The New Nation - Internet Edition

Ashraful notches his 2nd ODI ton

UNB, Dhaka

Bangladesh skipper Mohammad Ashraful notched his 2nd ODI ton in one of the opening day's Asia Cup match against United Arab Emirates (UAE) at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore Tuesday.

The ace batsman played a slick knock of 109 off 126 balls featuring eight fours which enabled the Tiger's to post a fighting total of 300/8 in the stipulated 50 overs.

This was the highest ODI knock from Bangladesh skipper as he hit his previous best 100 against Australia which enabled to set Bangladesh up for their astonishing five-wicket victory over the World Champions in the Nat-West Series in 2005.

Ashraful, the world's youngest test centurion also had to wait for 70 matches to get his much cherished 2nd ODI century.

Abahani Limited eliminated from AFC President's Cup

UNB, Dhaka

Bangladesh champions Abahani Limited was eliminated from the AFC President's Cup Football conceding 1-2 defeat against former champions Regar-Tadaz Club of Tajikistan in their 2nd group engagements at MPPJ Stadium in Kuala Lumpur Tuesday.

It was the second consecutive defeat for Bangladesh's Professional League champions Abahani Limited in Group A match after conceding a frustrating 0-4 defeat against Nepal Police Club in the inaugural match on Sunday, featuring a hattrick by Ju Manu Rai.

In the day's match, all the three goals were scored in the first half with Ghana striker Awudu Ibrahim scoring the lone goal for sky-blue Abahani Limited.

Abahani Limited comparatively played a good football during the second half and came close to scoring on two to three occasions, but failed to materialize any, according to a message received here from Abahani Club today.

Abahani Limited, placed in Group A with Pakistan WAPDA, Nepal Police Club and Regar-Tadaz of Tajikistan, will play their 3rd and last group match against Pakistan WAPDA on June 26 at the MPPJ Stadium.

In the day's other match, Nepal Police Club split points with Pakistan WADPA in a 1-1 affair at the same venue Tuesday afternoon.

After the day's outcome, former champions Regar-Tadaz of Tajikistan took a solo lead in Group A table with all-win run securing full six points from straight two matches while Bangladesh remained at the bottom in the four-team fray without any point.

Last time runners-up Nepal Police Club (Former Mehendra Police Club) followed them the leaders with four points from two outings while Pakistan WAPDA opened the account with the day's lone point.

Ansar emerges group champion beating Khulna DSA 3-0

UNB, Dhaka

Bangladesh Ansar emerged group champion beating Khulna DSA by 3-0 sets in one of the men's team event in group final matches of the final round of AB Bank 29th National Table Tennis Championship that began on Tuesday at the National Sports Council Gymnasium.

In the day's other men's team event, Bangladesh Biman outplayed Narail DSA 3-0, Pabna DSA outclassed Gaibandha DSA 3-1, and Feni DSA defeated Bagerhat DSA 3-0, to emerge all group final matches.

Khulna DSA beat Dinajpur DSA, Narail DSA beat Manikganj DSA, Pabna DSA defeated Molvibazar DSA, Gaibandha DSA outplayed Habiganj DSA, Bagerhat DSA outclassed Rangpur DSA and Feni DSA defeated Rajshahi DSA, all by 3-0 sets.

In the women's team event matches, Gaibandha DSA beat Khulna DSA, Narail DSA defeated Patuakhali DSA, Dhaka DSA outplayed Naogaon DSA Bangladesh Ansar outclassed Gaibandha DSA, all by 3-0 sets.

In the boy's team event matches, Dhaka DSA defeated Jamalpur DSA, Khulna DSA outplayed Satkhira DSA, Sinajpur DSA outclassed Naogaon DSA, Bangladesh Biman beat Kishorganj DSA, all by 3-0 sets.

A total of 176 teams from across the country are taking part in the final round meet.

Pioneer Football: Golam Mostafa Lane win

Sports Reporter

Golam Mostafa Lane Kishore Sangha defeated Manik Smriti Sangsad by two goals to nil in their play-off match of the Dhaka City Corporation Pioneer Football League at the Kamalapur Bir Sreshtha Shaheed Sepoy Mohammad Mostafa Stadium on Tuesday.

Nazrul and Babu scored one goal each for the winners.

