The New Nation - Internet Edition

Dhaka Abahani move to semis beating SK Russell KC 2-0

UNB, Dhaka

Dhaka Abahani Limited advanced to the semifinals of the Citycell Federation Cup Football Tournament eliminating Sheikh Russell KC by 2-0 goals in the 3nd quarterfinals at Bangabandhu National Stadium on Wednesday.

National striker Zahid Hasan Emily and former national skipper Arif Khan Joy scored for the popular sky-blue Dhanmondi outfit, one in each half.

Dhaka Abahani will play Farashganj SC in the 1st semifinal on Friday while Dhaka Mohammedan will play the 2nd semifinal on Saturday against the winners of last quarterfinals to be held tomorrow (Thursday) between Chittagong Mohammedan and BKSP.

Abahani earned the deserving victory playing a better game against their rivals for most of the proceeding in a water-soaked ground following afternoon rain.

SK Russell KC failed to manage any good scoring chance all through the match except one.

The start of the match was delayed by about 20 minutes due to heavy rainfall and then it was stopped for about six minutes for insufficient light.

Emily put Abahani ahead in the very first minute of the match by an sharp header from danger zone, utilizing a left wing cross from Awudu Ibrahim (1-0)).

Russell KC came close to level the margin in the 6th minute, but a long distance powerful shot of veteran national striker Alfaz Ahmed returned hitting the cross piece.

Medio Joy widened the margin of Abahani victory in the 80th minute by an angular shot, off an Abul's minus, beating the opponent custodian Titu (2-0).

Yellow cards- Yussif, Joy, Mamun, Waly Faisal (Abahani) and Bourdif, Said and Youness (Sk Russell).

Dhaka Abahani Limited: Biplob, Shiraji, Youssif, Sujon, Waly Faisal, Mamun (Prodip), Joy, Prantosh (Zahed), Abul, Emily and Ibrahim (Tipu).

Sheikh Russell KC - Titumir, Parvez, Hasan (Zahirul), Bourdif, Aminul, Tanveer, Jhony, Said, Manwar (Bulbul), Alfaz and Youness.

Referee - Abdul Hannan Miran

Today's match: Chittagong Mohammedan vs BKSP (6:pm)

Mehrab hits ton: Massive victory for Bangladesh

Sports Reporter

Bangladesh National Cricket team registered a massive 120-run victory over Northern Territory Chief Minister's Eleven in their last practice one-dayer at the Gardens Oval in Darwin of Australia on Wednesday.

Mehrab Hossain (Junior) of Bangladesh led his team from the front line making an undefeated 132 off 129 balls. He struck 16 fours and three sixes in his sparkle innings.

Skipper Mohammad Ashraful hit a captain's knock of 80 playing 77 deliveries. His 91-minute innings was studded with 10 boundaries and one boundary.

Electing to rat first, Bangladesh piled up a huge 305 for the loss of four wickets in the regulation 50 overs and then they bowled out Northern Territory for 185 off 38.2 overs.

Mehrab Hossain also shone with the cherry grabbing three wickets for 31 runs with a good support of Alok Kapali, who harpooned three wickets at the cost of 22 runs.

Besides, Mohannad Ashraful, Mashrafe Bin Mortaza, Shahadat Hossain took one wicket each giving away six, 25, 26 runs respectively.

ST McDermott was his teams only successful batsman who scored 61 off 48 balls amid five fours and three sixes.

Bangladesh National Cricket team will face mighty Australia National Cricket team in the first One Day International (ODI) match on August 30.

Spartak striker Pavlyuchenko set for Tottenham move

AFP, Moscow

Spartak Moscow's Russian international striker Roman Pavyuchenko is set to sign for English Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur, local media reported here today.

"I can confirm that I'm moving to Tottenham. I will fly to England as soon as I receive an English entry visa," Pavlyuchenko told the press.

Spartak spokesman Eduard Nissenboim confirmed that Pavlyuchenko was very close to the move but that no papers had been signed yet.

"We have just reached a verbal agreement," Nissenboim said. "But Pavlyuchenko is likely join Tottenham in the nearest future."

Spartak signed Pavlyuchenko from Volgograd in 2003. He has played 145 matches for the nine-time Russian champions, scoring 75 goals.

The 26-year-old forward has 22 caps for Russia, scoring nine goals.

Vaas takes 400 one-day wickets

AP, Colombo

Sri Lanka seamer Chaminda Vaas on Wednesday became the fourth bowler to take 400 career wickets in one-day international cricket.

The 34-year-old Vaas, playing in his 322nd match, dismissed Yuvraj Singh caught by Mahela Jayawardene at short mid-wicket to reach the milestone during a match against India at R.Premadasa Stadium, Colombo.

He joins Pakistani fast bowlers Wasim Akram (502), Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan (478) and Pakistani Waqar Younis (416) in the group to take 400 wickets.

