The Prizes of the Mujib Borsho Walton First Division Chess League’ 2021, sponsored by Walton Group and organized by Bangladesh Chess Federation, officially handed over on Monday at a function at the Chess Federation hallroom.

Rupali Bank Krira Parishad became unbeaten champions in the league securing 21 points from 11 matches, Manha’s Castle finished runners-up collecting 19 points while Sultana Kamal Smiriti Pathagar became 3rd with 18 points.

Champions Rupali Bank Krira Parishad and runners-up Manha’s Castle promoted to the Premier Division Chess League-2022 while two lowly teams--Morning Glory Chess Club of Kushtia and Dhaka Knight’s Chess Club --relegated to the 2nd Division Chess League.

Executive Director and Head of the Games & Welfare Department of Walton Group FM Iqbal Bin Anwar Dawn was present at the day’s closing function as the chief guest and later he distributed prizes.

Vice President of Bangladesh Chess Federation KM Shahidullah presided over the function. General Secretary of Bangladesh Chess Federation and President FIDE Zone-3.2 Syed Shahab Uddin Shamim was also present on the occasion as the special guest.

Also read: Asian Chess: Bangladesh earns 7 points from six matches

Champions Rupali Bank Krira Parishad received cash prize money of Tk 50,000 (fifty thousand), runners-up Manha’s Castle got a cash award of Tk 30,000 (thirty thousand) while 3rd ranked Sultana Kamal Smirity Pathagar received Tk 20,000 (twenty thousand) in addition to trophy, medals and Walton home appliances.

A total of 12 teams took part in the round-robin league system competition.

Ireland Wolves’s batsman Ruhan Pretorius, who had tested positive for Covid-19 on Friday, took the field on Sunday in Chattogram against Bangladesh Emerging team after he was found negative in another test.

He had tested positive on Friday during the first game of the five-match one-day series. But in another test, the batsman returned negative and was allowed to take the field.

He showed no symptoms when he tested positive in the last attempt before the first match of the series, which eventually was called off after 30 overs.

Also read: Emerging Bangladesh to take on Ireland Wolves Friday

The test took place ahead of the first match, and both the teams took the field before the result came in. The result appeared during the game which showed that Pretorius is positive. Right after that, the umpires and match referee called off the game.

Also read: Emerging Cricket: Bangladesh finish runners-up losing to Pakistan by 77 runs

However, all the members of both teams tested again on Saturday and all returned negative.

Also read: Emerging Cricket: Bangladesh reach final eliminating Afghanistan by 7 wickets

Distance running, traditionally one of the world’s most genteel sports, has been roiled by an ugly mid-pandemic squabble over who should get a shot at a coveted Boston Marathon medal.

Rival camps in the running world began snapping at each other’s heels this week. It began after the Boston Athletic Association, which still hopes to hold a truncated in-person edition of the planet’s most prestigious footrace in October, said it will award medals to up to 70,000 athletes if they go the distance wherever they are.

Also read: Bangladesh's first international marathon begins Sunday

Practically within minutes of the BAA’s announcement greatly expanding its virtual version of the race, a boisterous social media maelstrom ensued.

On one side: Runners who’ve spent years training to qualify to run the real thing, including some who complain that mailing medals to people who run the 26.2 miles (42.2 kilometers) in Dallas or Denver will cheapen the iconic Boston experience.

“A dagger through the heart to someone who has worked hard to finally earn the qualifying standard,” one runner, Mark Howard of Salisbury, North Carolina, groused on Twitter.

On the other: Pretty much everyone else, including the plodding masses and runners who raise millions for charities, who counter that anything that helps the 125-year-old marathon survive the COVID-19 crisis is worthwhile.

“A virtual Boston race that invites everyone is a reason to celebrate,” said Maria Arana, a marathoner and coach in Phoenix. “It in no way takes away from my personal Boston Marathon experience or anyone else’s.”

The bickering seems to have caught many off-guard, if only because road racing has long had a reputation as a kind and egalitarian sport.

It’s one of the few disciplines where ordinary amateurs compete in real time on the same course as elite professionals, and where trash-talking is rare. As four-time Boston champion Bill Rodgers famously said: “Running is a sport where everyone gets along.”

Also read: Bangabandhu Dhaka marathon to get flawless security: DMP

A notable exception to that gentility was the 1967 race, when race director Jock Semple ran after Kathrine Switzer — the first woman to run with an official bib number — and tried unsuccessfully to pull her off the course.

It also comes as the Boston Marathon and other big-city races are struggling to stay afloat during the pandemic and looking for creative ways to keep runners engaged online.

The BAA put on a virtual version of the marathon last year, after the coronavirus pandemic forced it to first postpone its usual April running to September, and then cancel in-person racing altogether

But that was limited to athletes who had already qualified to race or had registered as charity runners. This time, the first 70,000 people aged 18 or older who sign up and pay a fee will be able to earn a finisher’s medal simply by covering the classic distance wherever they happen to be. They don’t even need to run — they can walk.

