The New Nation - Internet Edition

Pakistan slams 'hasty' South Africa trophy boycott

AFP, Karachi

Hosts Pakistan criticised South Africa's "hasty" decision to skip next month's Champions Trophy and said it would badly hurt the eight-nation event, officials said Friday.

The September 12-28 tournament now looks likely to be relocated or postponed over security fears when the International Cricket Council (ICC) meets on the matter on Sunday.

"We are deeply disappointed and when a decision was to be made on Sunday we think South Africa made a hasty choice," Pakistan Cricket Board chief operating officer Shafqat Naghmi told AFP.

Naghmi was in Dubai to make a last ditch effort to save the tournament after players' associations from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and England urged their cricketers not to tour the troubled country.

Cricket South Africa's decision came a day after a double suicide bombing outside a huge arms factory near Islamabad, the deadliest attack on a military site in Pakistan's history, killed 64 people.

"After extensive discussions and a frank exchange of views, the board resolved not to send our team at this time to Pakistan to participate in the ICC Champions Trophy," Cricket South Africa president Norman Arendse said in a statement.

"We respect the right of the Pakistan Cricket Board to stage the tournament and we would urge the ICC to reschedule the tournament as soon as possible," added Arendse.

But Naghmi said South Africa was a major cricketing nation and its refusal to take part would hurt the event badly.

"Now it's up to the ICC to take a decision which they would take on Sunday but I would say that South Africa's refusal will badly hurt the event. We will still do our best to save the event and host it on schedule," he said.

Open Badminton begins today

Sports Reporter

Sadot Smriti Summer Open Badminton Tournament begins today at the Mirpur Shaheed Suhrawardy Indoor Stadium. Bangladesh Badminton Federation will arrange the badminton meet under auspices of Sadot Smriti Sadan.

A total of 130 men and 13 women will take part in the badminton competition.

President of Bangladesh Badminton Federation and Executive Chairman of Board of Investment Kamaluddin Ahmed will formally open the tournament today at 4.00 PM as the chief guest.

The participants have been asked to report to the tournament referee Mansoor Ahmed Khan Penu today by 9.00 AM at the stadium.

Carrom training course for talent players

Sports Reporter

Bangladesh Carrom Federation will launch a carrom training coarse for the talent players from

today to August 30 at the office room of Bangladesh Carrom Federation in Moulana Bhasani National Hockey Stadium.

Eight ranking players and other 30 players will participate in the training coarse.

President of Bangladesh Carrom Federation and Joint-Secretary of the Ministry of Cultural Affairs Md Nasir Uddin Khan inaugurates the coarse today at 12.00 noon at the office room of Bangladesh Carrom Federation as the chief guest.

National basketball begins in Rajshahi

BSS, Rajshahi

The Premier Bank 23rd National Basketball Championship began at the Divisional Women's Sports Complex and the district gymnasium here on Friday.

Twenty teams, including hosts Rajshahi, are participating in the tournament jointly organised by Bangladesh Basketball Federation (BBF) and Rajshahi District Sports Association (RDSA).

In today's matches- Rajshahi DSA, Bangladesh Navy, Khulna DSA, Bangladesh Army, Bangladesh Rifles, Chandpur DSA and Bangladesh Police defeated Narsingdi DSA, Patuakhali DSA, Narayanganj DSA, Mymensingh DSA, Jessore DSA, Kushtia DSA and Bangladesh Air Force respectively.

RDSA President and Deputy Commissioner of Rajshahi Ibrahim Khalil inaugurated the championship at the Divisional Women's Sports Complex as the chief guest.

Among others, Tournament Committee President and Superintendent of Police Shahabuddin Khan, Managing Director of Premier Bank Limited Khandaker Fazley Rasid, BBF General Secretary Lt Commander (retd) AK Sarker and RDSA General Secretary Imtiaz Ahmed Shamsul Huda were present on the occasion.

Zhang wins table tennis gold for China

AFP, Beijing

China's defending champion Zhang Yining won gold in the Olympic Games women's singles table tennis on Friday, defeating teammate Wang Nan who takes the silver.

Zhang won 8-11, 13-11, 11-8, 11-8, 11-3 over Wang, who is retiring after these Games.

Teammate Guo Yue won bronze for a China clean sweep of the medals in the women's singles competition.

Russians take women's 4x100 relay crown

AFP, Beijing

Russia won the Olympic women's 4x100- meter relay title Friday while favorite Jamaica failed to finish after botching the handoff between the third and fourth legs of the relay.

