Dhaka, July 22 (UNB) - The sixteenth edition of National Swimming Competition’ 2019 will kick-off on Tuesday (July 23) at the Kaptai Lake in Rangamati.

The day-long competition will start at 10 am from Boradam Bazar and will conclude at Banouza Shaheed Moazzam boatpool of Kaptai Lake.

A total of fourteen swimmers -- 8 male and 6 female swimmers -- will take part in the competition.

Eight male swimmers are:  Faisal Ahmed and Sujon Mia of Bangladesh Army, Palash Chowdhury and Jahidul Islam of Bangladesh Navy, Sajjad Hossen and Md Nayan Ali of Bangladesh Ansar, Rabiul Islam of Pabna DSA and Md Kajol Mia of Ichamati Swimming Club (Pabna).

Six Female swimmers: Sonia Aktar Tumpa of Bangladesh Navy, Mukti Khatun of Bangladesh Ansar, Romana Aktar and Naeeyma Khatun of Bangladesh Army, Juli Aktar of Sagarkhali Swimming Club (Kushtia) and Baishakhi of Purbachal Swimming Club (Jhenaidah).

The competition will end with prize giving ceremony at 4 pm.

Mayor of Chattogram City Corporation Abu Jahed Mohammad Nasir Uddin will distribute prizes as chief guest at the ceremony while Commander of Chattogram Naval Region Rear Admiral M Abu Ashraf will attend as special guest.

Dhaka, July 22 (UNB) - Forward Gareth Bale’s tenure with Real Madrid could come to an end in a matter of days after manager Zinedine Zidane said the club were working on offloading the Welsh international., reports The Indian Express. 

Bale, 30, has won four Champions League titles since joining Madrid from Tottenham Hotspur in 2013 for a then world record 100 million euros ($112.20 million) but struggled to hold down his place in the starting side last season.

Amid suggestions that competition will only increase next season after the arrival of Belgian Eden Hazard, Bale was left out of Saturday’s 3-1 defeat by Bayern Munich in a pre-season clash in Houston.

“He wasn’t included in the squad because the club is working on his departure… that’s why he didn’t play,” Zidane told a news conference.

“We’ll have to see if it goes through tomorrow, if it does then all the better. Let’s hope, for everyone’s sake, that it happens soon.”

Zidane’s comments drew a stinging reply from Bale’s agent Jonathan Barnett, who labelled the Frenchman “a disgrace.”

“Zidane is a disgrace to speak like that about someone who has done so much for Real,” Barnett was quoted as saying by ESPN.

“If and when Gareth goes it will be because it is in the best interest of Gareth and nothing to do with Zidane pushing.”

Bale was criticised by the Spanish media last season after failing to fill the void left by Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure to Juventus as Madrid came third in La Liga last season, 19 points behind champions Barcelona.

Zidane, however, said there was nothing personal in his decision to deem Bale surplus to requirements.

“There comes a time when things are done because they need to be done. I’ve not got anything against him,” Zidane added.

“We have to make decisions and change things, that’s all there is to it. I don’t know if this will happen in 24 or 48 hours… it’s for the best for everyone.”

Bale’s high wages — reported by British media to be 600,000 pounds ($749,880) per week — mean few clubs would be capable of signing him permanently.

Barnett last month ruled out chances of him leaving on loan saying he was happy to stay amid reports linking him with Manchester United, Bayern Munich and Spurs.

Saint-Savin, July 21 (AP/UNB) — It's a Tour de France dilemma: When you've found a gem of a hotel with a knockout restaurant along the race route, do you greedily keep the precious address to yourself?

Then again, a pleasure shared is a pleasure doubled, and Le Viscos in the picture-postcard village of Saint-Savin — skirted by the Tour on its second weekend — is certainly a pleasure.

Hollywood actors Kirk and Michael Douglas and late French rocker Johnny Hallyday are among those who have made the pilgrimage for the belt-busting fine cuisine of chef Jean-Pierre Saint-Martin.

His son, Alexis, has now taken the reins in the kitchen from his 70-year-old dad. The hotel that dates back to 1840, when it was a stop for travelers to stable their horses, has been in their family for seven generations.

Alexis, 39, sees himself both as a guardian of the family tradition of offering hospitality and as a culinary inventor not hidebound by that long tradition.

His exquisite dessert eclairs, filled with tangy stewed strawberries and cream as light as a cloud, neatly encapsulate his philosophy. Topped with nuggets of light biscuit that crack between the teeth, his creation is a surprising and welcome contemporary reboot of the classic custard-filled choux-pastry found in all French patisseries.

