The New Nation - Internet Edition

3rd three-day match between Leicester and Bangladesh A ends in draw

UNB, Dhaka

The 3rd three-day match between English county side Leicestershire and visiting Bangladesh A ended in draw on the 3rd and final day at the Grace Road, Leicester on Friday.

The previous two rain-affected matches of the second string Bangladesh side against England Under-19 and Warwickshire also ended in draws.

After having a 24-run first innings lead, the hosts could score 63 for no loss in 16 overs in their 2nd innings when the bails were drawn for the 3rd day.

TJ New and HH Dippenaar remained at the crease with 44 and 13 runs respectively.

Earlier, replying to Leicestershire's 1st innings total of 354/4, the Bangladesh A team showed much better batting performance compared to the previous matches scoring 330 for all in 97.5 overs riding on three fifties from Tamim Iqbal, Nazimuddin and Mushfiqur Rahim.

Resuming with overnight 215/3, the visitors were unable to take lead as they lost the last seven wickets at regular intervals to trail by 24 runs in the first innings.

After the departure of skipper Junaed Siddiqui for 25 leaving team total at 44, another opener Tamim Iqbal along with number three Nazimuddin put up valuable 132-run in the 2nd wicket stand before Tamim returned to the pavilion contributing innings highest 78 off 164 balls featuring 14 fours.

Nazimuddin was the 2nd highest scorer for the visitors with 75 runs off 122 balls that included 11 fours and two sixes while wicket keeper Mushfiqur Rahim remained not out on 60 off 82 balls fashioned with 10 fours.

Rokibul Hasan 19, Shakib Al Hasan 18, Nayeem Islam 16 were the other notable scorers for Bangladesh A.

JKH Naik captured three wickets for 70 runs while TC Smith DT Rowe and SJ Cliff took two wickets apiece.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh A team will play the 4th match against Derbyshire July 21-23 and the 5th three-day match against a South African Selection on July 25-27.

After the three dayers, Bangladesh A will play three one day matches against Lancashire on July 30, Marylebone Cricket Club on August 1 and Durham on August 3.

National Age Group Swimming begins today

Sports Reporter

The three-day long Keya 24th National Age Group Swimming Competition begins today at the Mirpur National Swimming Complex. Bangladesh Swimming Federation will arrange the swimming competition while Keya Cosmetics Limited will sponsor the swimming meet.

To mark the ensuing swimming competition, a press conference was held at the conference room of National Sports Council on Saturday.

Senior Vice-President of Bangladesh Swimming Federation Md Solaiman, Vice-President of the federation Dr Sultanul Aziz, General Secretary of the federation Commodore (Retd) MS Kabir, Treasurer of the federation SM Israfil, Senior Media Officer of the Keya Cosmetics Limited Anisur Rahman Dipu were present at the conference. Commodore (Retd) MS Kabir disclosed all the matters related to the swimming meet to the reporters.

A total of 517 swimmers will participate in the swimming competition. Of them, 385 boys and 132 girls of different organisations will take part in the competition. 34 district sports association, two education boards, 41 clubs, one divisional sports association, BKSP, Bangladesh Ansar and VDP will compete in the meet.

The budget of the competition has been estimated at Tk eight lakh while Keya Cosmetics Limited has given Tk five lakh fifty thousand to Bangladesh Swimming Federation. Bangladesh Swimming Federation will bear rest of the expenditure from their own fund.

Secretary of the Ministry of Defence Kamrul Hasan will inaugurate the swimming competition today at 9.00 AM as the chief guest while Managing Director of the Keya Cosmetics Limited Abdul Khalek Pathan will be along with him as the special guest.

President of Bangladesh Swimming Federation and Chief of the Naval Staff Sarwar Jahan Nizam ndu, psc will distribute the prizes among the winners as the chief guest on the concluding day (July 22).

BOA holds EC meeting today

UNB, Dhaka

Bangladesh Olympic Association (BOA) will hold an executive committee meeting on Sunday at 9:30 am at the Kurmitola Golf Club.

The meeting, with BOA president and Army Chief General Moeen U Ahmed in the chair, is expected to include two more disciplines in the upcoming South Asian (SA) Games to be held in Bangladesh.

About the inclusion of two disciplines of Bangladesh's choice as hosts, BOA COO Col. (retd) M Wali Ullah told UNB: "We're considering the games in which Bangladesh have bright prospect of winning gold… volleyball, golf, judo, kho kho, wrestling and ushu are among our consideration."