The Russians, who settled for Olympic silver in 2004, broke through with Evgeniya Polyakova, Aleksandra Fedoriva, Yulia Gushchina and anchor Yuliya Chermoshanskaya winning in 42.31 secconds.

Belgium, third at last year's worlds, were second in 42.54 with Nigeria third in 43.04.

Bangladesh face AIS in 3rd practice match today

UNB, Dhaka

Visiting Bangladesh national cricket team face Australian Institute of Sports (AIS) in the 3rd practice match at the Garden's Oval in Darwin today (Saturday).

Ahead of the Saturday's encounter, the Bangladesh side had full stretch practice at the Mararra Oval Friday afternoon. Left-hand opener Junaed Siddiqui, who reached Darwin on Wednesday as a replacement for Nazimuddin, did his batting practice at the center wicket of Mararra Oval.

Earlier, in the morning, the members of the Bangladesh team visited Palmerston High School in Darwin and spent a couple of hours with the students and staffs.

The touring side earned a three-wicket victory over Australian Institute of Sports (AIS) in their 2nd practice match on Wednesday after suffering a 14-run defeat in the first practice match against the same opponents on Monday.

Meanwhile, the two sides will also feature in the 4th practice match on Aug 25, also at the same venue.

The Tigers will play the 5th and last practice match against Northern Territory Chief Minister's XI on Aug 27, also at the Garden's Oval.

On completion of the practice matches, Bangladesh team will start their three-match ODI series against mighty Australia on Aug 30 at the TIO Stadium in Darwin. The remaining two ODI matches will be held on September 3 and 6 at the same venue.

Menzis KC crush Bhatritta SKS 34-12

UNB, Dhaka

Menzis Krira Chakra crushed Bhatritta Samaj Kalyan Sangha by 34-12 goals in a match of the 14th Cute Premier Division Handball League at the Outer Stadium Handball ground on Friday.

The winners led the first half 17-4.

Santh scored six goals for Menzis KC, while Anik also netted six goals for the losers.

Sandhi of Menzis KC was adjudged the best player of the match.

In another match, Dhaka Mariner Youngs Club beat Victoria SC by 37-23 goals after enjoying a 17-10 first half lead.

Helal scored 11 goals and Baijing 9 for Dhaka Mariner Youngs Club. Humayun and Zahirul netted five goals apiece for Victoria SC.

In the day's other match, Narinda Progati Boys Club defeated Surjodoy Krira Chakra by 36-21 goals after dominating the first half 15-9.

GRC Club emerge champion in Narsingdi District Football League

UNB, Narsingdi

GRC Club emerged champions in the Narsingdi District Football League with a solitary goal over Monir Smriti Sangsad in the final at the local stadium Friday.

After a barren first half, Nasir scored the all-important goal for the champions in the 62nd minute.

After the final, deputy commissioner Zillar Rahman distributed prizes among the winners as chief guest.

Eleven teams took part in the month-long League.

Schwazer wins 50km walk gold

AFP, Beijing

Alex Schwazer of Italy won the men's 50 kilometres walk gold medal here on Friday in a new Olympic record of 3 hours 37 minutes and nine seconds.

The 23-year-old - a two time world championships minor medalist - took gold ahead of 20km bronze medalist Jared Tallent of Australia, who had a personal best of 3hr 39:27, while Russia's Denis Nizhegorodov won the bronze in 3hr 40.14.

Bolt grabs third record gold

BBC Online

Usain Bolt captured a third gold medal and a third world record after Jamaica claimed men's 4x100m relay gold.

The quartet smashed the previous world mark of 37.40 seconds set by the United States at the 1992 Olympics by a huge margin to set a new benchmark of 37.10.

Nesta Carter ran a strong first leg before passing the baton to Michael Frater, who handed on to Bolt before Asafa Powell brought it home.

Trinidad and Tobago took silver with Japan coming home for bronze.

The run was quicker than the previous record, twice ran by a US team - first in 1992 in Barcelona and also in 1993 in the world championships in Stuttgart.

Bolt has dominated the sprints in Beijing in his breakthrough season capturing the 100m and 200m titles in new world records.

The 22-year-old began his gold rush six days ago by winning the 100m crown in 9.69 seconds before adding the 200m title in 19.30 to beat Michael Johnson's previous world mark.

A third gold followed in the relay and the Jamaican team spirit produced yet another world record.

Bolt, who clocked 9.96 seconds on his leg, told the BBC: "I asked the guys for it and they said 'yes, we're going out there to do it'.

"I'm just happy and grateful because we worked hard for it."

