The New Nation - Internet Edition

2nd Indo-Bangladesh Bangla Games begins Friday: Bangladesh eye 40 gold medals out of 67

UNB, Dhaka

The Second Indo-Bangladesh Bangla Games '2008, involving West Bengal of India and hosts Bangladesh, begins here on Friday (Feb 22) at the Bangabandhu National Stadium (BNS) with hosts Bangladesh hoping to win 40 out of the 67 gold medals at stake.

Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed will inaugurate the five-day meet in the afternoon at a gala opening ceremony.

Some 469 athletes and officials, including 231 from West Bengal, will battle for 67 gold medals of the game's second version in nine disciplines -- athletics, swimming, shooting, basketball, volleyball, kabaddi, kho kho, football and cricket.

Of the nine disciplines, both men's and women's events have been included in four disciplines -- football, shooting, athletics and swimming. Cricket, the most favourite game in the subcontinent, has been included in the ensuing Games for the first time.

The West Bengal team of India will reach Bangladesh Wednesday (Feb 20) morning by bus through Benapole border. On their way to capital Dhaka, the Bengal team will be accorded receptions at six points -- Benapole border, Jessore, Magura, Faridpur, Rajbari and Manikganj.

The details of the Games were disclosed by acting Secretary General of Bangladesh Olympic Association (BOA) Kutubuddin Ahmed at a crowded press conference at the NSC conference room on Monday afternoon.

BOA senior Vice President and former whip Mizanur Rahman Manu, BOA deputy Secretary General and Chef-De-Mission of Bangladesh contingent Ashrafuddin Ahmed Chunnu, and BOA member and media committee chairman M Azizul Haque also spoke on the occasion.

BOA deputy secretaries general SM Imtiaz Khan Babul and Ishtiaque Ahmed Karen, General Team Manager of Bangladesh Contingent and BOA member Anisur Rahman Dipu were present.

Chef-De-Mission of Bangladesh contingent and former celebrated fooballer Ashrafuddin Ahmed Chunnu said: "Bangladesh team is well prepared this time than before and this time we are looking for 40 gold medals."

BOA acting Secretary General Kutubuddin Ahmed informed that an estimated Tk 3.17 crore had been allocated for the two-nation Indo-Bangla Games. Of the amount, Tk 1.10 crore was earmarked for the training purposes of Bangladesh team.

The four-and-half hour opening ceremony will start at 3:30pm soon after arrival of the chief guest at the stadium, followed by landing of four paratroopers of Bangladesh Army carrying the flags of Bangladesh, India, BOA and Indo-Bangladesh Bangla Games.

BOA President and Army Chief General Moeen U Ahmed, BOA Secretary General, State Minister for Sports and Transport of West Bengal Subhash Chakraborty will address the ceremony before the Chief Adviser, Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed, declares the meet open.

Popular band star Ayub Bachchu will present the theme song written by Major (retd) Anis while the opening ceremony will also feature a 10-minute laser show.

Performers of Shilpakala Academy will present traditional songs and dances during the 30-minute function prior to massive fireworks at the country's premier stadium.

Artistes of Kolkata cultural teams will stage a 20-minute show.

A live concert, led by Ayub Bachchu, will be another attraction of the opening ceremony. The concert will begin at 6:30 pm at the big bowl.

A dress rehearsal of the opening ceremony will be held on Wednesday (Feb 20) afternoon at the Bangabandhu National Stadium.

But surprisingly, there is no provision for lighting torch at the opening function, nor a closing ceremony.

Games venues:

Football (men's and women's) - Dhaka, Narsingdi and Narayanganj; shooting - BKSP, athletics - Army Stadium in Banani; swimming - Mirpur National Swimming Pool; basketball - Mirpur Shaheed Suhrawardi Indoor Stadium/BKSP; kho kho - Outer Stadium; kabaddi - Kabbadi Stadium; volleyball - Dhaka and Gazipur; and Twenty/20 cricket - Bogra, Rajshahi and Fatullah.

