The New Nation - Internet Edition

Dhaka Abahani locks horn with Dhaka Mohammedan today

UNB, Dhaka

After a 13-day break, the Citycell 2nd B. League resumes Monday at 4:30 pm with a high voltage match between holders Dhaka Abahani Limited and Dhaka Mohammedan SC at the Bangabandhu National Stadium (BNS).

Private satellite TV Channel i will telecast the match live.

On the eve of the crucial match, both the teams were found excited as well as hopeful about winning. They want to make a good start in the league after a prolonged gap due to national duty.

Addressing a press conference at the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) conference room Sunday afternoon, Abahani manager Satyajit Das Rupu said the importance of Abahani-Mohammedan match is different.

He said the league was halted a long time and this might affect his boys' performance a little.

The Abahani manager said that their win in the last five league matches would be an extra advantage for them prior to the key match tomorrow.

"We are fully ready for the match and want to maintain our supremacy in the league table with a win in the match."

Echoing the team manger, Abahani skipper Nazrul Islam said they are confident of winning the match against Mohammedan. "We want to maintain our winning run in the league."

Asked about the reason behind his confidence, he said Abahani team is more organized than others and this will be an added advantage.

About opponent Nigerian striker Alamu Bukola Olalekin, Nazrul said Bukola is a very good player, "but we have a special plan for him."

Veteran Abahani coach Amalesh Sen said they want to win the Monday's match playing good football.

Mohammedan SC coach Maruful Haq said the main strength of his team is "speed of play."

"Abahani is a very strong side and they have some good players," he said replying to a query.

About their not so emphatic performance in the league, the Mohammedan coach said they have already identified some lacking in the team and are trying to overcome those.

Asked about injured defender Hasan Al Mamun, he said Mamun is gradually recovering, but it would not be possible to say right now whether he would able to play the Monday's match or not.

Mohammedan SC captain Jewel Rana was also hopeful about playing good football against Abahani.

B. League committee chairman Abdus Salam Murshedi was present at the press conference.

Dhaka Abahani dominates the league table with 15 points from six matches, followed by Sheikh Russell KC 14 points (7 matches), Chittagong Mohammedan 13 points (8 matches), Dhaka Mohammedan 11 points (5 matches), Brothers Union Club 10 points (6 matches), Rahmatganj MFS 10 points (7 matches), Chittagong Abahani 10 points (9 matches), Farashganj SC 9 points (7 matches), Arambagh KS 8 points (6 matches), Muktijoddha Samgsad KC 4 points (7 matches) and Khulna Abahani 3 points (8 matches).

Partial fixture:

8th round:

Nov 25: Brothers Union vs Sheikh Russell (BNS)

Nov 27: Dhaka Mohammedan vs Rahmatganj MFS (BNS)

Nov 28: Muktijoddha SKC vs Dhaka Abahani (BNS)

9th round:

Nov 30: Farashganj SC vs Dhaka Mohammedan (BNS)

Dec 1 : Dhaka Abahani vs Dhaka Mohammedan (BNS)

Tokai Kabaddi Dholpur clinch title

Sports Reporter

Dholpur Tokai Kabaddi team clinched the championship title of the Orient Bread Second Tokai Kabaddi Competition when they defeated the runners-up Stadium Tokai Kabaddi team by 41-33 points with three lonas in the final at the Dhaka Kabaddi Stadium on Sunday.

Rony of the Stadium Tokai Kabaddi was adjudged the best player of the tournanent.

After the final match Managing Director of the Orient Food Company Limited Mahbubuzzaman distributed the prizes among the winners as the chief guest. Comedian Anisur Rahman Anis and General Secretary of Bangladesh Kabaddi Federation Md Nazrul Islam were present at the time.

Bangladesh men's, women's teams concede defeat in Chess Olympiad

UNB, Dhaka

Both the Bangladesh men's and women's teams conceded defeat in their 9th round matches of the 38th Chess Olympiad in Dresden, Germany on Saturday.

