27-07-2021

TuESDAY, JuLY 27, 2021
9
Jamaica's defender Oniel Fisher (left) vies for the ball with American forward Matthew Hoppe during
the Concacaf Gold Cup quarter-final in Texas.
Photo: AP
USA, Canada advance to Gold
Cup semi-finals
SPORTS DESK
The United States earned the finalspot
in the CONCACAF Gold Cup semifinals
on Sunday with a hard-fought 1-
0win over Jamaica at the AT&T
Stadium in Dallas, Texas, reports BSS.
Matthew Hoppe scored the go-ahead
goal on a header after taking a
crossfrom Cristian Roldan in the 83rd
minute for the US.
The US will next face reigning Asian
champions Qatar in the semis
onThursday.
In the earlier game in Texas, shorthanded
Canada also punched
theirticket to the semis after a
dominating 2-0 victory over Costa Rica.
Shooter Zakia, former
footballer Arif test
positive for corona
SPORTS DESK
National shooter and South
Asian Games gold medalist
UmmeZakia Sultana Tumpa
has been admitted to the
ICU of a private hospital in
the capital after testing
positive for Covid-19,
reports UNB.
Zakia had been isolated at
her home in Lalmonirhat
but her health condition
suddenly deteriorated and
was admitted into hospital
last week.
Zakia's father Taslim
Uddin also reported positive
for corona but he is stable
now.
Besides, former national
football team captain and
Bangladesh Football
Federation member Arif
Hossain Moon also tested
positive for Covid-19. He is
currently in home isolation.
Earlier, FIDE Master of
chess and deputy secretary
of the ministry of planning
DrTaibur Rahman, his wife
Sultana Akter and daughter
Jafnun Rahman have also
contracted coronavirus.
They are currently in home
isolation and recovering
from Covid faster.
Canada's MacNeil wins
women's Olympic
100m butterfly gold
SPORTS DESK
Canada's Maggie MacNeil
powered to the women's
100m butterfly gold medal
in the third-fastest time
ever Monday to unseat
Swedish defending
champion and world record
holder Sarah Sjostrom,
reports BSS.
MacNeil delivered a
stunning burst of speed
over the final 50m to touch
in 55.59sec and edge
China's Zhang Yufei (55.64)
into second while
Australia's Emma McKeon
(55.72) who took bronze.
Sjostrom finished
seventh, well off the pace.
"I actually have no words
right now, I can't believe it,"
said MacNeil, the world
champion who now has her
first Olympic gold medal.
"I couldn't see anyone.
The Americans won Group B over
runner-up Canada despite some
inconsistentplay, winning all three
games. Jamaica finished second in
Group C with a 2-0-1 record with their
lone loss coming against Costa Rica.
This was the toughest test of the
tournament for the Americans, who
havestruggled to score and lacked
cohesion heading into the knockout
round.
The tournament lost much of its
impact when the US decided to field
ayoung inexperienced squad. Most of
the Americans play in the Major
LeagueSoccer (MLS) where players can
make as little as $60,000 a year.
In the earlier game, David Junior
Hoilett scored to make it 1-0 in the18th
minute by running onto a long ball and
lobbing a shot over Costa
Ricagoalkeeper Esteban Alvarado as
Canada reached its first semi-final
since2007.
Stephen Eustaquio scored Canada's
second goal after a run in the
box,finding the ball and blasting it into
the back of the net to make it 2-0 inthe
69th minute.
Canada was missing key forwards
CyleLarin and Ayo Akinola, who
sufferedinjuries in their group game
against the US.
The Canadians will face defending
champion Mexico on Thursday in
Houstonfor a spot in the final.
Collins clinches first title after tough year
SPORTS DESK
Danielle Collins of the United States
became the WTA's 14th first time
champion of 2021 when she clinched the
Palermo clay court title on Sunday, reports
BSS.
The 27-year-old top seed eased past
Romanian qualifier Elena-Gabriela Ruse,
ranked at 137 in the world, 6-4, 6-2 in the
final.The American did not drop a set all
week at the tournament.
"It's given me so much self-confidence to
finally win a tournament, because I've been
on tour now for a couple of years, and that
Lewandowski voted German
Player of the Year
SPORTS DESK
Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski
was voted Germany's Footballer of the Year
for the second year running on Sunday,
reports UNB. The 32-year-old Pole was
once again the runaway winner of the title
awarded by the football magazine Kicker,
following a vote by journalists.
Lewandowski, who equalledGerd Mueller's
49-year-old scoring record in May as he
netted his 41st Bundesliga goal of the season,
received 356 of the 563 votes on offer.
"I am aware of how big this honour is. It is
a reason for great pride and joy for me,
because it is rare to win the title of Footballer
of the Year in Germany twice in a row,"
Lewandowski said. Second-placed Thomas
Mueller of Bayern Munich was 315 votes
behind, while third place went to
was one of my goals," said the 44th-ranked
Collins. Victory came after a tough year for
the American who was off tour between
March and the French Open in May.
