The New Nation - Internet Edition

Abahani beat Sonali Bank

UNB, Dhaka

Joint league champions Abahani Limited scraped

to a hard-fought 5-3 goals victory over formidable Sonali Bank SRC in their opening super league match of Green Delta Premier Division Hockey at the Maulana Bhashani Hockey Stadium on Wednesday.

With the day's win, Abahani Limited secured 25 points, but are still five points adrift of league leaders Usha KC, who bagged 30 points.

Sonali Bank remained at 19 points. In the day's match, Abahani led the first half by 4-2 goals.

Penalty corner specialist Mamunur Rahman Chayan put the popular "sky-blue" Dhanmondi outfit ahead in the very 3rd minute from penalty corner (1-0). Vice Captain Russell Mahmud Jimmy doubled the Abahani margin in the 8th minute with a field goal (2-0), while Moshiur Rahman Firoz and Pakistani Imran Khan scored two more field goals in the 12th and 21st minutes enabling Abahani to take 4-0 lead.

But the scenario soon changed as Sonali Bank scored three goals in a row to reduce the margin 4-3. Asaduzzaman Chandan scored the first goal for the bankers' team in the 32nd minute from a penalty corner to pull the margin one back (4-1).

Rimon Kumar, who was called up for the national squad for Asia Cup qualifier this time, made the match exciting scoring two successive field goals in the 34th and 39th minutes (4-3).

Mamunur Rahman Chayan, who opened the Abahani account first, sealed the fate of the match scoring the last goal of the match in the 51st minute from his favorite penalty corner (5-3).

Sonali Bank managed three penalty corners during the match and could utilize one, but Abahani notched hundred percent success as they converted the two penalty corners that came their way.

Today's match: Mohammedan SC vs Ajax SC (4pm).

National cricketers begin practice camp

UNB, Dhaka

The national cricketers began a practice camp Wednesday at the Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium (SBNS) as part of their preparations for the ensuing Tri-Nation ODI Series to be held in Dhaka in June.

All members of the 14-member national squad except left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak Raj joined the day's session under the supervision of coach Jamie Siddons.

Razzak returns home today from India after the last match of his IPL side, Royal Challengers Bangalore. On the first day of the camp, the tigers gave their fitness test and had some running and stretching at the indoor facility of the SBNS.

Later, they had fielding practice at the main ground of the SBNS. During a break in the practice session, national skipper Mohammad Ashraful expressed his optimism about the upcoming Tri-Nation series.

"I am happy with the team. The selectors did their best to have a very good combination. Our team looks to be well balanced and we will try our best," he said.

Asked how he will take the Tri-Nation series after having a bad patch during the Pakistan tour and the recent home series against South

Africa, Ashraful said he would try to forget the past. "I'm looking forward to play good cricket and also optimistic to make a comeback." About the recent poor performance of the national players in the just concluded Premier League, he said domestic cricket and international cricket are different and the out of form players would definitely try to regain their form.

Talented all-rounder Dollar Mahmud, who received his maiden call in the national squad, said: "My target is definitely to do my level best in the Series (Tri-Nation). I had a long desire to be a part of the national team and at last I made it."

Asked if he feels any pressure ahead of facing opponents like India

and Pakistan, Dollar replied in the negative saying, "In

international cricket every opponent is tough. I'll be mentally down

if I feel any pressure," he said.

Meanwhile, the eight-day tri-nation tournament involving India,

Pakistan and hosts Bangladesh will begin on June 8 with Bangladesh

taking on Pakistan in the first ODI at the SBNS, while Pakistan will

play old foes India in the 2nd ODI on June 10, also at the SBNS.

Bangladesh will face India in the 3rd match on June 12.

After the single league basis matches, the top two teams will play in

the final scheduled for June 14, also at the same venue. All the

matches will be on day-night basis.

Bangladesh Squad for Tri-Nation ODI Series: Mohammad Ashraful

(Captain), Mashrafe Bin Mortaza (Vice Captain), Mahmudullah Riyad,

Tamim Iqbal, Aftab Ahmed, Abdur Razzak, Farhad Reza, Shahriar Nafees

Ahmed, Nazim Uddin, Roqibul Hassan, Shahadat Hossain, Mushfiqur

Rahim, Mehrab Hossain (Jr.), Dollar Mahmud

Reserves: Zunaed Siddique, Dhiman Ghosh, Rubel Hossain, Alok Kapali,

Musharraf Hossain

Rain wash out nat’l team’s 1st preparation match in Bangkok

UNB, Dhaka

The 1st preparation match between Bangladesh national football team and Bangkok Glass Club was washed out due to rain on Wednesday.

The match began at 4:30 pm (Thailand time) and only after 15 minutes' play without any score, rain forced to abandon the match, according to a message received from Bangladesh Football Federation in the afternoon.

Bangladesh play the 2nd preparation match against Bec Tero Sasana, a Thai professional football club, on Friday at 3:30 pm.

Bangladesh team will leave Bangkok for Sri Lanka on Saturday (May 31) to take part in the 5th SAFF Championship to be held June 3-14, with Sri Lanka and the Maldives as co-hosts.

Porto faces Champions League ban

Internet

Porto could lose its place in next season's European Champions League because of a bribery scandal.

The Union of European Football Associations said Tuesday it is considering barring the Portuguese league champion, which was penalized six points in the standings as the result of an investigation into bribing referees during the 2003-04 season.

UEFA said it would ask its disciplinary unit to look at the case if the Portuguese league puts forward Porto as one of its three Champions League representatives on June 2.

US may bid to host 2018 World Cup

Internet

The United States could be poised to challenge England for the right to host the 2018 World Cup after U.S. Soccer Federation president, Sunil Galati, laid out his country's credentials.

The Football Association are one of the bodies to have confirmed their interest in staging the competition, but Galati has suggested there was an appetite across the Atlantic to "finish what we started" in 1994, when the tournament was last held in America.

England, which hosted, and won, the World Cup in 1966, face the USA at Wembley on Wednesday night before heading to Port of Spain to face Trinidad and Tobago.

That move is seen by some as an attempt to woo FIFA vice-president - and CONCACAF president - Jack Warner in his home nation.

But Galati warned that any such hopes could be dashed if the USA entered the bidding.

"We will make a decision in the next two or three months, but we are looking at it very seriously," Galati said. "I can't think of any reasons why we wouldn't bid for the tournament. We've done this before and been successful at doing it. The bid process has become very competitive and whether playing a game in Trinidad has anything to do with that I am not sure.

"But I think the FA are more sophisticated than to think they are going to get Jack Warner's vote on the back of playing one game. There aren't any CONCACAF bidders at this point and Mr. Warner is the president of CONCACAF."

Galati went on to outline the USA's suitability to host the event, at once denying any notion that the sport does not have a natural audience in the American market.