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Orion Amateur Golf: Nepal win team event; Bangladesh B finish runners-up
Coming from behind, Nepal won the team event of the Orion 36th Bangladesh Amateur Golf Championship 2023 after carding a four-over-par 292 on the second day of the competition at the Kurmitola Golf Club in the capital Thursday.
Nepal's Subash Tamang and Sadbhav Acharya clinched the team crown after carding a 292, just two-par ahead of Bangladesh B.
Liton Modal's dismal six-over-par 78 after his one-under-par 71 in the first round led Bangladesh to defeat in the team event.
Subash, who was in the fourth spot after the first round carding 72, strongly came back in the second round with a six-under-par 66 to guide Nepal to the victory after carding a six-under par (72+66) 138. Sadbhav carded 10-over-par (77+77) 154.
Read: Orion Amateur Golf: Bangladesh B take solo lead after first round
Bangladesh B, comprising Shafiqul Islam and Liton Mondal, dominated the first round after carding 143. They finished runners-up after carding 294.
Shafiqul carded (72+73) 145 and Liton Mondal carded (71+78) 149 to be the runners-up with 294.
Two other Bangladesh sides – A and C teams – finished third after carding 297 each.
In the men's singles, Subash dominated the day's second round after carding a six-under-par (72+66) 138.
Abu Bakkar Siddik of Bangladesh (72+72), Shat Mishra of India (70+74) and Arav D Shah of Australia (70+74) remained in the second spot after carding equal par 144 each.
Bangladesh's first International Beach Rapid Chess Tournament begins in Cox's Bazar Friday
The country's first International Beach Rapid Chess Tournament will begin in Cox's Bazar Friday at Laboni Beach Point.
National top-rated chess players, promising and budding ones will take part in the tournament.
Bangladesh's two grandmasters Ziaur Rahman and Enamul Hossain Razib are among the 100 players who will compete in the tournament.
With the support of the Bangladesh Chess Federation, the tournament is also bringing a good number of chess players, coaches and organisers from all over the country to Cox's Bazar to promote the game in the beach city as well as in the country.
Cox's Bazar Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Shaheen Imran will inaugurate the tournament. Bangladesh Chess Federation General Secretary Syed Shahab Uddin will also be present.
Bangladesh stun England in T20I series opener
Bangladesh stunned England by six wickets in the first T20I of their three-match series in Chattogram on Thursday, delivering a clinical performance in both bowling and batting.
Bangladesh lost the ODI series by 2-1, but with this win, they made a great start to the T20I series.
Najmul Hossain Shanto continued his good form, hitting a half-century in this match and helping Bangladesh chase a challenging target of 157. He made 51 runs off 30 balls with eight fours, while Shakib Al Hasan remained unbeaten with 34 runs off 24 balls, including six fours.
Rony Talukdar, who returned to the T20I team after eight years, helped the Tigers get off to a flying start by hitting 21 runs off 14 balls. Towhid Hridoy, who made his international debut in this match, also impressed, scoring 24 runs off 17 balls and contributing the only six of Bangladesh's innings.
Overall, it was a collective batting effort from Bangladesh that secured their maiden T20I win against England.
Earlier, Bangladesh won the toss and sent England to bat first. They scored 157 for 6, with captain Joss Buttler hitting the highest score of 67 runs off 42 balls. He and Philip Salt made 80 runs in the first wicket stand, providing England with a solid foundation.
However, left-arm spinner Nasum Ahmed broke the partnership, and England lost another quick wicket when Dawid Malan fell to Shakib for just four runs.
England lost their third and fourth wickets at 135, and eventually ended their innings on 156 for 6.
Hasan Mahmud was the pick of the bowlers for Bangladesh, taking two wickets for 26 runs in his four overs. Nasum Ahmed, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, and Shakib Al Hasan each took one wicket.
The second and third T20I will be played in Dhaka on March 12 and 14.
Orion Amateur Golf: Bangladesh B take solo lead after first round
The Bangladesh B team of Shafiqul Islam and Liton Mondal took the solo lead in the men's team event of the Orion 36th Bangladesh Amateur Golf Championship 2023 Wednesday, scoring 143 after the first round on the first day at the Kurmitola Golf Club.