Bangladesh earned 30 gold, 34 silver and 18 bronzes in the first Indo-Bangla Games held in Kolkata against West Bengal's 38 gold, 34 silver and 32 bronzes.

ICC U-19 World Cup: Bangladesh U-19 team beat Bermuda U-19 team in opener

UNB, Dhaka

Bangladesh U-19 team made a flying start in the ICC Under-19 World Cup beating Bermuda U-19 team by 178 runs in group D match at the Bayuemas Oval Stadium in Kuala Lampur, Malaysia on Monday.

Sent in to bat first, the Bangladesh U-19 team posted 260 runs for eight wickets in stipulated 50 overs with middle order batsman Nasir Hossain contributing 84 runs off 95 balls with eight fours and one six.

Ashiqul Islam scored unbeaten 69 runs, including two boundaries and two over boundaries, while opener Ashraful Hossain made 51 runs off 81 balls that featured six fours.

MO Jones captured two wickets for 64 runs.

In reply, the Bermuda U-19 team was cheaply dismissed for 82 runs in 26.1 overs in the face of a devastating bowling attack by Bangladesh.

Only two batsmen -- RJ. Trott (20) and JA DeSilva (11) -- reached the double digit.

Suhrawardy Shuvo claimed three wickets conceding only nine runs while Subhashis Roy Rubel Hossain and Dolar Mahmud took one wicket for 9, 16 and 31 runs respectively.

The Bangladesh U-19 team will play their second group match against Ireland U-19 team on February 20 at the same venue and the third match against England U19 team on February 22 at Royal Selangor Club in Kuala Lampur.

Brief Score:

Bangladesh U-19 team - 260 for 8 in 50 overs, Nasir Hossain 84, Ashiqul Islam 69*, Ashraful Hossain 51, Nadimuddin 11, Mithun Ali 9, Mahmudul Hasan 6, Ronny 5, extras 22, MO Jones 2/64, Maybury 1/28, Tucker 1/34, Hodsoll 1/35, Desilva 1/37, Trott 1/52.

Bermuda U-19 - 82 for all in 26.1 overs, Trott 20, Desilva 11, Douglas 8, Smith 3, extras 32, Shuvo 3/9, Subashis 1/9, Rubel 1/16, Solar Mahmud 1/31.

BCB XI score 263 for 5 on 2nd day replying to South Africa's 1st innings total 397

UNB, Dhaka

Riding on a brilliant century by Junaid Siddiqui, BCB XI made 263 for 5 in 64.3 overs against South Africa's first innings total 397, at stumps on the 2nd day of the three-day warm-up match at the Narayanganj Osmani Stadium in Fatullah on Monday.

Junaid scored 103 runs off 168 balls with 15 boundaries before he was caught and bowled by Makhaya Ntini, while Aftab Ahmed added 45 runs off 63 balls with nine fours before falling a victim of lbw by Morne Morkel.

Openers Shahriar Nafees and Junaid Siddiqui earlier gave a solid start scoring 58 runs for the first wicket.

Nafees scored 31 runs off 37 balls with four fours before he was caught behind by Mark Boucher off a Ntini delivery while Nazimuddin made 22 off 51 balls with two fours and six before being a victim of lbw by spinner J Botha.

Earlier, resuming the day with overnight 329 for 8 in 88 overs, two night watch South African batsmen - Mark Boucher and Dale Steyn - added 68 more runs to take team total to 397 for all in 109.3 overs.

Boucher (64) scored unbeaten 107 runs off 218 balls with 14 fours and two sixes while Steyn (19*) made 32 off 78 balls with five fours before caught by Syed Rasel off Enamul Haque Jr delivery.