She had needed surgery to remove "a cyst
the size of a tennis ball from my ovary", she
told Britain's Daily Telegraph.
"I've been improving, clearly, based on
my results and being able to go longer with
my stamina throughout the events," added
Collins on Sunday.
"That was my main goal in playing all of
the tournaments the last four weeks. It was
just really rewarding to think about."
ErlingHaaland of Borussia Dortmund, who
received 38 votes.
"Of course I am happy that I have scored 41
goals in 29 Bundesliga games. This number
of goals fills me with great pride and is
certainly a spectacular achievement in view
of my injury," said Lewandowski, who was
out for three weeks from late March with a
knee problem.
Lewandowski's former manager Hansi
Flick, who was named the second-best
manager behind Chelsea's Thomas Tuchel,
said he was an "absolute professional with
enormous quality" and "the best there is as a
centre-forward". Since joining Bayern in
2014, Lewandowski has scored 203 goals in
219 games. In 2020-21, he was the architect
of Bayern's 31st German league
championship win, their ninth consecutive
Bundesliga title.
Bayern's Robert Lewandowski celebrates after scoring the most
Bundesliga goals in a season following their final league match this season,
at home to Augsburg Saturday.
Photo: AP
IPL 2021 to resume
with with MI vs
CSK in Dubai
SPORTS DESK
The 2021 Indian Premier
League (IPL) season, which
was suspended earlier this
year because of the Covid-19
second wave, will resume
with a clash between the
Chennai Super Kings (CSK)
and Mumbai Indians (MI)
on September 19, BCCI has
confirmed. The first match
of the remainder of the
season will be played in
Dubai, reports UNB.
The 31 remaining matches
will be played at three
venues - Dubai, Abu Dhabi
and Sharjah - with Dubai set
to host the final on October
15. While Dubai will host the
first qualifier on October 10,
the eliminator and second
qualifier will be played in
Sharjah on October 11 and
13 respectively. In all, 13
matches will be held in
Dubai, 10 in Sharjah and 8
in Abu Dhabi.
Olympics Shooting:
Baki eliminated from
10-meter Air Rifles
SPORTS DESK
Bangladesh famed shooter
Abdullah Hel Baki was
eliminated from the
qualification round of his
favourite Men's 10- meter
Air Rifles of the Tokyo
Olympics Shooting at the
Asaka Shooting Range in the
Japanese capital on Sunday,
reports UNB.
He finished 41st among
the 47 competitors of the
event making a worse total
score of 619.8.
Top eight shooters of the
event qualified for the final
round.
Later, In the event's final
round, William Shaner of
USA clinched gold medal
with Olympics record
scoring 251.6, Sheng Lihao
of China earned the silver
medal scoring 250.9 while
Yang Haoran of China, who
finished top in qualification
round scoring 632.7, took
the event's bronze scoring
229.4.
In the six-round 60-shoot
qualifying series, Baki
scored 102.8 in the first
series, 103.4 in the 2nd
series, 102.9 in the 3rd
series, 103.8 in the 4th
series, again 103.8 in the 5th
series and 103.1 in the 6th
and last series.
Commonwealth Games
silver medalist Baki finished
25th among 50 participants
in the Men's 10- meter Air
Rifles scoring 621.2 in the
Rio de Janeiro Olympics'
2016 in Brazil.
Meanwhile, a threemember
Bangladesh
athletics team due to fly for
Japan Sunday afternoon to
compete in the ongoing
Tokyo Olympics.
SPORTS DESK
Fiji made a shaky start to the defence
oftheir Olympic men's rugby sevens
title on Monday, almost undone by two
Fijianexports in the Japan side in the
opening round at Tokyo Stadium,
reports BSS.
Tries by Fiji-born LoteTuqiri and
KameliSoejima had given the
hostnation a 19-12 lead, with alarm
bells ringing that an upset mirroring
Japan'sstunning victory over New
Zealand in the opening round of the Rio
Games wason the cards.
But a late brace of tries by
WaiseaNacuqu pushed Fiji back into
the leadand an eventual 24-19 victory.
The Fijians did not wait long before
bothering the scoresheet,
JiutaWainiqolo crossing after just 20
seconds following a Japanese mistake
fromthe kick-off.
Japan skipper Matsui Chihito
responded in fine fashion, skipping
away froma flat defence.
But Fiji again contested the restart,
the ball finding IosefoBaleiwairiki, who
with one step was away to restore the
Kumar stars as India thrash
Sri Lanka in 1st T20 after
Covid-19 scare
SPORTS DESK
Seam bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar led a
disciplined bowling performance as India
hammered Sri Lanka by 38 runs in the
opening Twenty20 international after a
Covid scare at the stadium on Sunday.
Chasing 165 for victory, Sri Lanka were
bowled out for 126 in 18.3 overs with Kumar
returning figures of 4-22 in Colombo. India
lead the three-match series 1-0.
Earlier skipper ShikharDhawan (46) and
Suryakumar Yadav (50) guided India to 164-
5 in 20 overs after being put into bat first.
"I thought we were 10-15 runs short but we
felt it was still a good total," said Dhawan.