The South Korean team scored 145 and the Indian team 147.
The Bangladesh A team finished in the fifth spot, scoring 150. The Bangladesh C team finished in the sixth spot, scoring 154.
In the men's singles, Arav D Shah of Australia and Shat Mishra of India topped the list making two under par 70 each.
Liton Mondal of Bangladesh and Beonggu Kim of South Korea finished in the third spot with one under par 71.
Iran thrash Turkmenistan 7-1 to start AFC U-20 Women's Asia Cup qualifiers
Iran thumped Turkmenistan 7-1 Wednesday to start their Group H match of the AFC U-20 Women's Asia Cup qualifiers at the Birshreshtha Shaheed Shipahi Mohammad Mustafa Kamal Stadium in the capital's Kamalapur.
They dominated the first half 4-0. Midfielder Hasti Forouzandeh made a hat-trick, with goals in the 47th, 67th and 901st minutes. Captain and striker Mohaddeseh Zolfu struck twice (28th and 42nd); Rahil Jafari (37th) and Kimia Rahiminia (48th) netted one goal each.
Mingazova Kamila pulled one back for Turkmenistan in the 76th minute.
Bangladesh, placed in Group H with Iran and Turkmenistan, will start their campaign by taking on Turkmenistan Friday at 5pm. The hosts will face a stronger Iran Sunday in the last group match.
AFC U-20 Women's Asia Cup Qualifiers to begin tomorrow
The three-nation Group H matches of the AFC U-20 Women's Asia Cup Qualifiers will begin tomorrow (March 8) at the Bir Shrestha Shaheed Shipahi Mohammad Mustafa Kamal Stadium here.Hosts Bangladesh have been placed in strong Group H of the Asian meet along with the Islamic Republic of Iran and Turkmenistan. In the group matches, Iran will play Turkmenistan in the opening match at 5 pm tomorrow (Bangladesh time),Host Bangladesh will start their campaign by taking on Turkmenistan on Friday (March 10) also at 5 pm while Bangladesh will encounter stronger Iran on Sunday (March 12) at the same time and same venue in the last group match.Bangladesh Television will telecast the matches live while Bangladesh Betar will broadcast the running commentary of the matchesThe final round of the tournament will be held next year in Uzbekistan.The coaches and captains of all three participating teams, in a press conference at BFF House today, expressed their optimism to play an entertaining football to clinch the group titleEarlier last Thursday, Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) announced a 35-member national team for the meet, which comprises 23 booters and 12 officials.Booters of Bangladesh team:Goal Keppers: Rupna Chakma (vice-captain), Sathi Biswas, Swarna Rani MondalDefenders; Surma Jannat, Afeida Khandakar, Nasrin Akter, Kohati Kisku, Ety Khatun and Unnoti KhatunMidfielders: Swapna Rani. Sohagi Kisku, Mahfuza Khatun, Nouson Jahan, Miss Rupa, Rehena Khatun, Shamsunnahar (captain). Halima Akter and Trishna RaniForwards: Shaheda Akter Ripa, Aklima Khatun, Anika Tanjum, Airin Khatun and Souravi Akhand Prity.Team Leader -Zakir Hossain Chowdhury, Team Manager Amirul Islam Babu, BFF Technical Director -Paul Thomas Smalley, Head Coach - Golam Rabbani Choton.
Orion Group 36th Bangladesh Amateur Golf begins Wednesday
The Orion Group 36th Bangladesh Amateur Golf Championship 2023, will begin Wednesday at the home of Bangladeshi golf Kurmitola Golf Club in the capital.
Bangladesh Golf Federation Senior Vice president Major General Md Zahirul Islam will inaugurate the four-day tournament Tuesday at 3:30pm at the Kurmitola Golf Club.
Leading golfers from Australia, South Africa, India, Malaysia, Indonesia, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh will take part in the tournament.
The closing ceremony of the tournament will be held on March 11 at 7pm at the Kurmitola Golf Club.
How will Liverpool and Man United respond to 7-0 rout?
Jurgen Klopp had a question of his own when addressing journalists after Liverpool’s 7-0 rout of Manchester United on Sunday.