Bangladesh men's team conceded 1-3 points defeat against Scotland with Grand Master Abdullah Al Rakib winning the lone match. Three other Bangladeshi players - GM Ziaur Rahman, GM Enamul Hossain Razib and FM Abu Sufian Shakil - lost their encounters.

Bangladesh women's team suffered 0.5-3.5 points defeat against Indonesia with Women's Fide Master Tanima Parveen earning half a point with a draw. Bangladeshi WIM Rani Hamid, Nazrana Khan Eva and Syed Shabana Parveen Nipa conceded defeats.

After the 9th round matches, Bangladesh men's team secured nine match points and 19 games points, while the women's team bagged eight match points and 15.5 games points.

Bangladesh men's team is scheduled to play El Salvador, while the women's team due to meet IBC in the 10th round match on Sunday.

Scolari plans style makeover after stalemate

AFP, London

Luiz Felipe Scolari admits he must overhaul Chelsea's approach to home games after they suffered yet more frustration with a 0-0 draw against Newcastle.

The west Londoners remain top of the English Premier League thanks to Liverpool's failure to beat Fulham on Saturday, but that will be scant consolation to Scolari, whose record at Stamford Bridge is anything but title-winning material.

Chelsea have now dropped nine points on their own turf this season - three draws against Tottenham, Manchester United and Newcastle, and last month's defeat to Liverpool - and it is only their remarkable away form which has prevented the Merseysiders pulling clear at the summit.

Once again there was frustration here, with Newcastle packing men behind the ball and squeezing the space Chelsea need to thrive.

They did it expertly: Chelsea had 70 per cent of possession and 24 efforts at goal and yet Shay Given was only forced to make one save of note, the Ireland goalkeeper beating away Frank Lampard's header in the eighth minute.

There were other sporadic moments of concern for the visitors - Joe Cole saw a 54th-minute strike ruled out for offside, while Given came perilously close to carrying Lampard's speculative free-kick over the line - but ultimately they held on

quite comfortably, with Stamford Bridge half-empty by the time the final whistle sounded.

One of Scolari's predecessors would have bemoaned opponents "parking the bus" in their own goal in a bid to claim a point, but the Brazilian was rather more fulsome in his praise than Jose Mourinho.

"Newcastle were very good - fantastic," he said. "They played for a draw and they were right, one million per cent.

"They didn't play for a win but they were better than us because they played for a draw, and they got it whereas we played for a win and we only drew.

"It was a tactic and it worked very well. We didn't produce the quality and we lost two points.

"Now we have to go back to training. We need to change the positions of some of the players and I have to do my best to tell the players that, when teams play with 10 back, we just need to create one situation of quality to break them down.

"The home form is my mistake and the mistake of my team.

Sometimes winning away is easier than at home because the fans pressure their teams to attack at their own grounds.

"They don't do that at Stamford Bridge so we need to find a way to break them down."

Scolari's hopes of landing a killer blow here might have been boosted by the presence of Didier Drogba, whose ability to pluck crucial goals is more honed than Nicolas Anelka, who was rankly ineffective against the Tynesiders.

At least the Ivorian - suspended here after his bout of coin-throwing against Burnley - will be welcomed back for the Champions League tie against Bordeaux on Wednesday.

"We didn't have Didier here but we are a team - it's not just down to one player," Scolari added, with a hint of exasperation. "Didier Drogba is not the only player in my team."

Joe Kinnear, the interim Newcastle manager, made no apology for his side's conservative approach and admitted this point "felt like a victory".

The Irishman also revealed his rolling contract with the St James' Park had been extended by another month, taking him to the opening of the January transfer window, and that owner Mike Ashley had held talks with an American consortium over a possible takeover.

"Mike told me he has held talks with some Americans but their offer was well below his estimation of what the club is worth," he said. "Hopefully I will be able to do some business in the January transfer window.

"There will be some departures of fringe players and if we can replace them with better quality players, the squad will be better overall."

PCB tries to save India tour’

AP, Islamabad

The Pakistan Cricket Board chairman will go to India later this month in a bid to save India's scheduled tour to Pakistan early next year.