Besides, the meeting is likely to approve an amendment to the BOA statutes and finalize the name of flag bearer of the Bangladesh contingent at the Beijing Olympics.

The BOA chief executive did not disclose the clause of the statutes, which is to be amended, but it was learnt that a provision of bringing in more female sports organizers from districts might be considered.

Wali also informed that the changes would take place after it gets approval of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

The meeting will also finalize the name flag carrier of the Bangladesh contingent in the ensuing Beijing Olympic Games. The BOA COO gave indication that there is a very good chance to choose the fastest athlete as the flag carrier.

The Bangladesh contingent, including two swimmers, two athletes and two shooters, will leave here for China on August 6 to take part in the Beijing Olympic Games.

Meanwhile, the resignation of BOA deputy secretary general Kazi Mohiuddin Bulbul will be accepted in the EC meeting.

It was learnt that Bulbul, a former influential leader of the previous Forum (an organization of district and divisional sports associations) had submitted his resignation recently following his reported involvement in 'financial dealing' in the Bangladesh Football Federation election.

It has also been reported in the media that Bulbul, general secretary of Feni District Sports Association and Bangladesh Badminton Federation, had already quit those organizations.

Golam Mostafa Lane KS beat Dhaka XI 1-0 in 2nd phase opener

UNB, Dhaka

Golam Mostafa Lane Kishore Sangha made a good start in the 2nd phase of the Metropolis Pioneer Football League beating Dhaka X1 Club by 1-0 goal in the opening match at the Bir Shreshtha Shaheed Sepoy Mohammad Mostafa Stadium in Kamalapur on Saturday.

Shamim scored the match-winner in the 57th minute.

Earlier, Chief Executive of league sponsors Dhaka City Corporation Mohammad Aluddin inaugurated the second phase of the league in the afternoon.

BFF Vice President Shawkat Ali Khan Jahangir, former chairman of the metropolis league committee Abdur Rahim, BFF member and League coordinator Asfar-uz-Zaman Sohrab, Pioneer League Committee chairman Haji M Azizullah and secretary Wahid Murad Rupom were present.

Jatrabari Jhatika Sangha will meet Swadhinata Krira Sangha in the lone match Sunday at 4:30 pm at the same venue.

Twenty teams, split into four groups, are taking part in the second phase of the league.

Teams: Group A - Golam Mustafa Lane Kishore Sangha, Swadhinata KS, Lalbagh Tarun Sangha, Jatrabari Jhatika Sangsad and Dhaka Eleven Club;

Group B - Tangail Football Club, Arambagh KS Juniors, Mir Hajirbagh KC, Madrasapara SC and Noakhali Football Academy;

Group C - Rampura KC, Maghbazar KC, Mansoor SC, Mugdapara Samaj Kalyan & Krira Sangsad and Surjosena SC;

Group D - Tejgaon Nabataranga KSSS, Bangladesh SC, Nawabpur KC, BKSP and Mohammadpur Jubo SKS.

The four group champions will play in the semi-finals. The league champions and runners-up teams will earn the right to play in the Metropolis Third Division Football League from next season.

New Zealand to arrive in the city on October 4

Sports Reporter

New Zealand National Cricket team will arrive in the city on October 4 to play two Test matches and three One Day International (ODI) matches against Bangladesh National Cricket team. Besides, the Kiwis will play a warm-up one-dayer match against their counterpart.

New Zealand will start their tour campaign against Bangladesh in a warm-up one-dayer match on October 7.

New Zealand will face Bangladesh in the first ODI at the Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium on October 9.

The Kiwis will meet the Tigers in the second ODI at the same venue on October 11.

Then, New Zealand will leave the city for Chittagong and the Kiwis will take on the Tigers in the last ODI in Chittagong, the port city of the country on October 14.

New Zealand will face Bangladesh in the first Test, which begins on October 17 in Chittagong.

Then, the Kiwis will depart the port city for the capital.

New Zealand will meet Bangladesh in the second Test, which starts on October 25.

New Zealand will leave the city for home on October 30.

It may be mentioned that New Zealand team travelled Bangladesh in the last year.

15 players take joint lead in FIDE Rating Chess

UNB, Dhaka

Fifteen players took joint lead with 3 points after the 3rd of the Greenwich University Open FIDE Rating Chess Tournament at the National Sports Council (NSC) conference-room and Federation hall-room here Saturday.