Resisting the temptation to bask in a record win that almost certainly put an end to United’s feint Premier League title challenge, he remained level-headed and cast his mind back to Liverpool’s previous goalfest in the early weeks of the season.
“Does anybody know when we won against Bournemouth 9-0 how the next result was?” he asked.
The answer was a 2-1 win over Newcastle, which came courtesy of Fabio Carvalho’s goal in the eighth minute of added time. That victory came on Aug. 31. Liverpool didn’t win again in the Premier League until Oct. 16, when the team beat Manchester City 1-0.
Klopp’s point: Even big results mean little unless they are capitalized on.
Liverpool’s problem this season has been an inability to produce consistent winning runs, which is why a team that competed for four trophies last season is fighting to secure Champions League qualification this year.
United’s issues have been the opposite.
Read more: EPL: Liverpool humiliate Manchester United with 7-0 rout
While Sunday’s result equaled the biggest defeat in the club’s history, it was not the first time United manager Erik ten Hag has been humiliated in his early reign at Old Trafford.
The 4-0 loss to Brentford in only the second game of the season sparked debate about whether the Dutchman would keep his job. Then there was the 6-3 loss to Manchester City in October, which led him to question his players’ bravery.
Yet United went into Sunday’s game on the back of winning the League Cup and still in contention for three more titles. That may no longer be the case with a title challenge now likely beyond them after falling 14 points behind Premier League leader Arsenal, but Ten Hag will hope for another rousing response from his players to ensure a season that is still full of promise does not unravel.
LIVERPOOL’S MOMENTUM
There have been signs in recent weeks that Liverpool is coming into form at just the right time to salvage a desperately frustrating season.
Champions League qualification is now in sight, with Liverpool only three points behind fourth-place Tottenham with a game in hand and superior goal difference.
Newcastle is one point behind Liverpool and has played a game fewer, but it is the Merseyside club that appears to have the momentum and has also been boosted by key players returning from injury.
KLOPP’S FORWARDS
Liverpool’s new look attack produced its most ruthless display against United as Cody Gakpo, Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah scored two goals each.
Klopp’s success in recent years has been built on his attacking trio of Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Salah. Understandably, it has taken time for him to reconstruct his forward line and Sunday provided a glimpse of the future.
Gakpo’s performance, in particular, may have left United regretting the decision not pursue the player that Ten Hag wanted to sign in January, following the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo.
CONSISTENCY
On only one occasion this season has Liverpool managed to put a run of more than two league wins together — a four-game sequence spread over either side of the World Cup in November and December.
Since the start of 2023, there have been humbling losses against Brentford, Brighton and Wolverhampton.
Newcastle’s wobbles have opened a path to the top four, but Klopp will likely need his team to go on an extended winning run to capitalize.
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE?
The 5-2 loss to Real Madrid last month has left Liverpool with an enormous task to advance to the quarterfinals of the Champions League.
If the second leg was at Anfield, rather than the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, then another famous European comeback might not have been out of the question for a club that overturned a 3-0 loss to Barcelona in the semifinals of 2019.
But even if it is unlikely Madrid will collapse, the win against United will serve as a reminder of Liverpool’s threat.
TEN HAG’S TOOLS
After the loss to Brentford, Ten Hag ordered his players to come in the next day and run 8.5 miles (about 13.5 kilometers) during a British heatwave in August. It was the difference between the distance run by both teams in that match and Ten Hag joined in on the run as a show of unity.
After losing to City, he publicly called out his players and notably left Ronaldo on the bench at the Etihad Stadium.
On both occasions, Ten Hag got the desired effect. United beat Liverpool and Arsenal in the aftermath of Brentford and lost only one game in 12 in the league after City.
He described the Liverpool loss as unprofessional. Whether that is enough to get a reaction from his players will become clear in the coming weeks.
WORK IN PROGRESS
The latest humbling was a reminder that Ten Hag is still in the process of building this United team and his squad remains short in key areas.
It was notable that Gakpo — a player Ten Hag had targeted in January — came back to haunt him, while loan signing Wout Weghorst was ineffective at Anfield.
Games like this also underline how much United misses the assuredness and creativity of Christian Eriksen, who is out with an ankle injury.
