The New Nation - Internet Edition

Final round of national handball championship begins today

UNB, Dhaka

The final round of the Exim Bank 18th National Men's Handball Championship begins today (Sunday) at the Outer Stadium.

Five matches will be held on the opening day with Rajshahi DSA playing Kushtia DSA in the opening match at 3 pm.

Earlier in the morning, Dhaka will play Kushtia, Natore meets Faridpur, Chittagong faces Jessore while Chittagong Metropolitan team play Chapainawabganj.

Chairman of ATN Bangla Mahfuzur Rahman will inaugurate the 12-team final round matches at 3 pm. ATN Bangla will telecast live the Sunday's opening match, semi-final and final.

Nine district teams, Bangladesh Rifles, Bangladesh Police and Bangladesh Ansar split into four groups will participate in the final phase.

Participating teams are : Group A -Bangladesh Rifles, Faridpur and Natore DSAs.

Group B - Bangladesh Police, Jessore and Chittagong DSAs,

Group C - Bangladesh Ansar, Chittagong Metropolis and Chapainawabganj

Group D - Dhaka, Kushtia and Rajshahi DSAs

Both the semi-final matches with group champions will be held on Mar 12 while the final and third-place decision matches on Mar 13 at the same venue.

Britain, India set for bruising Olympic battle

AFP, Santiago

India face a bruising battle against Great Britain here on Sunday if they are to preserve their record of having played in every Olympic Games men's field hockey tournament since 1928.

The two rivals are poised to meet in the play-off of the six-nation qualifying tournament with the British buoyed by their 3-2 win over eight-time gold medal winners India in the round-robin clash on Thursday.

Only the winner of Sunday's game will qualify for the Beijing Olympics in August.

Thursday's volatile clash led to three players being reprimanded for their behaviour by the tournament director.

India's Vickram Kanth received a yellow card after just six minutes and after studying video evidence, the player was further charged for deliberately using his elbow against a British player.

Teammate Gurbaz Singh was charged with deliberately following through with his stick striking a British player in the mouth in the 56th minute.

Britain's Simon Mantell, meanwhile, was involved in the same incident. After review of the video footage, he was charged for using abusive language and gestures to the Indian player.

"All three players were summoned to hearings, in the presence of their team representatives, and were strongly reprimanded for their actions," said a tournament spokesman.

"They were further advised that any further similar occurrence would result in a suspension."

Thursday's defeat, which was secured by a last-minute goal from Rob Moore, gave the British only their 10th win over the Asian giants.

India have won 24 and will desperate to make it 25 on Sunday when a defeat, according to many observers of the game, could signal the death knell for the men's game in the country.

Sunny Dale emerges champion in KFC-Pizza Hut Mini Handball Tournament

UNB, Dhaka

Sunny Dale School emerged champions in the KFC-Pizza Hut Mini Handball Tournament (Girl's) for the 2nd consecutive time outplaying Scholastica by 17-3 goals in the final at the Dhanmondi Women's Sports Complex ground here Saturday.

Sunny Dale enjoyed a 7-1 first half lead in the one-sided affair.

Arora scored highest eight goals for Sunny Dale while Ramisa netted three. Aishariya, who was later adjudged the player of the tournament, netted two goals for the runners-up team.

On their way to the final, Sunny Dale crushed Maple Leaf International School by 5-0 goals in the first semifinal while Scholastica outclassed Ispahani Girl's School by 8-1 goals in the 2nd semifinal.

Later, in the 3rd place decider match, Maple Leaf International School beat Ispahani Girls' School by 8-2 goals.

After the final, Transcom Foods Limited executive director Akku Chowdhury distributed prizes among the winners as chief guest.

Bangladesh Handball Federation general secretary Asaduzzaman Kohinoor, tournament committee chairman BM Shoaib and secretary Salahuddin Ahmed were also present on the occasion.

Vaughan set for knee surgery

AFP, Liverpool

Everton striker James Vaughan looks set to be sidelined for the remainder of the season after suffering a knee injury while training ahead of the UEFA Cup defeat to Fiorentina.

The 19-year-old has been flown to America to see renowned knee specialist Dr Richard Steadman.

"The knee just locked a couple of times in training and it is terrible luck for the boy," said Toffees manager David Moyes.

