The New Nation - Internet Edition

Gilchrist relief at successful WACA farewell

AFP, Australia

Australia's Adam Gilchrist admitted he was relieved to have successfully completed an emotional WACA farewell after his match- winning century against Sri Lanka.

The 36-year-old, who will hang up the pads after the tri-series, gave his home fans one more innings to remember with a controlled 118 which lifted Australia to a crucial 63-run win.

Although the wicketkeeper-batsman made his decision to retire last month, Gilchrist said the enormity of the move only hit him during Friday's match, where chants of "Gilly" rang out around the stands.

"Today was where it really hit me, that it is all finishing," he said.

"Today was always going to be a big day, so I was more nervous than any day, leading into here.

"I am glad it is done t there was a lot of emotion in there."

Gilchrist said he was determined to make a big score to thank local supporters, who booed him when he started his career with Western Australia but soon embraced the popular New South Welshman.

He admitted it had been a draining final period of his career after a contentious Test series with India and controversy swirling over the lucrative Indian Premier League, which he will join in April.

"It's a difficult schedule this one, not playing for four days and then playing back-to- back," he said.

"There is a lot of downtime between the Sunday and Friday games and maybe all of us have struggled on the back of an intense Test series."

Nevertheless, the win lifted Australia back to the top of the tri-series ladder and Gilchrist said it was an important victory.

"It keeps us right up there now and eases the pressure on the next few games," he said.

"That said, if we drop one we'll be back in the same position."

Gilchrist holds the world record for Test dismissals (414) and has won three World Cups with Australia.

Senior Div Football: Wari Club beat City Club

Sports Reporter

Wari Club beat City Club by a solitary goal in the day's first match of the Senior Division Football League at the Kamalapur Bir Sreshtha Shaheed Sepoy Mohammad Mostafa Stadium on Saturday.

After a barren first half Mobarok of Wari Club scored the match-winning goal in the 50th minute of the play.

In the day's other match, Youngmens Club of Fakirapool made a goalless draw with Purbachal Parishad at the same venue.

Today Arambagh KS will face Victoria SC at 1.30 PM while Badda Jagarani Sangsad will meet Sunrise SC at 3.30 PM.

Omar Khalid Rumi named Bangladesh team manager

UNB, Dhaka

Former national cricketer Omar Khalid Rumi has been made Bangladesh Team Manager for the Warid Cricket Series involving Bangladesh and South Africa, beginning here on February 22.

South Africa will play two tests and three ODI matches against Bangladesh apart from one three-day and a one-day warm-up match during their month-long tour.

Rumi, a 48-year-old former Bangladesh all-rounder-cum national selector, represented the national side from 1973 to 1985.

He also played for Bangladesh in the ICC Trophy from 1979 and 1982.

A top-order batsman-cum-leg-spin bowler, Rumi's domestic cricket career began in 1969. He retired in 1993.

He is also a member of the BCB's Domestic Cricket Review Committee.

Henin praises 'amazing' Seles

AFP, Antwerp

World number one Justine Henin on Friday paid tribute to Monica Seles, describing the nine-time Grand Slam title winner as "amazing".

Seles, 34, announced her retirement on Thursday after not having played on the tour since 2003 because of a crippling left foot injury.

"She was an amazing champion and brought a lot to the game. She was a real fighter and what she did was important for the WTA," said Henin.

"What she brought was good for the game. I lot of people will miss her," said the Belgian star who won her last three matches against Seles after losing her first four.

Seles won 53 singles titles and six doubles tournaments in her career and held the top ranking in the world for 178 weeks in the early 1990s.

She won four Australian Opens, three Roland Garros titles as well as the US Open on two occasions.

However, she never won Wimbledon, a gap in a CV also currently shared by Henin who has four French Opens, two US Open crowns as well as one Australian Open win.

Three-day warm-up match between SA and BCB XI begins today

UNB, Dhaka

Touring South Africa starts their campaign today (Sunday) taking on Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) X1 in a three-day warm-up match at the Narayanganj Osmani Stadium in Fatullah.

All-rounder Shakib Al Hasan will lead the BCB XI team while wicket-keeper Mushfiqur Rahim will assist him in the three-day match against the Graeme Smith lead-Proteas team.

The final squad of both the South Africa and local BCB Eleven will be announced today (Sunday) morning before the start of the match.

Captain of BCB Eleven Shakib Al Hasan told newsmen after the day's practice that they were not worried about their opponents, but they would try to play a good competitive cricket giving little chance to the South Africans.

The South Africa team, led by Greame Smith, also made a hard practice this noon at the

Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur ahead of tomorrow's warm-up match.