"The chairman (Ejaz Butt) PCB will meet officials of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) later this month and convince them to tour Pakistan," PCB's chief operating officer Salim Altaf said Saturday.

India is scheduled to tour Pakistan and play three test matches, five one-day internationals and a Twenty20 international during its Jan. 4-Feb.19 tour to Pakistan.

The BCCI is awaiting a security assessment from the Indian government, which earlier this month stopped India's hockey team going to India on security grounds. Altaf said an Indian security delegation will visit Pakistan, most likely early next month.

"We are very much optimistic that the (cricket) tour will go ahead as planned," Altaf said.

Altaf said the PCB has begun talks to organize the series in Sharjah, Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates should India refuse to tour Pakistan.

"We have these three alternate venues in mind to organize the series," Altaf said.

Pakistan prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani also said earlier this week that he would talk to his Indian counterpart in an effort to save the tour.

Pakistan has not played a home test this year due to security grounds. Australia cancelled its tour, while the Champions Trophy one-day tournament was also postponed.

The PCB also agreed a $140.5 million five-year television contract with Taj Entertainment Network - also known as Ten Sports.

"It is an excellent deal for a period of five years and starts with the home series against India," Altaf said.

"The process of bidding is based on optimum situation which is that all teams will tour Pakistan as per schedule and if teams do not come to Pakistan we have the option of playing at the neutral venue."

Prize giving ceremony of Annual Sports of DRU held

Sports Reporter

The prize giving ceremony of the Annual Sports Competition of Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU) was held at the VIP Auditorium of DRU on Sunday.

The Secretary of the Cricket Committee of Dhaka Mohammedan Sporting Club Md Hanif Bhuiyan, General Secretary of DRU Elias Khan, Sports Secretary of DRU AKM Kamruzzaman Hiru, former sports secretary of DRU Monwar Haque, former sports secretary of DRU Rafiqul Islam, former general secretary of DRU Motaher Hossain Masum, President of Bangladesh Sports Writers Association Sarwar Hossain, General Secretary of Bangladsh Sports Journalists Association Syed Mamun distributed the prizes among the winners of the Annual Sports Competition of DRU.

The awardees are : Mir mostafizur Rahman (Independent) (first), Shafiqul Islam Shamim (BTV) (second), Badrul Alam Khokon (Sangbadpatra) (third) (Swimming), Syed Akhteruzzaman Siddique Lavlu (Bhorer Kagoj) (champion), Mir Mostafizur Rahman (Independent) (runner-up) (Badminton), Mir Mostafizur Rahman (Independent) and Jasim Uddin Khan (Daily Star) duo (champions), Mahmudur Rahman Khokon (Korotowa) and Md Badiuzzaman (Samakal) duo (runners-up) (Bridge) Debashish Chakravarty Uttam (Janakantha) (first), Dev Dulal Mitra (Jai Jai Din) (second), Atiqur Rahman (Inqilab) (third)(Archery), Syed Mamun (BSS)(champion), Debashish Chakravarty Uttam (Janakantha)(runner-up)(Table Tennis), Md Mojibur Rahman (Banglabazar Patrika) (champion), Kismat Khondker (Samakal) (runner-up) (Carrom)(Singles), Md Mojibur Rahman(Banglabazar Patrika) and Arif Sohel (Destiny) duo (champions), Shahidul Islam (Jonopod) and ASM Jakir Hossain(Jonopod) duo (runners-up) (Carrom) (Doubles), Morsalin Ahmed (Naya Diganta)( champion), Tapan Biswas (Janakantha) (runner-up).

First Indo-Bangla Bangladesh Wrestling begins today

Sports Reporter

The First Indo-Bangla Bangladesh Wrestling Competition begins today. The competition will be held at the Dhaka Kabaddi Stadium and the Dhaka Volleyball Stadium. Bangladesh Amateur Wrestling Federation will arrange the meet under the auspices of Mutual Trust Bank Limited.