National Table Tennis results

Sports Reporter

Bangladesh Ansar, Biman Bangladesh Airlines, Feni District team, Pabna District won their respective Group-A, Group-B, Group-C and Group-D final matches of the men's team events of the AB Bank 29th National Table Tennis Championship at the National Sports Council Gymnasium on Tuesday.

In the boy's team events, Dhaka District team, Khulna District team, Dinajpur District team and Biman Bangladesh Airlines registered wins at the same venue on the same day.

In the women's team event's Gaibandha District team, National District team, Dhaka District team and Bangladesh Ansar got wins at the same venue on the same day.

Earlier, Adviser to the Ministry of Women's and Children Affairs Begun Rasheda K Chowdhury inaugurated the competition as the chief guest while Vice-Chairman of AB Bank Limited Sajedur Siraj was along with him as the special guest. President of Bangladesh Table Tennis Federation Md Abu Solaiman Chowdhury was also present at the time.

Div 1 Kabaddi: Dhalpur, Matuail record wins

Sports Reporter

Dhalpur KC outplayed Manik Nagar Kabaddi Club by 69-29 points including five lonas in the day's first match of the First Division Kabaddi League at the Kabaddi Stadium on Tuesday.

The victorious team led the first session by 46-10 points.

Meanwhile, Matuail Milon Smriti Sangsad defeated Diamond Sporting Club by 56-26 points amid three lonas at the same venue.

The winners led the first half by 38-14 points.

Today Dhalpur KC will take on Sri Joni Sangsad at 3.00 PM while Manik Nagar Kabaddi Club will face Ali Sporting Club at 3.50 PM and Manik nagar Unnayan Shamiti will meet Singna Sangdha at 4.40 PM and Dhalpur Shatadal Sangsad will face Diamond Sporting Club at 5.30 PM at the same venue.

Sharapova suits up for Wimbledon

AFP, London

Maria Sharapova will perform a Wimbledon striptease on Tuesday, but it will be in good taste and all in the name of fashion.

The Russian pin-up will walk onto Court One dressed in a cream tuxedo-style jacket and long trousers before stripping down to play in a white vest and shorts for the first time.

Sharapova, the 2004 champion, is familiar with daring outfits at the championships; she once played in diamond- encrusted shoes.

"I'm going with the traditional shorts," said Sharapova, who faces France's Stephanie Foretz in her opener.

"I've never worn shorts at a Grand Slam. Call it menswear, obviously. It's kind of like a tuxedo look, very simple lines, classic."

On Monday, five-time mens's champion Roger Federer and double women's title winner Serena Williams went head-to-head in the fashion stakes at the All England Club.

For the last two years, Federer strolled onto centre court wearing a cream blazer and the letters 'RF' flamboyantly stitched into his right breast pocket.

But this year, he has opted for a 1920s-style, herringbone- patterned cardigan instead.

"It was Nike. We've been talking, what could we do? I thought two jackets was enough. Let's move on to something a little bit different," said the Swiss after moving into the second round with a 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 win over Dominik Hrbaty.

"We thought about something nice, like a cardigan or a jumper. It's a little bit more easier to wear than the jacket, to be honest."

Not to be outdone, Williams, over on Court One, appeared for her match with Estonia's Kaia Kanepi in a trenchcoat despite the 25- degree temperatures.

"I probably have more coats than anyone. I'm always buying Burberry. I don't know why as I live in Florida so it doesn't really add up," said the American after her 7-5, 6-3 win.

"Now I have a wonderful white coat I can wear in New York on rainy days."

Jayawardene gears up for Asia Cup defense

AP, Lahore

Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene knows only too well the two best teams in the Asian Cup stand before his team and a title defense.

"If we have to win this tournament, we have to beat the best," Jayawardene said Tuesday - a day before the 2004 champion takes on Bangladesh in its opening match of Group B, which also includes the United Arab Emirates.

"It is very important for us as we are the defending champion of the Asia Cup and (also) the World Cup finalist," the veteran batsman said.

Sri Lanka will be without injured fast bowlers Lasith Malinga and Farveez Maharoof, but Jayawardene maintains Sri Lanka still has enough firepower in its bowling attack to give Pakistan and India tough time, assume all three advance to the second round as expected.

