeling to be back at the stadium where I lifted the World Cup trophy. I'm very excited about it," he told FIFA.com. "Every time I come here I experience the same amazing sensations. "I can remember the end of the final and touching the trophy. It's an image that the people of Brazil will never forget and neither will I."

Cafu also won two Intercontinental Cups with Sao Paulo in 1992 and 1993 at Tokyo's National Stadium. The South America-Europe club championship was merged into the Club World Cup in 2005 for the undisputable title of global champions.

"I honestly never thought this country would end up meaning so much to me," he said.

"I really hope I can win this title with Milan and my Brazilian team-mates. "There are eight of us altogether and if we win the Cup, it would be great for the people back home too."

AFP, Colombo

England's batsmen saw off Sri Lanka's early challenge on the fifth and final day as the second Test headed towards a draw on Thursday.

The tourists, needing to bat out the day after trailing by 197 runs on the first innings, carried their overnight score of 48-0 to 152-1 at the end of a cloudy morning session.

Alastair Cook was unbeaten on 62 after sharing an opening stand of 107 with his captain Michael Vaughan.

The pair had put on 133 in the first innings with Cook making 81 and Vaughan 87.

Vaughan, who hit a fluent 61 in the second innings, was the lone batsman to be dismissed before lunch when he offered a tame return catch to fast bowler Dilhara Fernando.

Ian Bell was the other batsman at the crease on 25.

Sri Lanka won 10 of their last 12 Tests at the Sinhalese Sports Club, but the slow wicket ensured there was no immediate threat from champion spinner Muttiah Muralitharan.

The off-spinner, who became Test cricket's most successful bowler during the first Test in Kandy which Sri Lanka won by 88 runs, sent down 16 unsuccessful overs conceding 30 runs.

Vaughan and Cook added a run-a-minute 56 runs against the seamers before Vaughan departed against the run of play.

England need a draw to attempt a series-levelling win when the final Test starts in Galle next Tuesday.

Reuters, London

Arsenal and Liverpool, who lost their unbeaten league records last week, host Chelsea and Manchester United respectively on Sunday as England's four European pilgrims return to domestic duties with a bang.

The four, who have all reached the last 16 of the Champions League, will line up on a "super Sunday" that should be an early Christmas treat for fans and armchair viewers alike.

The all-star double-bill comes relatively early in the season but could have a major impact on the title, particularly if United maintain their recent dominance of their north west rivals.

Tuesday's impressive 4-0 victory at Olympique Marseille may have rekindled Liverpool's European dream but if they lose on Sunday they will find themselves nine points behind United and possibly 10 adrift of Arsenal with any chance of a first league title since 1990 looking shot.

Manager Rafael Benitez, ever keen to shuffle his troops, will find it difficult to make too many changes after a midweek performance he described as "almost perfect." Alex Ferguson rested most of his first team for Wednesday's Champions League dead rubber at AS Roma as he seeks to extend United's remarkable run of four wins and a draw from their last five league visits to the former fortress. Chelsea's record at Arsenal is not quite as impressive but Arsene Wenger's team still have to go back four years for their last home league win.

Chelsea warmed up with a stroll in their goalless draw against Valencia, where there were returns to action for goalkeeper Petr Cech and defender Paulo Ferreira, who had both been out since early November.

Cech said he felt the momentum was with his club and looked to history for inspiration.

"When I came to Chelsea I remember going into Christmas five points behind Arsenal," he told the Standard newspaper.

"Then we got a 2-2 draw against them and by the time that period was over we were five points ahead. "It's a time of year when there are so many difficult games in such a short space of time, plus squads have injuries and suspensions, it can really change things."

Didier Drogba remains out though after knee surgery and with a further New Year absence due to the African Nations Cup it is time for Andriy Shevchenko to step up to the mark.

Arsenal have had surprisingly few problems in replacing their key striker as in the post-Thierry Henry era they have scored in every league game. Their total of 33 is four better than anyone else in the division and nine better than Chelsea. Cesc Fabregas has played an important part of the goalfest with 11 to his name, including six in the league, but the Spain midfielder is struggling to recover from a hamstring strain in time to feature on Sunday.

He was certainly missed in the draw against Newcastle United and in last week's defeat by Middlesbrough, when Arsenal looked short of fizz, but the visit of the team who have supplanted them as the best in London should be enough to guarantee a return to their most effervescent champagne football.