They are FM Abu Sufian Shakil, FM Mohammad Javed, FM Mehdi Hasan Parag, Sohel Chowdhury, Mahtabuddin Ahmed Robin, Mohammad Ali, Arman Monir, Md. Hasan Emam, Aminul Islam Polash, Arman Siddique Mithu, Feroz Ahmed, Abdul Majed, Masudur Rahman Bari, Mohammad Shamim and Habibur Rahman Sohel.

In the day's 3rd round matches, Momin drew with Junior Champion Minhazuddin Ahmed, Javed beat Shahim, Robin defeated Sharif, Sohel beat Bikash, Ali outplayed Farhadur, Arman beat Bappi, Hasan thrashed Eva, Mithu defeated Lipon, Majed beat Sub-Junior Champion Saif, Habib crushed Moslem, Bari beat Rauf, Shameem blanked Apu while Feroz defeated Amin.

Shakil got walk-over against Shabab, Pagar got walk-over against Rashed while Polash also got walk-over against Karol.

The 4th round matches start Sunday at 3:30 PM at the same venue.

Academy team leaves for Bogra for a 10-day training camp ahead of South Africa tour

UNB, Dhaka

The GP-BCB National Cricket Academy team left here for Bogra on Saturday for a 10-day training camp ahead of their tour to South Africa, which begins early next month.

The GP-BCB National Cricket Academy team is scheduled to leave here for South Africa on August 4 for a three-week tour to play two four-day and three one-day matches.

The GP-BCB team will return to Dhaka from Bogra on July 29.

Serena beats Patty Schnyder to advance to semifinals

AP, California

Serena Williams spent more time waiting for her quarterfinal match to start than she did on the court against Patty Schnyder. Neither activity proved to be too stressful for the top seed.

Williams advanced to the semifinals of the Bank of the West Classic with little trouble on Friday, beating the fifth-seeded Schnyder 6-3, 6-1 in just 54 minutes.

The match began more than an hour later than scheduled because Ai Sugiyama of Japan needed 2 hours, 44 minutes to win her quarterfinal over Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia 6-7 (4), 7-6 (5), 5-3. Cibulkova retired because of cramping in her left leg with Sugiyama serving at 40-0 for the match.

But that extra delay proved to be no trouble for Williams. "No one can kill time the way I can," she said. "I'm a professional time killer. I can sit for three hours and I couldn't tell you what I did. If it was an Olympic sport I'd be a 20-time

gold medal winner."

Schnyder had won three of the last five meetings against Williams, including a match in Zurich last year when Williams retired after losing the first nine games. But Schnyder was unable to find her groove against Williams this time and went down meekly.

Williams will next take on Canadian qualifier Aleksandra Wozniak, who beat Australian lucky loser Samantha Stosur 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 for the second time in the tournament. Stosur made the main draw despite losing in qualifying to Wozniak because Lindsay Davenport withdrew with a right knee injury.

Inter-School Women's Volleyball held in Satkhira

UNB, Satkhira

Karima Secondary School emerged champions in the District Inter-School Women's Volleyball Competition beating Satkhira Govt. Girls High School by 25-16 points in the final at the local Tennis Club Ground Saturday.

After the final match, deputy commissioner Mohammad Refayet Ullah distributed prizes among the winners as chief guest. District Women Sports Association president Bilkis Begum and general secretary Adv. Ferdousi Ara Lucy were, among others, present.

Four teams took part in the meet organized by Satkhira District Women Sports Association.

James Blake moves a step closer to second title in 3 years at Indianapolis

AP, Indianapolis

Top-seeded James Blake beat unseeded Yen-Hsun Lu of Taiwan 6-2, 6-0 in the quarterfinals on Friday, moving one step closer to his second Indianapolis Championships title in three years.

Blake, ranked eighth in the world, advanced to play defending champion Dmitry Tursunov of Russia. Blake, upset in the quarterfinals last year, beat Andy Roddick in the 2006 final.

No. 4 Sam Querrey will play No. 2 Gilles Simon of France in the other semifinal.

All four top seeds advanced to the semis for the first time since the tournament moved to a hard-court surface in 1988.

"That's strange these days in tennis - top seeds get upset all the time," Blake said. "It's really not easy to go through and beat every guy you're expected to beat. You know anyone can beat you on a given day."

No. 3-seeded Tursunov overcame Paul Capdeville of Chile 3-6, 6-3, 6-1 to reach his first semifinals since he won his fourth career title in January at Sydney.