DT e-Paper 22 July 2017

DT
18
Sports
SATURDAY, JULY 22, 2017
Bangladesh U-16 girls’ football team pose for photographs after their return from South Korea
BFF
Choton praises U-16 girls upon return
• Tribune Report
Bangladesh U-16 girls’ football
team head coach Golam Rabbani
Choton believes his charges are
more confident than ever before
after returning home from their 10-
day long camp in South Korea.
With only one and a half months
left before their historic participation
in the AFC U-16 Women’s
Championship in Thailand, the
Bengal girls have been preparing
for quite a while now.
But their South Korea tour was
FARAAZ FOOTBALL
CHALLENGE CUP
Quarterfinals
line-up
completed
• Tribune Report
The quarter-finals line-up of the Walton
Inter-University Football Tournament
(Faraaz Challenge Cup) was
completed after ULAB and IUB finished
as champion and runners-up
respectively from Group B yesterday.
IUB edged past North South University
1-0 in the last match of the
group stage at Kamalapur Stadium,
which sent NSU crashing out of the
event and allowed IUB and ULAB to
move to the quarters as the last two
teams. Earlier, Far East University
and Daffodil University from Group
A, Brac University and IUBAT from
Group C and Green University and
City University from Group D confirmed
their places in the last eight.
The last match of Group D saw
Green University thrash City University
6-1. •
significant in that they played a
friendly against a team who will
also be participating in September’s
much-awaited event, said Choton.
“We were in the dark regarding
the teams who we will be playing in
the Championship. After the game
against a strong Korean side in an
unfamiliar place, we learned more
about ourselves. It was a great experience
for the girls and they are
now more confident,” Choton told
Dhaka Tribune yesterday.
The Bengal girls, who returned
to Dhaka on Thursday night, faced
Ramanayake resigns as SL bowling
coach, hints of joining BCB
• Tribune Report
South Korea U-16 team within a
day upon their arrival in Korea and
lost 6-0.
“It (result) could have been better
if we had some more days before
the first game. They are very
tough team with better physical
presence. Still I think we played
good. We started well. Monica hit
the bar once,” said Choton.
Bangladesh played three more
practice matches against local opposition,
winning twice and drawing
once.
“We played compact in every
There are a few vacant spaces which
the BCB is looking to fill, namely the
posts of batting coach, spin bowling
coach and national team physio.
BCB has decided not to continue
with Tigers batting consultant, Sri
Lankan Thilan Samaraweera.
Earlier in September last year,
Samaraweera was appointed the
batting consultant of the Tigers
and was given an extension till the
2017 Champions Trophy this year,.
According to sources, the players
were not happy with the Lankan’s
effort. BCB was looking for a longterm
appointment for this post but
as the 2019 World Cup is just two
years away, the board is likely to go
for a short-term solution.
Among the names being discussed,
former Australia cricketer
Mark O’Neill’s name has been
heard strongly.
Meanwhile, it was also learned
that the board has shown its interest
to hire another former Sri
Lankan bowling coach Champaka
Ramanayake once again.
He worked as the Tigers fast
bowling coach back in 2008 with
great success. The 52-year old has already
resigned from the bowling coach
post ahead of Sri Lanka’s home series
against India citing personal reasons.
Chaminda Vaas will take over the job
as the bowling coach of Sri Lanka.
According to sources, Ramanayake
will work in the BCB’s High
Performance Unit as a consultant
while West Indies legend, Tigers
bowling coach Courtney Walsh,
will remain with the national team.
On the other hand, BCB is still
waiting for reply from incumbent
physio Thihan Chandramohan as
he did not join the training camp
ever since the conclusion of the
Champions Trophy. BCB informed
that Chandramohan, who had
joined the Bangladesh team during
the Sri Lanka tour before his stint
was extended till the Champions
Trophy in June, had an accident
earlier this month, causing him to
miss the start of the training camp
on July 10.
Chandramohan is still in hospital
and the board will only start
looking for a new physio after he
informs about his availability. •
match, we dominated ball possession,
created chances, defended
well and it was like a presentation
of total football,” he said.
“It was totally a professional
camp. The girls enjoyed the time
fully and they were always busy
with football throughout their stay.
The academy we had stayed in provided
modern training facilities.
Along with daily training and practice
sessions, there were tutorial
classes, health and fitness consultancy
as well,” he added.
Choton was full of praise regarding
his players.
He informed that goalkeeper
Mahmuda showed notable improvement.
He also praised Sanjida, who
scored in two matches, and Shamsunnahar
for their contributions.
Sanjida started as right-back but
also covered the right wing during
opposition attacks. The same can
be said about defender Shamsunnahar.
The Bengal girls are expected to
fly off to Vietnam on Thursday for
another training camp. •
Much improved
U23s concede
defeat to
Tajikistan
• Tribune Report
Despite a positive first-half display,
Bangladesh Under-23 national
football team conceded a 3-1 defeat
against Tajikistan U-23 side
in their second match of the AFC
U-23 Championship 2018 Qualifiers
at Dura Stadium in the Palestinian
city of Hebron, West Bank yesterday.
Young forward Sohel Mia gave
the men in red and green the lead
in the first half before three second-half
goals by Tajik forwards
Safarov Amirdzhon, Babadjanov
Nozim and Zoir Jurabaev ensured
Bangladesh’s second straight defeat
in Group E.
Bangladesh head coach Andrew
Ord made four changes to the starting
XI that lost 7-0 against a strong
Jordan side in the first match with
scorer Sohel being one of the replacements.
•