DHAKA TRIBUNE
Sport
15
Monday, September 30, 2013
Quick Bytes
Scholastica InterSchool Basketball held The Scholastica Inter-School Basketball Tournament comprising eight other schools was held from 26-29 of this month at the Red Court of the Scholastica Senior Campus. The participating schools were Bangladesh International Tutorial (BIT), St Francis Xavier’s Girls High School, Green Herald International School, Greendale International School, Sunnydale School, Pledge Harbor School & Sports Academy, Sunbeams, Playpen and Scholastica.Sunbeams Girls’ team won against Scholastica Girls’ team and became the champion while in the boy’s event, Greenherald Boys’ won the title after beating Scholastica Boys’ in a neck to neck fight in the final. The chief guest Sister Renu Maria Palma, Headmistress of St Francis Xavier Girls High School accompanied by Scholastica Principal, Brig Gen (Retd) Kaiser Ahmed awarded the trophies and medals to the players. - FRM
BKSP swimming champs again A total of 11 new national marks were set in the three day Bashundhara 29th National Age Level Swimming at the Mirpur Swimming Complex. As expected, BKSP clinched the title with 58 golds, 44 silvers and 29 bronze medals. Bangladesh Ansar finished second with 15 golds, 19 silver and 15 bronzes. BKSP’s Zahidul Islam and Titu MIah won 11 golds each, Nayan Ali grabbed six golds and Rasheda Khatun clinches six gold. The president of Bangladesh Swimming Federation, Vice Admiral M. Farid Habib distributed the prizes as the chief guest. Advisor to the Bashundhara Group Lt. Col. (Rtd) Khandokar Abdul Wahid was also present as a special guest. – RM
BJMC clinch women’s handball title BJMC overwhelmed Rangamati 27-4 to win the Walton Invitational National Women’s Handball title at the Shahid (Capt) M. Monsur Ali National Handball Stadium yesterday. The winners led the first half 20-3. Shirina – who was named player-of-the-match, scored seven goals and Rozina five for the eventual champions. For the runners-up, Shilpi netted two goals. Earlier Dhaka outplayed Dinajpiur 17-9 in the third place decider on the back of eight goals from Bilkis and six from Sultana. Information minister Hasanul Haque Inu distributed the prizes as the chief guest. F.M. Iqbal bin Anwar Dawn, the additional director of Walton, handball federation president Nurul Fazal Bulbul and general secretary Asaduzzaman Kohinoor were also present on the occasion. – RM
Sousa seals first ATP win for Portugal Unheralded Joao Sousa completed a fairytale run at the Malaysian Open on Sunday when he beat France’s Julien Benneteau 2-6 7-5 6-4 in the final to become the first Portuguese to win an ATP Tour title. The 24-year-old, ranked 77th in the world, fell flat on his back in delight after claiming victory on the indoor hard court when Benneteau missed with a backhand down the line on his second matchpoint. Sousa beat top seed and world number four David Ferrer in the last eight and then fourth seed Juergen Melzer of Austria in the semi-finals to reach his first final at the $875,500-event inKuala Lumpur. Dressed in black with his cap back to front, the young Portuguese righthander struggled with his serve in the opening set as the experienced Benneteau broke twice to wrap it up 6-2. The duo were on serve in the second before Sousa was forced to save a matchpoint at 5-4 down before holding and then snatching the crucial break to take the set 7-5 and force a decider. The young Portuguese broke again in Benneteau’s opening service game of the third set and he held firm, saving four break points to close out the set 6-4 and claim the breakthrough win. – Reuters
Day’s Watch Star Cricket 2013 CLT20 LIVE 4:20pm Titans v Trinidad & Tobago 8:20pm 2013 CLT20 LIVE Brisbane Heat v Sunrisers Hyderabad Star Sports 12:40am Italian Serie A 2013/14 LIVE Fiorentina v Parma ESPN 12:50am Barclays Premier League LIVE Everton v Newcastle United
Greek actress Ino Menegaki acting as the high priestess holds the Olympic Flame at the Temple of Hera yesterday during the lighting ceremony in ancient Olympia the sanctuary where the Olympic Games were born in 776 BC The Olympic flame was lit in Ancient Olympia in Greece, in a solemn ceremony filled with mystery and tradition that signals the final countdown to the start of this year's winter Games in Sochi, Russia AFP
Kipsang breaks marathon world record in Berlin n AFP, Berlin Kenya’s Wilson Kipsang broke the marathon world record in Berlin on Sunday in a new official best time of 2hs 3 mins and 23 seconds. Kispang, 31, shaved 15 seconds off the previous world record set by compatriot Patrick Makau, who ran 2:03.38 over 42.195 kilometres (26.2miles) in the German capital two years ago. Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge, who won the Hamburg marathon in April on his debut over the distance, finished second in a personal best time of 2:04.05 with compatriot Geoffrey Kipsang third with 2:06.26. This is the ninth time a world record has been set in Berlin and five men’s world records have been set here in the last decade alone. Makau was missing in the German capital having withdrawn a fortnight ago with a knee injury. The women’s race was won by Kenya’s Florence Kiplagat, the 2011 winner in Berlin, in an unofficial time of 2hrs 21mins 13secs, six minutes off Paula Radcliffe’s world record set ten years ago in London.