Vaughan has suffered a string of injury problems since becoming the Premier League's youngest goalscorer with a debut goal against Crystal Palace.

As well as knee injuries he has missed large parts of the current season with a dislocated shoulder.

"We don't know yet whether it is the same problem as before but it is the same knee," said Moyes.

"We decided he should have the operation now rather than wait until the end of the season and he has to be a doubt for the rest of the campaign."

Badda Jagarani beat Victoria SC

UNB, Dhaka

Badda Jagarani Sangsad upset title contender Victoria SC beating them by 1-0 goal in their first super six engagement of the Metropolis Senior Division Football at the Bangabandhu National Stadium (BNS) here on Saturday.

Alamgir Kabir scored the match-winning goal in the 74th minute.

After the day's match, Badda Jagarani Sangsad improved their position in the league table securing 22 points from 13 matches while Victoria SC remained at 25 points also playing 13 encounters.

The day's lone relegation league match between Arambagh KS and Mohakhali XI ended in a one-all draw at the Bir Shreshtha Shaheed Sepoy Mohammad Mostafa Stadium (BSSSMMS) at Kamalapur.

Yasin Hossain Mona put Mohakhali XI ahead in the 5th minute while Syed Hossain Surat restored the parity for Arambagh KS in the 61st minute.

Arambagh KS have so far earned 15 points while Mohakhali XI bagged 10 points, playing 13 matches each.

Sunrise SC will play Jatrabari KC in super six match at the Kamalapur Stadium while Wari Club face City Club in relegation league match at BNS today (Sunday).

Fleming challenges England to push for victory

Reuters, Hamilton

Former New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming has thrown down the gauntlet to England, challenging them to chase whatever target they need to make on the final day of the first test on Sunday.

New Zealand finished the fourth day at Seddon Park on Saturday 147 for eight, 269 ahead, after Ryan Sidebottom had ripped the heart out of their batting order with a hat- trick.

England had been bowled out for 348 just after lunch, taking 173.1 overs to achieve their score.

Fleming said he would be disappointed if there was no push for and an England victory.

"They have been out of the game for four days and to be presented an opportunity and not take it would be staggering," Fleming told reporters. "We bowled well. It was honest toil.

"But at two an over for that period of time, you would think at some point they would have looked to dominate," he added of England's first innings batting.

"They will probably have to score at twice that rate to win so if they do that it will be a remarkable turnaround."

Fleming admitted they were disappointed to have lost so many wickets late on Saturday, after they had cruised to 99 for one before slumping to 119 for seven, courtesy of Sidebottom's hat-trick.

Sidebottom finished with five for 37 and Monty Panesar three for 33 as New Zealand's batters looked to up their scoring rate and set a target in excess of 300 by stumps.

"We're not overly happy about how the situation occurred but when we have analysed it, in any given situation you'd take 270-280 into the last day.

"It has breathed some life into the game that was meandering along. While it was spectacular to lose the wickets and you'd love to be in a position where you can dictate a little bit moretit's our best chance of winning.

"We were the only team to be positive enough to create this opportunity t England must be pretty pleased they have given themselves a chance.

"We knew that would have to be the case if we were to win this match."

Australia glory days over

AFP, Sydney

Australia's cricket glory days are over and the team must face up to a tougher future, leading commentators said today after India's euphoric one-day series win over the world champions.

India's 2-0 tri-series finals win over Ricky Ponting's ageing team has triggered an inquest into Australia's performance and fears the axis of global cricket supremacy had finally shifted.

Australia are now only fractionally in front of South Africa on the International Cricket Council rankings as the world's leading one-day nation after losing the best-of- three finals.

And with the retirement of wicketkeeper-batsman Adam Gilchrist, after last year's departure of bowling great Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath, there is a sense the era of Australian domination is over.

One commentator noted that Australia, with an average age of 33, were confronted and affronted by a younger version of themselves in Mahendra Singh Dhoni's confident Indian team.

"If Ricky Ponting had ever wondered what tomorrow would look like, now he knows. It is staring Australian cricket, and its leader, in the face. The era of domination that it seemed might never end is over. The future has arrived," The Age's Tim Lane said.

"Australia will continue to have the measure of most. The days are gone, though, of endless, predictable crushings of mismatched opponents," he added.

The Sydney Morning Herald's Peter Roebuck said India's economic boom has released a new sort of cricketer-tough, independent, materialistic and confident.

