The New Nation - Internet Edition

Maradona slams altitude ban after playing in Bolivia

Reuters, La Paz

Diego Maradona criticised a ban on international matches at high altitude on Monday after playing a charity game in Bolivia's national stadium at 3,600 metres above sea level.

Bolivia president Evo Morales also took part in the match in front of a 30,000 crowd at the Hernando Siles stadium, which can no longer be used for World Cup qualifying games under FIFA rules.

"I, at the age of 47, and president Morales have shown FIFA that you can run on this pitch," Maradona, captain of Argentina's 1986 World Cup-winning team, told reporters.

"You have to play where you are born, not even God can prohibit this and certainly not (FIFA president Sepp) Blatter."

Earlier, Maradona had described the ban as disgraceful.

"The measure is ridiculous because they want to make Bolivia go somewhere else. It's disgraceful, it was approved by people who have never chased a football, it's political," he said.

"Are they trying to change geography?"

The Friends of Maradona team beat Morales's side of Bolivian politicians and ex-players 7-4 in a game organised to raise money for victims of flooding in the Andean nation.

VISITING TEAMS

FIFA on Friday ruled that international matches can only be played above 2,750 metres if visiting teams are given one week to acclimatise and above 3,000 metres if they are given two weeks.

As clubs are only obliged to release players for internationals five days in advance, the decision effectively rules out matches above these altitudes.

It means that Ecuador and Bolivia, who traditionally play home matches in Quito and La Paz respectively, would have to move to lower venues.

FIFA initially introduced the ban last May but then back-tracked, after which both Ecuador and Bolivia played 2010 World Cup qualifiers in Quito and La Paz.

However, the ban was reintroduced in December and upheld at a meeting in Zurich on Friday.

Old Dhaka outplays BAF by 5-2 goals

UNB, Dhaka

Old Dhaka made a flying start in the Independence Day Hockey Competition outplaying Bangladesh Air Force team by 5-2 goals in the opening match at the Maulana Bhashani National Hockey Stadium yesterday.

Old Dhaka enjoyed a 3-1 lead in the first half.

Iqbal Nadir Prince and Maksud Alam Habul scored two goals each for the winners while Rasel Mahmud Jimmy netted the other. Mamun Hossain and Romen Ali netted one goal each for the Services team.

In the day's other match, Bangladesh Army team beat Police SC by 4-2 goals at the same venue. All the goals were scored in the first half.

Mustafa struck thrice while Didar Hossain netted the other for the Army. Mahmudul and Turjo scored one goal each for Police SC.

Earlier, Dhaka Bank managing director Abu Misa inaugurated the competition as chief guest.

Today's matches: Bangladesh Navy vs Mirpur Academy

(2pm), Old Dhaka vs Police SC (3-30pm).

Rajshahi ensures semifinal berth

UNB, Dhaka

Rajshahi DSA ensured their semifinal berth in the JFA Cup Under-15 Football Championship with one match in hand beating Bhola DSA by 1-0 at the Rajshahi Stadium Tuesday.

Shafi scored the all-important goal in the 39th minute of the match.

In the day's other match at the same venue, Dinajpur DSA outclassed Kushtia DSA by 5-0 goals after riding on a spectacular hattrick by Sajib.

Sajib scored three goals, the first in the 4th minute, the 2nd in the 20th minute and the 3rd in the 75th minute.

Sourav netted the two other goals in the 7th and 10th minute.

Today's matches: BKSP vs Cox's Bazar DSA

Narayanganj DSA vs Khulna DSA.

List of highest wicket-takers in test cricket

AP, New Zealand

Highest wicket-takers in tests

(x-active):

723-x-Muttiah Muralitharan, Sri Lanka (118)

708-Shane Warne, Australia (145 matches)

604-x-Anil Kumble, India (125)

563-Glenn McGrath, Australia (124)

519-Courtney Walsh, West Indies (132)

434-Kapil Dev, India (131)

431-Sir Richard Hadlee, New Zealand (86)

421-Shaun Pollock, South Africa (108)

414-Wasim Akram, Pakistan (104)

405-Curtly Ambrose, West Indies (98)

Highest test cricket runscorers

AP, New Zealand

List of leading runscorers in test

cricket (x-active):

11,953-Brian Lara, West Indies (131 tests)

11,782-x-Sachin Tendulkar, India (146)

11,174-Allan Border, Australia (156)

10,927-Steve Waugh, Australia (168)

10,122-Sunil Gavaskar, India (125)

9,920-x-Rahul Dravid, India (119)

9,776-x-Ricky Ponting, Australia (116)

9,477x-Jacques Kallis, South Africa (116)

8,900-Graham Gooch, England (118)

8,832-Javed Miandad, Pakistan (124)

8,830-Inzamam-ul-Haq, Pakistan (120)

8,540-Sir Vivian Richards, West Indies (121)

8,463-Alec Stewart, England (133)

8,242-x-Matthew Hayden, Australia (94)

8,231-David Gower, England (117)

8,114-Geoff Boycott, England (108)

8,032-Sir Garfield Sobers, West Indies (93)

8,029-Mark Waugh, Australia (128)

List of scorers of most centuries in test cricket

AP, New Zealand

Leading scorers of most centuries in test cricket (x-active):