Forhad Reza and Enamul Haque Jr captured three wickets each conceding 73 and 93 runs respectively. Syed Rasel grabbed two wickets for 106 runs while Sajedul Islam and Aftab Ahmed took one wicket apiece

Brief Score:

South Africa - 397 for all in 109.3 overs; Boucher 107*, Amla 103, Villiers 39, Kallis 36, Prince 32, Steyn 32, extras 18, Forhad 3/73, Enamul 3/93, Rasel 2/106, Aftab 1/20 and Sajedul 1/79.

BCB XI - 263 for 5 in 64.3 overs; Junaid 103, Aftab 45, Nafees 31, Nazimuddin 22, Shakib batting 20, Raquibul batting 13, M Morkel 2/48, M Ntini 2/65 and J Botha 1/46.

Australian Moody to coach Mohali franchise in IPL

Reuters, Mumbai

Australian Tom Moody has signed up to coach the Mohali team in the money-spinning Indian Premier League (IPL), the franchise has announced.

"With Yuvraj (Singh) being our captain and Moody as coach, I think everything has fallen into place for us," Ness Wadia, co-owner of the team, was quoted by the Indian media on Monday.

Moody, 42, a member of two World Cup-winning Australian teams, coached Sri Lanka for two years before leaving in May last year to take up reins for Western Australia.

"We really don't know much about the game and its technicalities," said Bollywood actress Preity Zinta, who is also part of the consortium that bought the franchise for $76 million over a 10-year-period. "But we will take professional help to run the franchise in the most efficient manner. "We will take input from captain, coach and the technical members that we are hiring," she added.

The inaugural edition of the International Cricket Council-sanctioned Twenty20 league starts on April 18.

The tournament will be played over 44 days between eight franchises in eight cities and will feature 59 matches.

All four titles go to India; Ronak Manuja earns double crown

UNB, Dhaka

Ronak Manuja of India earned double crown in the Dhaka Bank 22nd Bangladesh International Junior Tennis tournament winning both the boys' singles and doubles' titles at the Ramna National Tennis Complex on Monday.

After the day's feat, all four titles of the meet went to India as Indian girl Poojashree Venkatesh earlier earned the double crown winning the girls' singles and doubles' titles.

Chief Adviser's Special Assistant for Post and Telecommunications Brig Gen (Retd) M A Malek was the chief guest in the day's closing function and distributed the prizes.

In the boys' singles, Ronak Manuja of India emerged champion beating top seed Chen I-Ta of Chinese Taipei 6-0, 5-7, 6-3 in the final on Monday.

Ronak Manuja, pairing with Ahuja Manuja, also clinched the boys' doubles title beating Ranjan Ram of Bangladesh and Lin of Chinese Taipei 6-3, 7-5 in the event's final.

Earlier, on Sunday, Indian girl Poojashree clinched the singles title beating Zhao Di of China 6-0, 5-7, 6-3 in the final.

Poojashree pairing with Noordin of Malaysia won the girls' doubles title beating Whybourn and Sian partner of Great Britain 6-0, 7-5 in the event's final, also on Sunday.

Tariku Bekele to miss Melbourne race with Mottram

AFP, Melbourne

Ethiopian Tariku Bekele has pulled out of his 5000-metre race with Australian Craig Mottram at the IAAF Melbourne Track Classic on Thursday, Athletics Australia said on day.

AA said Bekele was not coming to Melbourne after Ethiopian athletics chiefs advised him to stay in Europe to prepare for next month's world indoor championships in Valencia.

While Bekele, the younger brother of 5000m world record holder Kenenisa Bekele, will not be making the trip to Australia, fellow Ethiopian Abreham Feleke will be running in the 5000m on Thursday, officials said.

The withdrawal of Bekele comes on top of the knee injury to Jamaican 100m world record holder Asafa Powell, which forced him out of Saturday's grand prix meet in Sydney.

Powell had stitches in his left knee after falling on stairs at home shortly before flying to Australia.

He resumed training today, but it remains uncertain whether he will race in the 100m event on Thursday.