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General
Secretary of Bangladesh Kho Kho Federation Kazi Rajib
Uddin Ahmed Chapal speaking at a media conference on
Wednesday. Photo: CM Kajawl. |
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National Kho Kho begins today
Sports Correspondent
The 4th National Kho
Kho Championship begins today at Paltan Sports Ground in the
city with 15 teams taking part in the meet. Bangladesh Kho Kho
Federation (BKKF) has organized the competition under the
sponsorship of First Security Bank Limited.
Participating teams have been split into four groups for the
three-day competition, while the top team from each group will
make it to the semifinals.
General Secretary of BKKF Kazi Rajib Uddin Ahmed Chapal said
Bangladesh is one of the leading team in Asian kho kho and it
has a great prospect to improve further at the continental
level. "Bangladesh has made much headway in kho kho in a short
period of time. India won the first two Asian kho kho
tournaments, while we finished runners-up. But I think now
we're the best," Chapal claimed at a media conference at a
city hotel on Wednesday.
Apart from South Asian countries, kho kho is very popular in
Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Japan and the port is
gaining increasing popularity in the other Asian countries,
Chapal said.
Talking to the media, the General Secretary said the BKKF is
contemplating to organize an international kho kho competition
in the country in August or June this year after the name of
its late President Saifuddin Ahmed Manik.
"We have signed a sponsorship deal with the First Security
Bank Limited and we're looking forward to organizing five
tournaments with their sponsorship in the next six months. The
competitions are the national championship, the proposed
international competition, national school championship, men's
and women's leagues," Chapal added. Deputy Managing Director
of the First Security Bank Limited Shafiqul Alam also spoke at
the conference.
The teams are: Dhaka, Narayanganj, Munshiganj, Jamalpur,
Mymensingh, Tangail, Brahmanbaria, Bhola, Cox's Bazar, Natore,
Bagerhat, Jhenidah, Gopalganj, Rajshahi and Khulna district
spots associations.
Abahani scores emphatic win over Sonali Bank
Sports Correspondent
Title chaser Dhaka Abahani Limited continued its winning run
in the Green Delta Insurance Premier Hockey League when it
scripted a resounding 4-0 victory against Sonali Bank Sports
and Recreation Club at Moulana Bhasani National Hockey Stadium
on Wednesday.
aking a slender 1-0 first half lead, Abahani swooped for kill
with its full vigour after the change of ends and got the
result of its spirited display, pushing the Sonali Bank into
the corner. Sonali Bank, which held Dhaka Mohammedan Sporting
Club 2-2 in its previous match, failed to match the spirit of
Abahani and succumbed to an emphatic defeat. Moududur Rahman
Shubho scored the first goal after 11 minutes to give Abahani
1-0 advantage. He doubled the lead just two minutes after the
break. Musa Mia scored from a penalty corner to increase the
margin 3-0, while Imran Khan drove the last nail to complete a
big win for the sky-blues.
Today's match: Sadharan Bima Krira Sangstha vs Wari Club (2:30
pm) and Mariner Young's Club vs Dhaka Mohammedan Sporting Club
(4:00 pm).
Austria and Switzerland ready for Euro 2008
AFP, Vienna
Austria and Switzerland are ready to host the European
football championship on June 7-29, having completed their
preparations on schedule, one month before the kick-off.
The Ernst Happel stadium, which will host the final, has been
entirely modernised and refitted to seat 51,000 people, and
builders finished putting up the 460-seat media centre last
month. The city's U2 underground line has meanwhile been
extended to the stadium, facilitating access by public
transportation and halving the time needed to travel from the
city centre. The extension, which cost 890 million euros
(1,373 million dollars), was inaugurated last Saturday.
The stadia in the seven other host cities have been ready for
months, including those in Zurich, Switzerland and Klagenfurt
in southern Austria, which suffered some construction and
renovation delays. As renowned tourist destinations, the
co-hosts are well prepared to welcome hordes of visitors in
June and can rely on their existing hotel infrastructure:
Austria expects an additional 1.1 million overnight stays
during the championship, while Switzerland is counting on
700,000.
Austrian and Swiss Rail are also planning to run respectively
2,000 and 2,500 special trains during the championship to
ensure that fans reach their chosen destinations in time.
Those with match tickets will travel for free. The co-hosts
are each expecting some two million visitors and estimate the
championship could bring in several hundreds of millions of
euros in profit. Beyond the stadia, the eight host cities -
Basel, Bern, Geneva and Zurich in Switzerland, and the
Austrian towns of Innsbruck, Klagenfurt, Salzburg and Vienna -
are planning large public-viewing zones, with live games shown
on giant screens, music performances and foodstalls.