"Suddenly, India seemed to represent the future, Australia the past. Australia were confronted and affronted by a younger version of themselves.

"Australia have always had a strong and democratic cricketing culture. India used to depend on players steeped in the ethics and traditions of the game. Not any more."

Much has been made in the local media about the fall-out from the Australian team's racism charge against controversial Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh for abusing Andrew Symonds during the second Sydney Test in January.

Harbhajan was banned for three matches but the suspension was later overturned following an appeal hearing.

The relations between the two sides deteriorated as senior Australian batsman Matthew Hayden called Harbhajan an "obnoxious weed" on radio during the subsequent one-day series.

Roebuck said Australia were distracted by the row and also by the lucrative IPL, which starts next month, blaming Ponting for the loss of focus.

"Australia played like a team weighed down by worry. It was a long season full of incidents and speculation about IPL (Indian Premier League) and (whether to tour) Pakistan," Roebuck wrote.

"Whatever the right and wrongs of the Sydney Test, the Australians lost their equanimity and never recovered.

"The Australians allowed Harbhajan to get under their skin. It was a mistake, and the captain was responsible. Ponting had a poor summer. His form dipped and he allowed his side to become overheated."

The Australian newspaper also attacked Symonds, urging him to curb his "big mouth."

"Symonds' big mouth either on the field or in print has been a significant cause of grief and embarrassment for Australian cricket in recent months," it said.

"It would be a great relief to everyone if he let his at times spectacular batting and fielding do the talking."

Surjotarun earn three-wicket victory over City Club

UNB, Dhaka

An unbeaten 65-run by Habibul Bashar guided Surjotarun Club to taste the first victory in their 2nd match of the Premier Division Cricket League beating City Club by three wickets at Narayanganj Osmani Stadium in Fatullah on Saturday.

Winning the toss, the finalist of the ongoing Metropolis twenty20 cricket league City Club batted first and scored 149 for 8 in a reduced 39-over-a-side match.

Sumon Barua contributed unbeaten 29 runs with the help of two boundaries, Pakistani batsman Zahoor Elahi scored 46-ball 28 runs with two fours and one six, Golam Mabud made 23 with two fours while Arafat Salauddin hit 24-ball 20 with three fours.

Nazmul Hossain, Mohammad Sharif, Delwar Hossain and Saad Nasim took two City Club wickets each conceding 25, 30, 34 and 34 runs respectively.

In reply, Surjotarun, which conceded a six-wicket defeat against holders Abahani Limited in the opening match, today reached their target making match-winner 150 runs for the loss of seven wickets in 38 overs.

Former national skipper Habibul Bashar contributed an unbeaten 65 off 89 balls with six boundaries to be adjudged man of the match while another former national captain Khaled Mashud added another useful 40 runs in 74 balls with four fours.

Shafaq Al Jabir and Arafat Salauddin grabbed three wickets each conceding 22 equal runs.

The day's other two matches between holders Abahani Limited and newcomer BKSP, and Dhaka Mohammedan SC and Partex SC, could not be held due to unplayable condition of ground following overnight rain.

Beckham back in training after knock

AFP, Hong Kong

Soccer superstar David Beckham resumed training on Saturday ahead of a friendly here after suffering a minor injury during LA Galaxy's Asian tour.

Beckham showed no signs of discomfort as he joined an eight-a-side game and delivered his trademark crosses in front of media at Hong Kong Stadium.

Beckham, 32, is using the tour to regain match fitness as he presses for a 100th England cap in the March 26 friendly against France.

He limped out of this week's match in Shanghai after 70 minutes with a right thigh problem but later confirmed he would play here.

Beckham's visit has been low-key compared to his 2003 trip here with Real Madrid. Some 80 percent of tickets for Sunday's match remain unsold, a report said.

"This is the Galaxy, not Real Madrid," Hong Kong Football Association Brian Leung told the South China Morning Post.

Dozens, rather than hundreds, of fans greeted Beckham at the airport on Thursday and only two supporters were seen outside Saturday's closed training session.

However Beckham caused havoc in Shanghai when hundreds of fans and media descended on a hospital where he was visiting leukaemia patients.

During last year's visit to New Zealand, 15,000 schoolchildren watched him train. Beckham was also targeted by a stalker, a report said.