"We are very passionate about playing cricket and winning matches for our country," Jayawardene said. "We have been working very hard in preparation for this tournament."

Sri Lanka still has two world class bowlers who are sure to trouble the big teams in left-arm paceman Chaminda Vaas and prolific offspinner Muttiah Muralitharan.

Despite its credentials in matching the world's top flight teams in limited-overs cricket, Sri Lanka has experienced a form slump since losing last year's World Cup final to Australia, winning just eight of its past 22 one dayers with three victories coming against lowly ranked Bangladesh.

"It's not that we have been playing badly, we are not consistent with our game," Jayawardene said. "There are some areas in which we needed improvement and hopefully we can get that all right in this tournament."

Host Pakistan, India and Hong Kong make up Group A, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the round-robin Super Four stage.

Sri Lanka is expected to advance along with Bangladesh and likely meet India and Pakistan, but Jayawardene is wary of taking anything for granted.

"I think it's important that we respect each and every team that is part of the Asia Cup," he said. "We don't discriminate any of the participants, for us it's all about preparing ourselves and playing to our potential.

"The only thing we can do is to play to our strength whether it's UAE, India or Pakistan, we will do the same."

Jayawardene, Muralitharan, Vaas, Kumar Sangakara and Tillekeratne Dilshan recently competed in the Indian Premier League Twenty20 tournament, but the Sri Lanka skipper said it was not difficult to readjust to the 50-over, limited-overs format.

"You can take lots of positive from Twenty20 cricket and move on, it's not a hard thing," Jayawardene said.

Time for change in Italy after Euro flop

AFP, Vienna

It may be two years too late but the feeling that Italy need a revolution rather than an evolution has possibly never been greater.

When Italy and France lined up at the World Cup final in Berlin two years ago both teams had essentially reached the end of the line.

It should have been a last swansong for both but in the ensuing two years both Raymond Domenech and Roberto Donadoni, who had replaced World Cup winning coach Marcello Lippi, opted instead to stick to the tried and tested.

That has proved to be a mistake in both cases with the World Cup finalists both lacking energy and vitality here at Euro 2008.

France's group stage elimination hit home clearly and the international retirements of Claude Makelele and Liliam Thuram will not meet the resistance they did two years ago.

For Italy, too, it is probably time to think to the long-term future and cease to rely on battle-weary legs.

Donadoni had seemed to be heading towards revitalising the squad in his early days but by the time this tournament came around, he had packed it with players in or approaching their mid-30s, such as captain Fabio Cannavaro, defenders Christian Panucci and Marco Materazzi and forward Alessandro Del Piero.

Cannavaro got injured but the others failed to inspire a team that obviously under- performed given they are world champions.

Surely now Materazzi, Panucci and Del Piero will be confined to the international scrap-heap and while Cannavaro is still a great defender, he will be approaching 37 by the time of the next World Cup in South Africa.

The Italy squad clearly needs an overhaul but maybe the answers lie within the non- playing members of this squad.

Marco Boriello, who didn't play a single minute in Austria and Switzerland, played at mid-table Genoa last season but finished third in the scoring charts. He is almost certain to be wearing the shirt of AC Milan next season and regular exposure to Champions League football and playing alongside the likes of Kaka and Andrea Pirlo could see him develop into a top class goalscorer.

In midfield great things have long been expected of AS Roma's Alberto Aquilani and due to the suspensions to Pirlo and Gennaro Gattuso against Spain, he got the nod from the start.

The problem with Aquilani is that he struggles to hold down a first team place at Roma and without playing regularly from the start for his club, he is unlikely to be able to answer the prayers of his national team.

Looking outside of the Euro 2008 squad, another new face could well be that of Brazilian Amauri. He has played most of his career in Italy and made a big impression last season at Palermo. He is also due to be granted Italian citizenship.

He has now secured a move to Juventus where Champions League football awaits and the hope is that he will provide a more agile, creative and talented target-man than Bayern Munich's Luca Toni, one of Italy's biggest flops here.

At the back, Juventus centre-half Giorgio Chiellini grew into his role having been omitted from Italy's first match and he was clearly their best player against Spain - he could become the new Cannavaro.

Then there is Fiorentina attacking pair Giampaolo Pazzini and Riccardo Montolivo, both set to be unleashed on the Champions League next season having starred for their team this last campaign but been left out of Italy's squad.