Narinda Pragoti Boys earns 14-10 goals victory Dhaka Mariner Youngs Club

UNB, Dhaka

Last time runners-up Narinda Pragoti Boy's Club maintained their winning run in the Cute Premier Division Handball League beating Dhaka Mariner Youngs Club by 14-10 goals at the Outer Stadium handball ground on Wednesday.

They led the first half by 11-4 goals.

Saidur, Mahmub and Rashedul scored three goals each for Narinda Pragoti Boy's Club while Ashiqun Nabi netted two goals for Dhaka Mariner Youngs Club.

Amzad of Narindha Pragoti Boys named as the best player of the match.

In the day's other match, Surjodoy KC earned a 28-25 goal victory over Menzis KC

The winners were trailing by 13-14 goals in the first half.

Nishan scored 11 goals for Surjodoy KC while Russell netted 14 goals for Menzis KC.

Kanon of Surjodoy Boys was adjudged best player of the match.

Today's matches: Victoria SC vs Menzis KC (3:00 pm), and Dhaka Mariner Youngs Club vs Bhatittro Samaj Kalyan Sangha (4:00 pm)

Hockey Federation goes to poll today

UNB, Dhaka

Bangladesh Hockey Federation goes to poll today (Thursday) at the National Sports Council premises to elect 19 executive members among 23 candidates as other nine office bearers of the federation were elected unopposed.

Some 73 councilors will elect 19 executive members during the poll. Voting will be held from 10 am to 3 pm.

Earlier, candidates of Khandkar Jamiluddin led panel have been elected unopposed in all the nine posts of the office-bearers following withdrawal of candidature by the opponents of Shahriar Alam led panel.

Those elected unopposed are : Vice-Presidents: Protap Sankar Hazra (Dhaka DSA), Alhaj MA Gafoor (Rangpur DSA), Azizur Rahman Raju (Sadharan Bima), KMR Manzoor (Victoria SC) and Air Commodore Shahjahan Sarkar (President's nominee),

General Secretary - Khondakar Jamiluddin (President's nominee), Joints Secretaries -Abdur Rashid Sikder (Usha KC) and Mashirul Kabir Ritu (Farashganj SC), Treasurer - Kazi Moinuzzaman Pila (Ajax SC).

Twenty-three candidates now in the race are: Mohammad Yousuf (Chittagong Div), Nazirul Islam Naju (Mymensingh), Fazlul Kader Fazlu (Gazipur), AF Shahabuddin Ahmed (Comilla), Raisuddin Ahmed Babu (Rajshahi), Mosaddek Hossain Chowdhury Pappu (Dinajpur), Shafiqul Islam Litu (Jessore), Abdullah Piru (Khulna), Hazi MA Sattar (Sylhet), Subash Chandra Das (Patuakhali), Imranul Islam Shaheen (Manikganj), Mohammad Yousuf Ali (Azad SC), Tofazzel Hossain, ANM Mamun-ur-Rashid (Shisu Kishore), Zafrul Ahsan Babul (Barnak Samaj), Hasanuddi Ahmed Shimul (Rayer Bazar), Anwar Hossain Khan (Udity Club), Jamil Abdun Naser (Dilkusha SC), Tanveer Adil Khan Babu (Shantinagar Club), Abdur Razzak Sonamiah (PWD SC), Mushtaq Hossain Mona (Young Star), Shamsul Bari (ex-general secretary) and Meer Monwar Ali Manu (Umpires Board).

Safina, Williams taking aim at Ivanovic's No. 1 ranking

AFP, New York

Top seed Ana Ivanovic struggled but held on to win her opening match, while a pair of wannabe number ones advanced in straights sets during day two of the US Open.

World No. 1 Ivanovic, who captured the French Open earlier this year for her first Grand Slam title, didn't make the opening statement she had planned on Tuesday.

The 20-year-old Serbian survived a scare by beating Vera Dushevina 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Centre.

"Obviously my lack of practice showed a little," Ivanovic said. "This match is going to help me because it was so challenging. "I was missing a lot of match practice so I got a tough one on Wednesday."

Olympic silver medallist Dinara Safina and Serena Williams won their first round matches in straight sets on Tuesday.

Both have a chance at supplanting Ivanovic as the top ranked WTA player if they reach the finals in the 20.6 million dollar event.

On the men's side of the draw, Roger Federer began his quest for his fifth consecutive US Open title in stunning fashion with a dominating 6-3, 6-0, 6-3 win over Maximo Gonzalez.

"It was a good match to start off with," Federer said. "I thought I served well and really moved good for the first round. I went on a good roll."

Safina, who is trying to put a fitting exclamation point on a superb season, defeated Kristie Ahn 6-3, 6-4.

The 22-year-old Safina, has won three titles in 2008 but hasn't made it past the quarter-finals in the US Open.

Two-time champion Serena Williams rolled to an easy win by beating Kateryna Bondarenko 6- 1, 6-4.