“For the first time in our history, most everyone will have the opportunity to earn a Unicorn finisher’s medal,” BAA president and CEO Tom Grilk said in a statement.

Full Coverage: Boston Marathon

Grilk said the in-person race, if it comes off as scheduled on Oct. 11, will have a reduced field to help keep athletes and spectators safe. Typically the Boston field is capped at around 30,000; the BAA hasn’t said how much smaller it will be this autumn.

Josh Sitzer, a San Francisco runner who’s qualified for the Boston Marathon three times, initially was among those who trashed the idea of giving out 70,000 medals as “a blatant money grab.”

Also read:Bangabandhu Dhaka Marathon '21 on Jan 10

“Respect yourself and the game. Don’t do Boston unless you earn it,” he tweeted. Then he had a change of heart, tweeting: “I was wrong. It’s not the same as the actual Boston Marathon, and it doesn’t devalue” the experience of those who meet strict qualifying standards for a chance to line up in Hopkinton, Massachusetts.

It’s been a bad look, acknowledges Erin Strout, who covers the sport for WomensRunning.com.

“If there ever was a time to put our elitism and cynicism aside, it’s now,” she wrote in an opinion piece. “Let’s welcome each other in, cheer each other on, and seize the opportunity to bring back running bigger, better, and more inclusive than it was before.”

Six times champions Dhaka Abahani returned to the winning streak in the 13-team Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) Football beating Uttar Baridhara 2-1 on Thursday. 

Dhaka Abahani suffered their first defeat in their last league match, embracing a 0-4 loss against league leader and title aspirant Bashundhara Kings, who clearly dominated the league table collecting 34 points from 12 matches.  

With the day's win at the floodlight Bangabandhu National Stadium, The Sky Blue Brigade advanced to the second slot in the league table, securing 25 points from 12 matches while Sheikh Jamal went down to the third slot with 23 points from 11 outings. 

Also read: BPL Football: Bashundhara Kings crush Dhaka Abahani 4-1

Brazilian striker Francisco Torres scored first for Abahani in the 26th minute from a penalty (1-0).

Also, Uttar Baridhara's Uzbek defender Saiddoston Fozilov scored an own goal in the 55th minute while trying to foil an Abahani attempt (2-0).

However, MS Abdelrahim reduced the Uttar Baridhara margin in the 90th minute (2-1).

Also read: BPL Football: Robinho, Becerra’s hat-tricks help Kings beat Arambagh 6-1

Earlier in the day's first match, former champions Sheikh Russel moved to fourth place, crushing newcomers Bangladesh Police 5-0 at the same venue. 

With the day's comfortable victory, Sheikh Russel earned their sixth win in the league, securing 20 points from 12 matches while Police suffered their sixth defeat in the league and remained at the eighth slot. 

Nigerian midfielder Ugochukwu Obi Moneke opened the floodgate for Sheikh Russel in the sixth minute (1-0) while Brazilian forward Giancarlo Lopes Rodrigues doubled the margin in the 28th minute (2-0).

Also read: BPL Football: Sheikh Jamal drop point with Dhaka Abahani in 2-2 draw

Local midfielder Mohammad Abdullah scored two more goals in the 36th and 69th minutes (4-0) while Tajik defender Siyovush Asrorov sealed the fate of the match scoring the fifth goal for Sheikh Russel in the 84th minute (5-0).  

Bangladeshi archer Ruman Shana finished with the consolation of a bronze medal in the men's recurve singles event of the Bangabandhu 12th Teer National Archery Championship on Wednesday.

Shana of Bangladesh Ansar, who qualified for this year's Tokyo Olympics directly, earned a disappointing bronze medal, beating Ashiqur Rahman of Army AC by 6-4 set points at the Sheikh Kamal International Cricket Stadium in Cox's Bazar.

Shana, who finished sixth in the qualifying round on Tuesday, was eliminated from the event's gold medal race after losing to Hakim Ahmed Rubel in the event's semifinal.

Also read: 4th ISSF Int’l Solidarity World Ranking Archery suspended

Also, Bangladesh Ansar made early exist from the meet losing to Police AC by 2-6 set points in the men's recurve team event at the same venue on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Diya Siddiqui of BKSP clinched the women's recurve singles bronze defeating Eti Khatun of Police AC by 6-0 set points.

Mohammad Ashiquzzaman of Police AC won the compound men's singles bronze beating Ashim Kumar Das by 144-142 score.

Ritu Akhter of Police AC won compound women's singles bronze medal beating Bonnya Akhter of Ansar by 136-135.

Police AC took the bronze medal of the women's recurve team event defeating Ansar by 5-4 set points. BKSP clinched the compound men's team bronze defeating Ansar by a 222-218 score.

Ansar won the compound women's team bronze beating the ASPTS club by a 222-215 score. All the gold medal-deciding matches will be held on Thursday at the same venue.

State Minister for Youth and Sports M Zahid Ahsan Russell will be the chief guest in Thursday's closing ceremony.

Some 148 archers from 40 teams are taking part in five events each in recurve and compound divisions – men's team, women's team, men's singles, women's singles and mixed doubles.