"As the seventh generation, it's our duty to carry on this tradition and, I hope, pass it to the eighth," Alexis says. "My job can be taught but is first and foremost a passion."

BREAD AND BUTTER: When one French rider starts to fade, another comes to the fore at what is shaping up as the most thrilling Tour in recent memory. One way or the other, France may still be on course for its first winner since Bernard Hinault in 1985.

Furious racing on Stage 15 from Limoux to Foix on Sunday saw French rider Thibaut Pinot profit from the first signs of weakness in the high mountains from French race leader Julian Alaphilippe.

Pinot edged closer to the yellow jersey in the overall standings with a display of climbing power on the last uphill finish in the Pyrenees, signaling that he'll be a major contender to win the Tour in what promises to be a climactic final week in the Alps.

British rider Simon Yates won the stage, his second at this Tour. Pinot was second, more than a minute faster than Alaphilippe, who ground on grimacing to place 11th at the top, still in yellow but with a smaller cushion over his rivals for the race lead.

CULTURE SLICE: The 185-kilometer (115-mile) trek swept past a ruined fortress perched on a rock overlooking the village of Montsegur where more than 230 people were burned at the stake in the 13th century after their surrender in 1244 following a nearly year-long siege.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: "If I crack I hope he'll carry the torch for the French" — Alaphilippe, expressing hopes that Pinot will win if he himself can't.

STAT OF THE DAY: 1:32. The amount of time in minutes and seconds that Pinot has clawed back from Alaphilippe in two days, on Stages 14 and 15. From seventh, he has vaulted to fourth.

NEXT ON THE MENU: The Tour is exquisitely poised entering its last rest day Monday before attacking the Alps, with four riders — Alaphilippe, defending champion Geraint Thomas, Dutch rider Steven Kruijswijk and Pinot — all within two minutes at the top of the standings.

Singapore, July 21 (AP/UNB) — Harry Kane smashed the winning goal from the halfway line as Tottenham beat Cristiano Ronaldo's Juventus 3-2 in a pre-season friendly on Sunday.

Kane struck in the 93rd minute of the International Champions Cup at Singapore's National Stadium with a first-time shot from just inside the Juventus half that went over former Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny.

"It's probably one of the best goals in my career," the Spurs striker said. "I saw him (Szczesny) off his line and fortunately it went in."

Erik Lamela put Spurs ahead on the half-hour mark, and Juventus replied with goals from Gonzalo Higuain and Ronaldo. Lucas Moura came off the bench to level.

It was Maurizio Sarri's first match as Juventus coach.

New York, July 21 (AP/UNB) — When first hit by a pitch from Colorado's Chad Bettis, Yankees slugger Luke Voit was scared. He remembered when Giancarlo Stanton's jaw was broken by Milwaukee's Mike Fiers five years ago.

"I thought broken jaw. My teeth were going to be all scattered everywhere," Voit said Sunday. "I grabbed my face. So I was like, 'Oh, oh.' ... But then, it wasn't as bad as I thought. Just a scary thing."

Voit was back in the New York Yankees' lineup at first base for Sunday's series finale against Colorado. His jaw was "super sore" when he awoke, but after icing there was only a little swelling. He said it felt as if he had been punched, and there was a slight cut on his chin. Concussion tests were negative.

Part of the force of the 91 mph pitch was absorbed when the ball grazed Voit's shoulder. He also was able to turn his face slightly.

"I dodged a bullet, got lucky," said Voit, who planned to try a protective chin strap on his helmet before the game.

Left fielder Brett Gardner was scratched from the lineup because of a knee that was "barking," according to manager Aaron Boone, and he replaced by Mike Tauchman. Boone said he expects Gardner will be available for Monday night's trip opener at Minnesota.

Stanton, limited to nine games this season, is not close to returning from his latest injury. He strained his left biceps on March 31 in his third game, strained a shoulder and calf during his rehabilitation and returned June 18. In his sixth game back, he strained the posterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during an awkward headfirst slide into third base against Toronto on June 25.

"Better, but still slow. Not baseball activities yet," Boone said. "He feels like he is making some progress, where I think the first couple of weeks was a little frustrating in that it was slow moving."

Stanton is hitting .290 with one home run and seven RBIs, pretty much a non-factor in the Yankees' season.

Outfielder Cameron Maybin, sidelined since straining his left calf on June 21, is to start a minor league injury rehabilitation assignment with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes Barre on Tuesday.

Ace Luis Severino and setup man Dellin Betances, both sidelined since spring training by lat injuries, started throwing on flat ground last Monday but are not yet ready to begin bullpen sessions, making returns before late August unlikely.

"I would say sometime in early part of next month they should be on the mound if everything continues to go well," Boone said.