The budget of the wrestling competition has been estimated at Tk four lakh while Mutual Trust Bank Limited, the sponsor of the meet has given Tk four lakh to the federation.

Marking the forthcoming two-day long wrestling copetition, a press conference was held at the conference room of Bangabandhu National Stadium on Sunday.Vice-President of Bangladesh Amateur Wrestling Federation Monirul Haque Buchchu, General Secretary of the federation Mahbubul Amin Jibon, General Secretary of West Bengal Wrestling Federation Asit Kumar Saha were present at the conference.

Seven female wrestlers and six male wrestlers from Bangladesh and seven female wrestlers and six male wrestlers from West Bengal will take part in the two-day long competition.

Today Director General of Bangladesh Ansar & VDP Major General ATM Amin, psc will formally open the meet as the chief guest while Senior Executive Vice-President of Mutual Trust Bank Limited AKM Shamim will be along with him as the special guest.

Managing Director of Mutual Trust Bank Limited Kazi Md Shafiqur Rahman will be the chief guest on the concluding day while former national wrestler Ostad Abdul Hamid Pahlowan will be present with him as the special guest.

Rain interrupts India-England match

AP, Bangalore

Sudden rain stopped play Sunday in the fourth limited-overs international between India and England.

Put in to bat first by England captain Kevin Pietersen, India was 82 for one in 14 overs.

Opener Virender Sehwag was batting on 45 and Gautam Gambhir was 23 not out at the interruption. Sachin Tendulkar was the batsman out for 11.

India leads 3-0 in the seven-match series.

BOA forms 23-member working committee for SA Games

UNB, Dhaka

Bangladesh Olympic Association (BOA) Sunday formed a 23-member working committee with BOA secretary general Kutubuddin Ahmed as the convenor ahead of the 11th South Asian Games to be held in Dhaka in December 2009.

The committee was formed at the BOA executive committee meeting with its president General Moeen U Ahmed in the chair.

After the meeting at the BOA conference room, BOA secretary general Kutubuddin Ahmed told the reporters that they would start training of the athletes as soon as they get the budget of Tk 16 crore for the Games.

The training will begin after Eid-ul-Azha and continue until the SA Games, he said.

The BOA secretary general said the meeting also decided to involve the federations concerned in future whenever any new sports infrastructure is planned.

The meeting also discussed the reports of the chef de mission on the 29th Olympic Games in Beijing, 3rd Commonwealth Youth Games in Pune and the 1st Asian Beach Games in Indonesia this year.

Div II Football: Police, East End win

Sports Reporter

Bangladesh Police AC and East End Club got wins in their respective matches of the Second Division Football League on Sunday.

In the day's first match, Police AC blanked Dhanmondi Club 3-0 at the Kamalapur Bir Sreshtha Shaheed Sepoy Mohammad Mostafa Stadium.

Al Amin, Shahin, Amirul scored one goal each for Police AC.

Police AC secured 30 points from 15 matches while Dhanmondi Club earned 14 points from as many matches.

In the day's second matches, East End Club defeated Friends Social Welfare Organisation by two goals to nil at the same Venue.

Habibur and Biplob netted one each for the victirious team.

East End Club gained 28 points from 15 matches while Friends Social Welfare Organisation collected 18 points from as many outings.

Today Kadamtala Sangsad will face Karwanbazar Progoti Sangha while Bassabo Tarun Sangha will meet BG Press S&RC at the same venue.

BHF President XI suffers 3rd consecutive defeat

UNB, Dhaka

BHF President XI completed their engagements in the Jindal Steel 45th Nehru Cup Hockey tournament without any point losing to ONGC XI by a solitary goal in the third and last group match at the Gurgaon Nehru Stadium in Haryana on Sunday.

In the day's match, KH Jayanta Meitei scored the match-winner for ONGC XI from a penalty corner in the very 7th minute of the match.

BHF President XI earlier lost against Bharat Petroleum 5-1 in the opening 2nd round match on Thursday and against Central Railway (SCR) of India 3-5 in their 2nd match on Friday.