Powell, who lost his 100m world record to team-mate Bolt, was satisfied to come away with a medal after finishing fifth in the sprint final.

"It's a great feeling being out there," said the 25-year-old, who ran hard to the line to make sure he broke the world mark.

"Usain is the world record holder but I was really excited to go out there and get the world record."

Carter added: "It was a great moment. We all wanted it and became victorious. The conditions are good out here so we went for it and got it."

The quartet became the first Jamaican men to capture the Olympic 4x100m title.

Defending champions Great Britain failed to reach the final after anchorman Craig Pickering failed to receive the baton from Marlon Devonish inside the permitted area.

A disastrous handover between Darvis Patton and Tyson Gay also denied the US a place in the final.

Dibaba claims 5000m gold for historic double

AFP, Beijing

Ethiopia's Tirunesh Dibaba produced another astonishingly fast final lap to win the women's 5000m gold at the Beijing Olympics on Friday for the first long-distance running double in 28 years.

Dibaba, 23, who last week won the 10,000m crown, finished the 12-and-a-half lap race around a packed 91,000-capacity National Stadium in 15min 41.40sec, more than 1:30 off her own world record pace.

Turkey's Ethiopian-born Elvan Abeylegesse claimed silver in 15:42.74, with defending champion and current world champion Meseret Defar finishing in the bronze medal position at 15:44.12.

Dibaba's double is a landmark for women runners and the first since male compatriot Miruts Yifter's feat over the same events at the 1980 Moscow Games.

"I am very happy," said Dibaba. "I like Beijing very much. I will remember the Beijing Games forever because I won two gold medals here."

Kenya's world silver medallist Vivian Cheruiyot led the peloton out at an incredibly gentle pace, with Dibaba, Defar and compatriot Meselech Melkamu happy to sit back.

With nine laps to go, Abeylegesse took up the lead and increased the pace, followed by Defar and versatile Russia's Guinara Galkina-Samitova, who set a world record to win the 3000m steeplechase on Sunday.

The Russian took the pack through the 3km mark at a pedestrian 9:58.13, shortly after which Defar was lucky to escape an out-an-out fall after being spiked from behind by Melkamu.

Dibaba moved to the front with three laps to go and the pace immediately picked up.

Abeyelegesse then bolted with the trio of Ethiopians snapping at her heels.

As was the case in the 10,000m, Dibaba waited for the bell to sound for the final lap before asserting her tactics of shooting off.

The Ethiopian promptly clocked a startling 59.54sec for the final 400m that killed off her rivals, Abeyelesse outsprinting Defar for second spot.

Russia claim surprise relay gold

BBC Online

Russia claimed a surprise victory in the women's 4x100m relay as favourites Jamaica and Great Britain failed to get the baton round cleanly.

Jamaica, who swept the medals in the 100m final, failed to hand the baton on in the second changeover between Sherone Simpson and Kerron Stewart.

At the same time, there was a mix-up in the changeover between Britain's Montell Douglas and Emily Freeman.

With the field reduced, Belgium took silver with Nigeria claiming bronze.

Olympic 100m champion Shelly-Ann Fraser ran a smooth first leg and handed the baton on to Simpson, who put Jamaica in front going in the first bend.

But that is where the race unravelled for the overwhelming favourites as Simpson did not hand on to Stewart, meaning 200m Olympic champion Veronica Campbell-Brown did not get a chance to run the anchor leg.

Watching from the sidelines, Jamaica's double Olympic sprint champion Usain Bolt jumped up and down in frustration.

100m finalist Jeannette Kwakye and Douglas had also put Britain into a decent position before a tiring Douglas failed to get to Freeman's out-stretched hand in time.

"We messed up," Douglas said. "I was a little bit off-balance but when I went to put it in she was running away from me - it was too late.

"I just wanted her (Freeman) to stop but it just happened. It was just unlucky."

A tearful Freeman added: "I'm gutted. I don't think I went early but I don't know what happened. I'm just sorry."

Kwakye, who looked set to cap an impressive season with an Olympic relay medal, said: "It's devastating.

"We've practiced and worked so hard. It was a medal for us but hopefully we'll bounce back."

Russia, who settled for silver in 2004, stole top honours thanks to solid runs from Evgeniya Polyakova, Aleksandra Fedoriva, Yulia Gushchina and anchor Yuliya Chermoshanskaya.

The Russians moved into the lead coming off the final turn and Chemoshanskaya crossed the line in 42.31 seconds.

The US women's relay team did not qualify for the final after dropping the baton in Thursday's heats.