The 26-year-old American continued her solid play on hardcourts by firing six aces en route to a victory in just 56 minutes. Sister Venus also booked a second round spot with a win over Aussie Samantha Stosur.

The women's draw is wide open this year as the last three champions (Maria Sharapova, Kim Clijsters, Justine Henin) are all absent.

Ivanovic had to overcome some anxious moments in the third set as she double faulted on her first match point before clinching the victory on her second match point.

She moves through the second round where she will face Julie Coin of France who beat Australian Casey Dellacqua 7-6 (8/6), 7-6 (7/4).

Safina hammered five aces and fired 20 winners to just eight for American qualifier Ahn.

It would be a windfall victory for Safina if she breaks through and wins the US Open.

She placed first the US Open Series leading up to the final Grand Slam of the season which means she would receive a one million dollar bonus in addition to the 1.5 million dollars in first place prize money.

She moves through to the second round where she will face Taiwan's Chan Yung-jan who beat Stephanie Cohen-Aloro of France 4-6, 7-5, 6-3.

The second seeded Swiss star Federer lost his world No. 1 ranking last week to Rafael Nadal. He is hoping that another win at Flushing Meadows can salvage a season where he has won just two titles and failed to defend his Australian Open and Wimbledon crowns.

Against Gonzalez, he fired 15 aces and hammered 39 winners on the main Arthur Ashe Stadium court in front of an evening crowd of about 20,000. He also converted seven of 13 break point opportunities and won 73 percent of his first serves.

"This takes a little bit of pressure off me because I know a little more about where my game is at," Federer said. "I have to play more aggressively on hardcourt."

Federer dispatched Argentina's Gonzalez in a scant 82 minutes and advances to the second round where he will face Thiago Alves of Brazil.

Other seeded mens winner included, Fernando Gonzalez, Fernando Verdasco, Tommy Robredo, Ivo Karlovic and Igor Andreev all won their opening matches.

Former world number one Marat Safin beat American journeyman Vince Spadea 3-6, 6-2, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 while Germany's Tommy Haas posted a mild upset over French 12th seed Richard Gasquet 6-7 (3/7), 6-4, 5-7, 7-5, 6-2.

Australia-India Test in Bangalore will go on

AFP, New Delhi

Australia's high-profile cricket Test series in India will begin as scheduled in Bangalore in October, even though a tennis tournament was called off there over security fears, officials said today.

"There is no change in the itinerary. Bangalore will host the first Test," said Indian cricket board secretary Niranjan Shah.

India's four-match series against world champions Australia opens in Bangalore from October 9-13. The remaining Tests will be played in Mohali, New Delhi and Nagpur.

A string of bomb blasts last month in Bangalore, the country's high-tech hub in the south, left one person dead and a dozen injured.

Australia last week joined a boycott of next month's Champions Trophy tournament in Pakistan due to security concerns, forcing the International Cricket Council to put off the eight-nation tournament till 2009.

The ATP confirmed in a statement issued Wednesday that the tournament, due to begin on September 29, had been cancelled.

"The ATP board can confirm that it has regrettably accepted a petition from the Bangalore Open to suspend the 2008 event due to the local promoter's security concerns," the statement said.

"The total event prize money of 400,000 dollars will now be paid into the ATP player pension fund."

Local media reports speculated that tennis organisers had cited security fears because they had failed to attract top players for the event.

India's only other ATP event, the Chennai Open in January, attracts star players like world number one Rafael Nadal, who use it to prepare for the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam event of the season.

J-League to create spot for Asian players

AFP, Tokyo

The J-League, seeking to expand its fan base overseas, plans to set up a spot at each club for an Asian player from outside Japan, a spokeswoman said today.

The J-League has pulled in talent from Latin America and Europe but has attracted relatively few players from other Asian countries with the exception of South Korea.

Each club is currently allowed three foreign players. Under the change, each would have the right to sign a fourth foreigner, but only from another Asian country.

J-League executives have approved the motion, which will be sent for formal approval by the Japan Football Association board next month, a league spokeswoman said.

League chairman Kenji Onitake said the move was aimed at improving the level of Japanese football as well as expanding the league's fan base to other parts of Asia.

"We are hoping that this will let players compete with Asian players and improve themselves and at the same time expand our business market through broadcasting rights," Onitake told reporters on Tuesday.

Football is wildly popular across Southeast Asia, where many fans avidly follow the English Premier League and other foreign competitions.

The J-League was launched in 1993 with a number of foreign stars including Brazil's Zico and Germany's Pierre Littbarski.

But it has failed to dethrone baseball as the national sport of Japan, where sumo is also widely watched.

The Asian player idea is one of the reforms spearheaded by the football association's president, Motoaki Inukai, in a bid to revitalise the J-League since he took over in July. Inukai, former president of Urawa Red Diamonds, the Asian club champions, has also pushed for the league to hold its season from the autumn through spring starting in 2010 to coincide with the European football season.

Currently J-League games take place from March through December, a schedule supported by clubs in cities with heavy snow.