39-x-Sachin Tendulkar, India (146 matches)

34-x-Ricky Ponting, Australia (116)

34-Sunil Gavaskar, India (125)

34-Brian Lara, West Indies (131)

32-Steve Waugh, Australia (168)

30-x-Matthew Hayden, Australia (94)

29-Sir Donald Bradman, Australia (52)

29-x-Jacques Kallis, South Africa (116)

27-Allan Border, Australia (156)

26-Sir Garfield Sobers, West Indies (93)

25-Inzamam-ul-Haq, Pakistan (120)

Independence Day Women's Kabaddi reaches semifinal

UNB, Dhaka

Bangladesh Ansar, Japan, West Bengal and Tripura teams reached the semifinals of the Fresh Independence & National Day Women's Kabaddi Championship, eliminating their rivals at the outer stadium kabaddi court on Tuesday.

In Wednesday's semifinals, Group A champion Japan will play Bangladesh Ansar at 3:30pm while Group B Champion West Bengal team meet Tripura at 4:15pm at the same venue.

Tournament's media partner ATN Bangla will telecast live both the semifinals today.

In the day's first match, Tripura team of India beat local league champions Jatrabari KC by 40-24 points (first half 27-16) with two creditable lonas in the morning.

Rita Rani Devnath of Tripura team was adjudged best player of the match.

The West Bengal team of India outplayed Nepal team by 62-7 points (first half 32-3) with five lonas in the day's second match, also in the morning. Kakoli Biswas of West Bengal named as the best player of the match.

Japan emerged Group A champions outplaying Tripura 34-12 points (first half 17-5) with two lonas in the day's another match held this afternoon. Takawah of Japan was adjudged the best player of the match.

In the day's last match, West Bengal team became Group B champions beating Bangladesh Ansar by 58-12 points (first half 33-7) with three lonas, also held in the afternoon.

Mousumi Mollick of West Bengal named as the best player of the match.

Nadal, Davenport, Ivanovic, Jankovic reach last 16

AP, Indian Wells

Defending champion Rafael Nadal dumped American teenager Donald Young 6-1, 6-3 on Monday to reach the last 16 at the Pacific Life Open, where he's won eight straight matches without dropping a set.

A sterner test for the Spaniard will come in the fourth round against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who upset Nadal in the Australian Open semifinals.

Two days after hitting no aces, Tsonga racked 15 and broke French countryman Paul-Henri Mathieu in the last game to win 7-6 (5), 6-4. "In Australia I had a tough loss but I'm going to try and improve this time," Nadal said. "It's going to be important to serve well because he's strong in his serve, and from the baseline

try to play a little bit more aggressive than in Australia."

Also through were women's top seed Ana Ivanovic, former two-time champ Lindsay Davenport and third-seeded Jelena Jankovic.

In late men's matches, third-seeded Novak Djokovic downed No. 27 Philipp Kohlschreiber of Germany 6-3, 6-2, No. 16 Guillermo Canas rallied to beat fellow Argentine Juan Monaco 6-3, 6-7 (1), 6-2 and South Korean Lee Hyung-taik upset fifth-seeded Spaniard David Ferrer 7-6 (5), 6-7 (5), 7-6 (3).

Earlier, eighth-seeded Richard Gasquet hammered Juan Ignacio Chela of Argentina 6-2, 6-1 and will next meet ninth-seeded James Blake, who downed Carlos Moya 6-3, 6-4 and evened their career matchups at 6-6.

Also, Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland dispatched Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus 6-3, 6-7 (1), 6-0 in their first meeting.

In women's play, favored Serbs Ivanovic and Jankovic won in straight sets.

Ivanovic struggled to close out Italy's Tathiana Garbin at the end of a 44-minute first set, then rolled on to a 6-3, 6-0 win to reach the fourth round for a third straight year.

Jankovic routed veteran Ai Sugiyama 6-1, 6-1. "I was very focused on the court, and I really tried to do my job out there," Jankovic said. "I didn't want to let her get into

the match, so I was just playing one point at a time. Especially with the wind you really have to."

Jankovic has reached the quarterfinals or better in her previous five tournaments this year, and will next face Spain's Anabel Medina Garrigues, who rallied from 5-0 down in the second set to defeat Russian qualifier Evgeniya Rodina 6-3, 7-5.

Davenport overcame six service breaks, 48 unforced errors and nine double faults to beat Chan Yung-jan of Taiwan 6-4, 5-7, 6-2.

"I'm happy to walk off the court playing the way I did the last four games and taking back control," Davenport said. "I was just getting so frustrated in the second set. Next time hopefully I can keep my cool a little better."

United Club beats Rasulpur JS by six wickets in league opener

UNB, Satkhira

United Club made a good start in the Satkhira First Division Cricket league beating Rasulpur Jubo Sangha by six wickets in the opening match at Satkhira Stadium on Tuesday.

Earlier, Deputy Commissioner of the district Mohammad Kafeyetullah inaugurated the league in the morning.

Rasulpur Jubo Sangha batted first after winning the toss and scored 92 runs for all in 44 overs in the 50-over-a-side match.

In reply, United Club easily reached their target making 95 runs for the loss of four wickets in 15.5 overs.

A total of 12 teams are taking part in the league.