Meanwhile, former Bangladesh skipper Habibul Basher and opening batsman Tamim Iqbal are recovering fast from injuries and have a good chance to join tomorrow's warm-up.

A good number of national players like Habibul Basher, Aftab Ahmed, Shahriar Nefees,

Nazimuddin, Junaed Siddique, Tamim Iqbal, Rajin Saleh and Syed Rasel have been included in the BCB squad apart from captain Shakib Al Hasan and vice captain Mushfiqur Rahim.

BCB XI team: Shakib Al Hasan (Captain), Mushfiqur Rahim (Vice-captain), Tamim Iqbal, Zunaed Siddique, Shahriar Nafees Ahmed, Nazim Uddin, Rajin Saleh Alam, Aftab Ahmed Chowdhury, Enamul Haque Jr, Sajedul Islam, Talha Jubaer Farhad Reza, Syed Rasel, Roqibul Hassan and Kazi Habibul Bashar.

4th JFA Cup U-15 football begins today

UNB, Dhaka

The zonal round knockout basis matches of the 4th JFA Cup Under-15 Football Championship, organised by Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF), begins today (Sunday) at eight venues across the country.

Opening day matches: Gazipur vs Sherpur at Jamalpur Stadium, Jhenidah vs Satkhira at Khulna Stadium, Gaibandha vs Rangpur at Dinajpur Stadium, Faridpur vs Rajbari at Manikganj Stadium and Habiganj vs Brahmanbaria at Moulvibazar Stadium.

The matches will begin at 3:30pm.

A total of 59 district teams along with BKSP, split into eight zones, are taking part in the

4th version of the nationwide regular junior football meet.

The eight regional venues are -- Jamalpur, Khulna, Pabna, Bhola, Dinajpur, Moulvibazar,

Manikganj and Cox's Bazar.

The eight zonal champion teams will play in the 10-team final round in Rajshahi with holders Dhaka and final round hosts Rajshahi in the first week of March.

Each team of the zonal round will be awarded Tk 9,000 as participation money and each wining team will receive Tk 4,000 as prize money. Each venue organiser will receive Tk 30,000.

Meanwhile, the participating 10 teams in the final round will receive Tk 25,000 while the

four semifinalists and the two top teams in the competition will be given Tk 5000 as prize

money for each match.

Of the total budget of Tk 21,09,000 lakh, sponsor Japan Football Association (JFA) provided over Tk 17,00,000 lakh (U$$ 25,000) to operate the meet.

Tournament committee chairman Abdur Rahim disclosed the details of the championship at a press conference at the BFF conference room this afternoon.

BFF acting general secretary Manjoor Hossain Malu, tournament committee secretary AKM Nuruzzaman and BFF media manager Ahmed Syed AL-Fatah were present.

Footballer Nannu passes away

BSS, Dhaka

Celebrated footballer Monwar Hossain Nannu died at Apollo Hospital here on Saturday the age of 60.

He had been suffering from cancer.

Nannu left behind wife, one son and a host of relatives, friends and well-wishers to mourn his death.

His first namaz-e-janaza was held at Bangabandhu National Stadium. Mayor of Dhaka Sadeque Hossain Khoka, SA Sultan, president of Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) and other dignitaries attended the janaza.

The second janaza was held at Sonali Otit Club at Motijheel while the third and last janaza was held on the Abahani Club premises.

Nannu was laid to rest at Martyred Intellectuals Graveyard in Mirpur.

Nannu played for Abahani Krira Chakra in the 70s and also was a member of the first national team in 1973.

BFF, Bangladesh Sports Journalists Association, Bangladesh Sports Writers Association, Bangladesh Sports Writers and Journalists Community and Sonali Otit Club condoled the death of Nannu.

Current stars back the young guns

AFP, Kuala Lumpur

Cricket's brightest young talent will not be short of inspiration when they contest the International Cricket Council's under-19 World Cup starting here on Sunday.

The stars of tomorrow have only to look at the great of today to realise the value of making an impression in the 16- nation tournament that ends with the final at the Kinrara Oval here on March 2.

Graeme Smith, who captained the senior South Africa team within three years of playing in the 2000 junior event, hoped his remarkable rise will inspire the youngsters.

"I look forward to following the tournament and spot the stars of the future that I may be playing against in the near future," Smith told the tournament's host broadcaster from South Africa.

"After all, I wonder how many people who watched me play in 2000 would have thought that within three years I would be captaining my country at Test level.

"I certainly did not and I hope my story is an inspirational one for all those taking part."