Germany’s Irina Mikitenko finished third to break the world masters record for the over 40s, in a time of 2:24.54. Having trained specifically to break the world record in Berlin, Kipsang, the Olympic bronze medallist, broke away from the leading pack in the final 10 kilometres and ran his own race. The elite group had been on world record pace up until the 29km, but
Kenya's Wilson Kipsang poses with his new world record time after winning the 40th edition of the Berlin Marathon in Berlin, Germany yesterday AFP
Srinivasan re-elected as BCCI chief n
AFP, New Delhi
India’s embattled cricket chief N. Srinivasan won a third term in office Sunday even though a Supreme Court order bars him from taking charge immediately due to a corruption scandal. The 68-year-old cement tycoon, one of the most powerful men in world cricket, was elected unopposed for another year at the annual meeting of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in Chennai.
when the tempo dropped, Kipsang took matters into his own hands and was three seconds under the necessary pace in the final two kilometres. Having run a previous personal best in 2011 when he went within Makau’s previous world record in Frankfurt, Kipsang added the Berlin title to his CV having won the London marathon in 2012. l
“Mr. N. Srinivasan was unanimously elected as President of the BCCI for the year 2013-14,” a statement from the cricket board said, without elaborating. It only detailed the names of office-bearers and members of various committees. The Supreme Court had on Friday barred Srinivasan from taking charge until it has ruled on a petition against him over a spot-fixing scandal in the Indian Premier League (IPL), a popular Twenty20 event.l
Venus accepts Murray’s five set challenge for women n AFP, Tokyo Former world number one Venus Williams has said she would have no issues with playing five sets at grand slam tournaments after Andy Murray’s recent call for equal match lengths in men’s and women’s tennis. “Sure, not a problem,” the 33-yearold American told AFP at the just-ended Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo, where she reached the semi-finals. “If we have to play best-of-three, we play best-ofthree. If it’s best-of-five that’s fine too. Either way it’s not a problem.” German Angelique Kerber echoed the seven-times grand slam singles champion’s sentiments, saying: “I think we are fit and strong enough to play five sets.” However, Czech Petra Kvitova appeared less than thrilled at the prospect. “I don’t know if I’m prepared for bestof-five matches,” the 2011 Wimbledon champion said on Saturday after beating Kerber in the Tokyo final. “The top 50 are getting so much better and that’s why matches are so close now,” added the 23-year-old, after a tour-high 32nd three-set match of the season. “I’d need to work more on stamina and do more running to be able to play best-of-five.”
Murray suggested in a New York Times interview that either the men should drop to three sets or women should play over five in order to justify equal pay. The women’s WTA tour chief Stacey Allaster Tuesday responded by telling AFP her players were “ready and willing” to play five sets at the four major tournaments. Debate over equal playing time has increased now that women are paid the same as men at the slams. But the WTA pointed out that the grand slam tournaments would first have to request that the women play longer matches. l
Li, Williams and Radwanska through n AFP, Beijing
Li Na said she was enjoying her most consistent season ever after she won her first match at the China Open Sunday, joining top seed Serena Williams in the second round. The Chinese star opened her bid for her biggest title on home soil in stunning fashion by winning every game in the first set against Daniela Hantuchova, much to the enjoyment of her fans at Beijing’s National Tennis Centre. But the world number five had to overcome a late surge from her Slovakian opponent which sent jitters through
the home crowd. Hantuchova did not get on the scoreboard until the hour mark, with the 2011 French Open singles champion cruising at 4-0 in the second set and seemingly in command. The 30-year-old, who has beaten Li four times in their previous six meetings, then staged an impressive comeback until Li regained her composure to close in on victory. The Chinese star has faced scrutiny in the past for seemingly breaking down in matches. She blamed herself for losing her US Open semi-final match this month after being overwhelmed by the occasion.
But the 31-year-old said her only problem in Beijing could be that she was too relaxed this year, following a strong season which has also brought a seventh career title, her second Australian Open final and a strong run at Wimbledon. “I think I had a pretty good match until I was 4-0 up in the second set, and then I thought ‘OK, maybe I should relax a little’,” Li said. Li has twice reached the semi-finals at the prestigious Beijing event without being able to go all the way. She has won twice in China, in Shenzhen this year and in Guangzhou in 2004.l
Resurgent Nadal says will be “tough” to become No 1
Raonic beats Berdych to Bangkok title
n AFP, Beijing
Canadian Milos Raonic used his thumping serve to ace his way to victory over top seed Tomas Berdych Sunday, with a 7-6 (7/4), 6-3 win at the Thailand Open. Third seed Raonic took full advantage of his big serve to beat his Czech opponent, firing 18 aces -- his last to set up a pair of match points. After winning the first set in a tiebreaker, the Canadian tightened his grip in the second to earn the fifth title of his career, converting his first match point with a down-the-line winner after 77 minutes.l
Rafael Nadal said it will be “very tough” to seize Novak Djokovic’s crown as the top ranked men’s tennis player, paying tribute to his “unbelievable” opponent at the China Open Sunday. The world number two can unseat Djokovic from the top spot with a good performance in Beijing, but the Serb will go into the tournament with confidence he can retain the title he won last year. Djokovic is unbeaten in three visits to the China Open, following up wins in 2009 and 2010 with victory over Jo-Wil-
fried Tsonga in last year’s final. Spaniard Nadal has been in fine form since coming back from injury earlier this year, and defeated Djokovic at this month’s US Open final. But the 2004 champion in Beijing says overcoming Djokovic is no easy feat. The men’s tournament at the dual WTA and ATP was still at the qualifying stage on Sunday. Djokovic is the top seed in Beijing, ahead of number two Nadal. The reigning champion will play Czech Lukas Rosol, who is ranked 46th in the world, in his opening game, while Nadal will face a qualifier.l
n AFP, Bangkok
Thai Princess Ubolratana Rajakanya (R) presents the winner's trophy to Milos Raonic after the men's singles final at the Thailand Open in Bangkok yesterday REUTERS