Vienna will be able to accommodate some 120,000 fans in
several such zones, the largest being a 1.2-kilometre stretch
of the Ring boulevard, transformed into a large Fan Mile
similar to the one in Berlin during the 2006 World Cup, with
nine giant screens. The two host countries were slow to show
their enthusiasm for the upcoming tournament but Euro fever
has now caught up with them and preparations are in full swing
for a series of side events, including concerts, exhibits and
parties to keep fans entertained during the championship.
Harbhajan
banned for five ODIs in slapping row
AFP, New Delhi
India bowler Harbhajan Singh was barred for five one-day
internationals on Wednesday for slapping a team-mate and
warned of a life ban if he steps out of line again.
The off-spinner, 27, will miss next month's triangular one-day
series in Bangladesh and initial matches of the Asia Cup in
Pakistan following the decision by the Board of Control for
Cricket in India (BCCI). He had already been handed an
11-match ban from a domestic Twenty20 tournament after his
attack during the event on Shanthakumaran Sreesanth, who was
left in tears.
"The (disciplinary) committee decided to ban Harbhajan for
five one-day internationals starting today, and observed that
any further instance of misconduct will invoke a life ban,"
BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah said in a statement.
Harbhajan admitted his guilt and assured the committee there
would not be any misconduct in the future, the statement
added.
The incident in Mohali last month left Sreesanth weeping
inconsolably in full view of television cameras. Harbhajan
later apologised to his India team-mate.Harbhajan has bagged
275 wickets in 66 Tests and 189 in 171 one-dayers. He was
banned for three Tests earlier this year after being found
guilty of making racist remarks against Australian all-rounder
Andrew Symonds, but was let off with a fine following an
appeal to the International Cricket Council.
Pakistan to host India early next year
AFP, Islamabad
"Pakistan will host India for three Tests, five one-day
internationals and one, or possibly two, Twenty20
internationals early next year," Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB)
chairman Nasim Ashraf told a press conference here on Tuesday.
India stalled the bilateral cricket ties over political
tension between the South Asian neighbours in 2000.
Pakistan hosted India in a rivetting three-Test and five
one-day series in 2004 which opened the doors for bilateral
ties. India also toured Pakistan in 2006.
Pakistan have played two series in India-in 2005, their first
in India since 1999, and then in 2007. Pakistan will also host
Sri Lanka in early April 2009 for five one-day matches and
then Australia, also for five one-day internationals,
announced Ashraf.
Australia last month agreed to split their postponed tour to
Pakistan into two phases.
The tour, due to take place in March-April this year, was put
off after several Australian players hesitated over touring
Pakistan because of rampant suicide bombings before the
February 18 national polls. Ashraf said Pakistan is also
likely to play a Twenty20 matches series with the West Indies
in Canada in August this year.
"Both Pakistan and the West Indies have given their consent to
play a Twenty20 event in Canada in August, the dates and other
modalities will be finalised soon," said Ashraf.
Henin set to announce retirement
AFP, Brussels
Struggling world number one Justine Henin could be set to stun
the tennis world by announcing her immediate retirement,
Belgian media reported on Wednesday.
The Olympic champion, who pulled out of the Rome Masters this
week blaming tiredness, will hold a press conference in
Belgium to comment on all the mounting rumours concerning her
future. One Flemish newspaper, Het Nieuwsblad, citing "a
reliable source", categorically stated that the 25-year-old
will announce her immediate retirement from the game.
For the Vers l'Avenir newspaper group's internet site she
plans to retire either now or after trying to defend her
Roland Garros title or even after the Beijing Olympics. On
Tuesday La Derniere Heure suggested she would simply be taking
time out for several months. The press conference is planned
for late Wednesday afternoon in Limelette in central Belgium.
Henin, who has seven Grand Slam titles to her name and almost
20 million dollars in career earnings since she joined the WTA
Tour in 1999, has been struggling this year to reach the level
of form that has earned her the last three titles at Roland
Garros. Henin has been beaten four times in four months in
2008 including a 6-2, 6-0 hammering by Serena Williams in
Miami last month. Her latest defeat and last appearance on
court came at last week's German Open where she made a shock
exit when coming off second best in a two and a half hour
third round marathon against Russia's Dinara Safina.
In Berlin last week Henin, who split from her husband last
year, told AFP of her ambitions for the future away from
tennis.
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