"Surya is a great player and we enjoy
watching him bat. He was taking pressure off
me as well. Sri Lanka were playing well but
we knew our spinners will get some turn."
Spinners Krunal Pandya,
YuzvendraChahal, debutant Varun
Chakravarthy and quick bowler Hardik
Pandya took one wicket each.
A ground staffer at the R Premadasa
Stadium tested positive for Covid-19
following a rapid antigen test, Sri Lanka
Cricket said, before the hosts won the toss.
As a precaution, reporters and
photographers were not allowed inside the
35,000 capacity ground where the white-ball
series is being played.
Spectators were already barred from
attending since the start of the three-match
one-day series which India won 2-1.
Kumar struck with opener Avishka
Fernando's key wicket for 26 before the pace
spearhead returned to wipe off the tail.
Pace partner Deepak Chahar took two
wickets in one over including debutant
CharithAsalanka for 44 to derail Sri Lanka's
chase.
But it was Dhawan and Yadav who set up
the win with their 62-run third-wicket stand
that helped India to a challenging total.
Dhawan, a left-hand opener who put on 51
for the second wicket with Sanju Samson
(27), missed out on his fifty after being
caught in the deep.
Yadav raised his second T20 fifty in his
fourth match but got out next ball to legspinner
WaninduHasaranga.
Hasaranga and pace bowler
DushmanthaChameera, who got Prithvi
Shaw out first ball of the innings, claimed
two wickets each.
"I thought our bowlers did an amazing job
on this wicket," said Sri Lanka skipper
DasunShanaka. "I hope boys come out and
deliver for us."
The second T20 is on Tuesday at the same
venue.
India's Shikhar Dhawan plays a shot during the T20 match between India
and Sri Lanka, at R.Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Sunday.Photo: AP
USA lose first men's Olympic
basketball game since 2004
SPORTS DESK
A USA team led by 11-time NBA All-Star Kevin
Durant were beaten 83-76 by France on
Sunday, snapping an Olympic winning streak
stretching back to the 2004 Athens Games,
reports UNB.
France, with a team containing NBA players
including Rudy Gobert and Evan Fournier,
limited Durant to just 10 points in the firstround
game.
Durant sat out most of the third quarter with
foul trouble and when it mattered, he was
unable to inspire his team as the French came
from behind to take control in the final quarter
as the Americans missed their final nine shots.
The USA had looked unconvincing in the
build-up to Tokyo and the defeat will underline
Fiji almost undone by Japanese
exports in Olympic rugby sevens
lead. Japan, however, held the halftime
lead after Tuqiri was played into
spaceafter some clever footwork by
New Zealand-born playmaker Colin
Bourke.
An upset was on the cards as veteran
Soejima soared to take the kick-offand
fend off a lame challenge of a tackle by
Jerry Tuwai for a try in thecorner.
But Nacuqu pounced on two basic
mistakes and Fijian worries were
allayed.Japan had one final chance
when AsaeliTuivuaka was yellow
carded with 35seconds to play, but a
fluffed attacking line-out saw Fiji close
down thegame.
Britain, who won silver in Rio, beat
Canada 24-0 with speedster Dan
Nortonthe top try scorer on the World
Rugby Sevens Series-nabbing two tries.
South Africa, bronze medallists in
2016, saw off Ireland 33-14,
withSakoyisaMakata saying the team
had overcome the absence of coach
NeilPowell, in isolation after a Covid-19
outbreak.
"It didn't really derail us,"Makata
said, adding that Powell was now a
"virtual" coach with his advice inputted
the fears Durant expressed before the Games
that his side will not face a "cakewalk" in
Japan.
Fournier top-scored with 28 points for
France. Although the Boston Celtics player
only made four from 12 from beyond the threepoint
line, he found his range when it mattered
to help the French stun the Americans.
"I tried to be aggressive. As an NBA player I
know the players we were facing. We had to
show the team how to attack them," Fournier
said.
France clawed back a 10-point deficit to set
up a breathless final quarter and as the
Americans failed to find any rhythm, the
French smelled victory in Saitama, where
spectators were absent because of coronavirus
measures.
live via laptop. Kerevi in vain -
New Zealand, who failed to make the
podium in Rio, crushed South Korea
50-5, skipper Tim Mikkelson dotting
down twice to calm nerves after
JeongYeon-sik had scored a
memorable one for the Asian qualifiers
in a competitivefirst-half.
Argentina raced out to a 24-0 halftime
lead over Australia, but
bruisingex-Wallaby centreSeruKerevi
scored one try and Josh Tuner two in
apromising comeback before los
Pumas saw the game out 29-19.
"We need to control the kick-off
reception area. When we hold the ball,
weattack really well, but Argentina put
us under pressure and played a
greatgame," said the Fiji-born Kerevi,
one of the few full 15s internationals
atthe Olympics.
The United States rounded out the
opening morning's play with a
dramatic19-14 victory over Kenya.
The two top teams from each pool
plus the two best-placed thirdplacedteams
advance to the Cup
quarter-finals on Tuesday.