Among other major players to emerge from the junior World Cups were Test captains Sanath Jayasuriya of Sri Lanka, Brian Lara and Chris Gayle of the West Indies, Michael Atherton and Nasser Hussain of England and Inzamam-ul Haq of Pakistan.

"Use it to learn," Smith advised the current young crop preparing to battle in the two-yearly event.

"Whether it's attending your first-ever press conference, giving your first post-match television interview, signing bats, attending education sessions or watching how other teams prepare for matches.

"All these elements are things that you will do time and time again as a senior player.

"There will be a global audience watching on television and it is a great opportunity to put your name on the lips of the international cricket community."

Sri Lanka's Jayasuriya, who played in the inaugural under-19 World Cup in 1988 alongside Lara, Atherton and Inzamam, said the experience was invaluable.

"This is a great tournament," the swashbuckling left-hander said. "I got the exposure and I came up with a good performance. It helps you to establish yourself as an international player in your own country."

The competition has often been tougher and more unpredictable than at the senior level where Australia are the undisputed champions in both Test and one-day cricket with three successive World Cup titles.

At the junior level, the young Aussies have won just one of the last five World Cups since 1998. England and India have both taken it home once while Pakistan were the dominant force in the last two editions.

Young guns are not daunted by reputations. In 2006, cricketing non-entity Nepal stunned South Africa in the preliminary league and went on to defeat New Zealand in the Plate final.

The 10 regular cricket nations-Australia, England, India, Pakistan, West Indies, Sri Lanka, South Africa, New Zealand, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe-will be joined by five qualifiers and hosts Malaysia.

The regional qualifiers are Namibia (Africa), Nepal (Asia), Papua New Guinea (East Asia-Pacific), Ireland (Europe) and Bermuda (Americas).

The 16 teams have been divided into four groups with the top two qualifying for the quarter-finals.

In Sunday's opening matches, defending champions Pakistan take on hosts Malaysia, Australia play Namibia, India are pitted against Papua New Guinea and England meet Ireland.

Ranjan Lin pair moves into semifinal in boys' doubles

UNB, Dhaka

Ranjan Ram (BAN) & Lin (TPE) pair moved into the semifinal of the Dhaka Bank 22nd Bangladesh International Junior Tennis Tournament, eliminating Mazharul & Tazmul (BAN) pair 6-4, 6-2 in the boys' doubles qualifying round match at the Ramna National Tennis Complex here Saturday.

In the day's other boys' doubles matches, Ivan Regan (INA) & Gangasharam (IND) pair, Manuja & Ahuja (IND) pair and Dellorto (HKG) & Stevenson (CAN) pair booked the semifinal berth, eliminating their respective opponents.

In the girls' singles matches, Poojashree Venkatesh (IND) beat Schuurs Demi (NED) 6-4,6-2 and Zhao Di (CHN) beat Dayal Sonia (IND) 6-1,6-2.

Shaheed Smriti Hockey: Ahmed Bawani thrash Jinjira

Sports Reporter

Ahmed Bawani Academy thrashed Jinjira Pilot School by 8-2 goals in the inaugural match of the Dhaka Bank Shaheed Smriti Hockey Tournament at the Moulana Bhasani National Hockey Stadium on Saturday.

Earlier, Director of the Dhaka Bank Limited and Vice-President of Bangladesh Hockey Federation Khondker Jamil Uddin inaugurated the hockey meet as the chief guest.

The winners led the first half 5-1.

Shaon of Ahmed Bawani Academy top-scored with four goals and his teammate Raihan netted two and Shagor,Faisal struck one time each on the board.

On the other hand, Arif,Rafiqul pulled off one each for the losers.

Ganguly still looking for one-day action with India

Reuters, Mumbai

Former captain Saurav Ganguly still wants to play one-day cricket for India despite being dropped for the triangular series in Australia.

Ganguly, 35, one of three Indians to score over 10,000 runs in one-day cricket, was passed over for the Australian tri-series despite his solid performances at test level.

"They (the selectors) just asked me whether I wanted to continue one-day cricket," Ganguly told private television news channel Times Now on Saturday.

"I said, 'yes definitely, at least for the next 7-8

months.'"

Looking ahead at his one-day possibilities, the left-handed batsman said: "There is the Australia series, then India go to Sri Lanka for tests and one-dayers.

"So there are five one-dayers there and then the Champions Trophy in September and rest of the year is full of test cricket."

Ganguly was left out by tri-series selectors after the team's first-round exit at the one-day World Cup and a surprise victory by a young squad in the Twenty20 version last year.