Ten Hag wants to bring in a top center forward in the offseason, with Harry Kane linked with a move from Tottenham. He also needs more cover in midfield, with Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong and Borussia Dortmund’s Jude Bellingham both admired by United.
TROPHY HOPES
The Premier League title was always a long shot and it now looks like a two-horse race between Arsenal and Manchester City.
But the loss to Liverpool doesn’t greatly change United’s season. Champions League qualification is still in its own hands, while the FA Cup and Europa League are there to be won.
United hosts Real Betis in the round of 16 of the Europa League on Thursday and faces Fulham at home in the FA Cup quarterfinals later this month.
After winning the League Cup, another trophy of any description would be considered a major success alongside a top-four finish.
ENG v BAN: Virtuoso show from Shakib spares Tigers' blushes in 3rd ODI
Bangladesh claimed victory over England by 50 runs to avoid a whitewash at home in the third and final match of the three-match ODI series at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium on Monday.
Premier all rounder Shakib Al Hasan hit a breezy 75 to guide the Tigers' innings and then scalped four wickets to help the hosts recover some morale after losing the first two matches and the series. With his fourth wicket, Shakib became the first Bangladeshi bowler to take 300 or more wickets in ODIs.
Winning the toss, Bangladesh captain Tamim Iqbal elected to bat first. However, his decision backfired as Litton Das was dismissed for a duck in the very first over. Tamim himself couldn't last long as he was caught by James Vince off Sam Curran after scoring just 11 runs off 6 balls. But Najmul Hossain Shanto steadied the ship with a patient knock of 53 off 71 balls.
In the third wicket stand, Mushfiqur Rahim and Shanto added 98 runs, helping the hosts recover from the early damage. However, Shanto lost his wicket while running late for a single.
Read more: Shakib reaches 300 ODI wickets
Mushfiqur ended up on 70, while Shakib made 75 runs off 71 balls with seven fours. Bangladesh posted a total of 246 for all wickets in 48.5 overs, riding on their batting effort.
Mahmudullah Riyad, Afif Hossain, and Mehdiy Hasan Miraz failed to do well in this match. For England, Jofra Archer scalped three wickets while Sam Curran and Adil Rashid took two wickets each.
In reply, England's openers, Jason Roy and Phil Salt, got off to a good start, adding 54 runs for the first wicket. But Shakib struck thrice in quick succession, removing both openers and James Vince, reducing England to 55 for 3. Sam Curran and Jos Buttler then put up a fight with a partnership of 47 runs. However, Mehidy Hasan Miraz ended Curran's resistance as he was caught for 23 runs.
Buttler then fell lbw to Taijul Islam for 26, and England's hopes of a victory were all but over. Chris Woakes was the only batsman who showed some resistance in the late order with a fighting knock of 34 runs off 46 balls. However, he was dismissed by Mustafizur Rahman in the 44th over, and England were eventually bowled out for 196 runs in 43.1 overs.
Shakib was the pick of the bowlers for Bangladesh, finishing with figures of 4 for 35 in his 10 overs. Ebadot Hossain and Taijul Islam also picked up two wickets each.
Read more: Bangladesh Bat First in 3rd ODI vs England in Bid to Avoid Clean Sweep
The teams will now face each other in a three-match T20I series. The first match will be played in Chattogram on March 9, while the last two matches will take place in Dhaka on March 12 and 14.
Shakib reaches 300 ODI wickets
Shakib Al Hasan has become the first Bangladeshi bowler to claim 300 wickets in the ODIs.
The all-rounder achieved the milestone in the third ODI against England in Chattogram where he took four wickets for 35 runs, registering his 10th four-wicket haul in the format.
Shakib's performance placed him among the six spinners with 300 or more wickets in the format. He accomplished this feat in 227 matches, making him the only current cricketer with 300 ODI wickets.
Also, the all-rounder now ranks 14th on the all-time list of bowlers with the most wickets in ODIs.
Shakib made his debut in the ODIs in 2006 and has been a crucial player for the Tigers since then.
He took 82 wickets against Zimbabwe in ODIs. Another team that Shakib enjoys playing against is New Zealand, against whom he took 37 wickets in the ODIs.