Coming up behind them are teenagers Mario Balotelli of Inter Milan and Alberto Paloschi of AC Milan or even Empoli's 21-year-old attacking midfielder Sebastian Giovinco, set to star for his country at August's Olympic Games in Beijing before joining Juventus.

If half of these fulfil their undoubted promise and potential, a bright future for Italian football might quickly confine these bleak moments to distant memory.

Zimbabwe's cricket future on ICC agenda

AFP, London

Zimbabwe's cricket status is set to be discussed at next week's meeting of the International Cricket Council (ICC) in Dubai after Cricket South Africa (CSA) suspended ties with its African neighbour on Monday.

CSA acted in light of the growing political turmoil in Zimbabwe, where the main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party has pulled out of the presidential election in order to prevent its members being the subject of reprisal attacks by the government led by Robert Mugabe.

"The ICC has never concerned itself with how member countries are governed," ICC president-elect David Morgan, speaking at the launch of the 2009 Twenty20 World Cup here at The Oval, said Tuesday.

"However, yesterday (Monday) Cricket South Africa announced that they were scrapping bilateral contact with Zimbabwe Cricket.

"It has been decided to put Zimbabwe on the agenda of the executive board meeting of the ICC which takes place next Wednesday in Dubai."

South Africa's decision is of key significance given their longstanding support of Zimbabwe Cricket.

Zimbabwe were announced as one of the 12-teams competing in next year's Twenty20 World Cup in England but their participation must now be in doubt.

If they do have to be replaced a third associate or junior cricket nation would take their place.

"Cricket South Africa's decision yesterday is hugely significant," Morgan added ahead of a meeting of the ICC's 13-strong board.

"Clearly they will want something done. They're very influential in terms of southern African cricket and Zimbabwe is part of that.

"Quite where the various members will stand on it I really don't know - all of this is new as of five o'clock yesterday."

Morgan added the CSA decision had led to a talk between himself and current ICC president Ray Mali, who is South African.

"Mr Mali is very keen Zimbabwe be discussed," Morgan added.

Turning to the political situation in Zimbabwe, Morgan, a former chairman of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said: "I have great sympathy with the people of Zimbabwe and cricketers in Zimbabwe. I find it appalling there are not free, open and fair elections in the country."

Zimbabwe, which has already suspended itself from Test cricket because of concerns about its playing standard, an action prompted by a selection race-row, could now conceivably find itself suspended from one-dayers.

However, Morgan was careful in not outlining what action, if any, might be taken against ZC.

That the ICC's annual meeting is taking place in Dubai rather than at Lord's is down to the refusal of the British government to grant a visa to ZC chairman Peter Chingoka.

British officials have long been concerned about his alleged close ties with the Zimbabwe government of President Robert Mugabe.

Zimbabwe are due to play a Test and one-day series in England next year but a spokesman for British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said Tuesday: "Under the current circumstances it is the Government's view that the tour would clearly be unwelcome."

The spokesman also cast doubt on whether Zimbabwe would be allowed to take part in next year's Twenty20 World Cup.

"We would also have serious concerns about Zimbabwe participating in the Twenty20 World Cup," he added.

Opening ceremony tickets offered at huge mark-ups

AFP, Beijing

Tickets for the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics are being illegally scalped online for up to 20 times their face value, state press reported today.

The Beijing News said hundreds of tickets to the August 8 ceremony, the most sought-after of all events in the Games, were available on Chinese Internet commerce sites. The newspaper said 5,000-yuan (725-dollar) tickets to the ceremony were available on the web for 100,000 yuan. Closing ceremony tickets also were on sale at a large mark-up.

Three rounds of Games' ticket sales in China since last year have been met with huge demand, in which millions of tickets were snapped up.

A thriving black market for those who initially missed out has emerged despite a system requiring that the names of the original buyers be printed on the tickets.

Police have responded with a clampdown, arresting hundreds of people, state media said last month.

The Beijing News said buyers who purchased scalped tickets online were meeting with sellers at branches of the Bank of China -- the official ticket outlets-to officially change the names on those tickets.

Olympic organisers said earlier that the most popular ticket in the first round of sales last year was for the opening ceremony, with 4.7 percent of those who applied getting one.