Dhaka, Jan 15 (UNB) – Bangladeshi boys maintained their winning run in the second round matches of the boys’ singles and doubles in the second phase Division-2 of the ITF Asian Under-14 Development (Tennis) Championships 2019 in Thai capital Bangkok on Tuesday.

However, Bangladeshi girls, except Mashfia Afrin, lost all singles and doubles matches. Mashifa won a girls doubles match pairing with a Mongolian player.

In the second round of boys’ singles, Mahadi Hasan Alve (BAN) beat Sultan Iunusov (KGZ) 6-2, 6-1; Zubaid Utsho (BAN) beat Hassan Ali (PAK) 6-4, 6-1; while Md Roman Hossain (BAN) beat Amirali Ghavam (IRI) 7-6, 6-0.

In the doubles, Alve (BAN) and Zubaid Utsho (BAN) beat Pakistani Muhammad Huzaifa Khan (PAK) and Hasan Ali (PAK) 6-1, 6-0; while Md Roman Hossain (BAN), pairing with Hamid Israr Gul (PAK), beat Temirlan Bekdyldave (KGZ) and Insar Karypbekov (KGZ) 6-1, 6-1. 

In the second round of the girls’ singles, Mashfia (BAN) lost to Isha Shree Shah (NEP) 5-7, 6-4, 2-6; Suborna Khatun (BAN) lost to Martaa Chogsomjav (MGL) 2-6, 1-6; while Sadia Afrin (BAN) lost to Maralgoo Chogsomjav (MGL) 2-6, 1-6.

In the girls doubles, Mashfia (BAN), teaming up with Erkhbilguun Byarbaya (MGL), beat Sadia Afrin (BAN) and  Suborna Khatun (BAN) 6-2, 6-0.

Dhaka, Jan 14 (UNB) — Khulna Titans’ losing streak finally ended on Tuesday after they beat Rajshahi Kings by 25 runs at Sylhet International Stadium in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).

Taijul Islam and Junaid Khan starred with the ball – taking three wickets each – to help Titans taste their first victory of the season. 

Kings put up a poor batting show chasing 128 as Titans bowlers tore through their batting line-up at regular intervals.

Junaid dismissed Laurie Evans in the first over. Mehidy Hasan Miraz, the Kings captain, struck 23 off 16 balls but his efforts were not enough to help his side avoid their third loss of the season. Apart from him, Ryan Ten Doeschate (13), Christiaan Jonker (15), Arafat Sunny (15) and Kamrul Islam Rabbi (13) reached double digits.

The Kings batsmen failed to put up any resistance and were all-out for 103 in 19.5 overs. 

Taijul bagged three wickets conceding 10 runs while Junaid took three for 26.
 
Earlier, Khulna Titans posted a total of 128/9. Ariful Haque was the top scorer, hitting 26 off 27 balls. He was also the only Titan batsman to score more than 20.

Miraz, Isuru Udana and Arafat Sunny took two wickets each for the Kings. Mustafizur Rahman took one. 

Titans started their innings with a 15-run stand. Jahurul Islam fell as the first wicket putting just 13 on the board. His partner Junaid Siddique added 14. Dawid Malan (15), Nazmul Hossain Shanto (11) and David Wiese (13) were the others to reach double digits.

Khulna Titans will play their next match at the same venue on January 18 against former BPL champions Comilla Victorians at 7pm. Rajshahi Kings will face off against Dhaka Dynamites in their next game on January 16 in Sylhet at 1:30pm.

Dhaka, Jan 15 (UNB) — Khulna Titans tumbled for 128/9 against Rajshahi Kings on the first match of Bangladesh Premier League’s (BPL) Sylhet phase on Tuesday at Sylhet International Stadium. 

Ariful Haque was the top scorer for the Titans, hitting 26 off 27 balls. He was also the only Titan batsman to score more than 20.

Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Isuru Udana and Arafat Sunny took two wickets each for the Kings. Mustafizur Rahman took one. 

Titans started their innings with a 15-run stand. Jahurul Islam fell as the first wicket putting just 13 on the board. His partner Junaid Siddique added 14. Dawid Malan (15), Nazmul Hossain Shanto (11) and David Wiese (13) were the others to reach double digits.

Titans skipper Mahmudullah Riyad had won the toss and opted to bat first. They lost all of their first four matches of BPL. 

On the other hand, the Kings won two of their first four matches.

Dhaka, Jan 15 (UNB) — Khulna Titans, who are yet to taste a win in the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), on Tuesday won the toss in the first match of BPL’s Sylhet episode and decided to bat first against Rajshahi Kings.

Before coming to this match, Khulna lost all the four matches played in Dhaka. In contrast, Rajshahi Kings also played four matches and came up victorious in two.

Mehidy Hasan Miraz played a big role for Kings’ successes in two matches, but his counterpart of this match Mahmudulla Riyad is yet to do something remarkable for the Titans.

A total of eight matches will be played in Sylhet where Sylhet Sixers will face Comilla Victorians at 6:30pm at the same venue.

Khulna Titans (From): Paul Stirling, Junaid Siddique, Dawid Malan, Mahmudullah (c), Carlos Brathwaite, Nazmul Hossain Shanto, Ariful Haque, Mahidul Islam Ankon(w), Taijul Islam, Shariful Islam, Junaid Khan, Al-Amin, David Wiese, Brendan Taylor, Yasir Shah, Zahir Khan, Sherfane Rutherford

Rajshahi Kings (From): Mominul Haque, Mehidy Hasan(c), Soumya Sarkar, Mohammad Hafeez, Zakir Hasan(w), Laurie Evans, Ryan ten Doeschate, Isuru Udana, Arafat Sunny, Kamrul Islam, Mustafizur Rahman, Qais Ahmad, Mohammad Sami, Christiaan Jonker, Seekkuge Prasanna, Fazle Mahmud, Marshall Ayub, Alauddin Babu

Tokyo, Jan 15 (AP/UNB) — Tsunekazu Takeda, the head of the Japanese Olympic Committee and a powerful IOC member, has denied corruption allegations against him concerning reported bribes paid to be awarded the rights to host the 2020 Olympics.

A French prosecutor is investigating Takeda, who is reportedly linked to about $2 million in payments in 2013 before and after the IOC picked Tokyo ahead of Madrid and Istanbul to stage the games.

The brewing scandal is a major blow to Tokyo's preparations, which IOC President Thomas Bach has called "the best" in Olympic history.

The Tokyo Olympics open in 18 months with Japan spending at least $20 billion to prepare.

At a packed news conference Tuesday at the JOC's office, Takeda said little in a brief seven-minute statement.

Dressed in a dark suit, Takeda did not take questions and said: "I'd like to clear the allegation against me, and I will cooperate fully with French authorities."

The International Olympic Committee has backed Takeda and says he has the presumption of innocence.

He testified with an IOC ethics commission on Friday. The IOC has not commented on details.

The 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics were also sullied by corruption scandals. Carlos Nuzman, the head of those games, resigned afterward accused of vote-buying.

There was some speculation Takeda might use his brief address to step aside, at least temporarily.