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Spanish teenager Rafael Nadal became the first man in 23 years to win the French Open on his debut when he put down the brave, injury-hit challenge of Argentina’s Mariano Puerta 6-7 (6/8), 6-3, 6-1, 7-5 in a thrilling final here on Sunday.
   The fourth-seeded 19-year-old racked up his 24th successive win to take victory against his unseeded opponent who overcame a groin injury early in the final and then threw away three set points which would have taken the match into a final set decider.
   The win also made the muscular Nadal the sixth youngest Grand Slam winner of the Open era.
   Swedish legend Mats Wilander, in 1982, was the last man to take the title on his first appearance here but Nadal had to call on all his resources to subdue fellow left-hander Puerta.
   Nadal, who put out world number one Roger Federer in the semi-finals, got off to a flying start in front of the watching King Juan Carlos of Spain, breaking Puerta in the opening game to carve out a 2-0 lead.
   He held for 3-1 but midway through the fifth game, and two break points down, the 26-year-old Argentinian called for the trainer and took an injury time-out to have his right thigh bandaged.
   Puerta bravely saved those break points, shrugged off the injury to level the set at 3-3 and then edge ahead 4-3, dictating the play from the baseline.
   The Argentinian, who served a nine-month suspension last year after testing positive for clenbuterol, had spent over seven hours battling through five sets in the quarter-finals and semi-finals to reach his first Grand Slam final.
   Mindful of his injury and fatigue, he opted to go for broke from the back of the court and it paid off as he took the first set to the tiebreak which he secured after 72 minutes when Nadal could only hit wide.
   Constant pressure from Nadal gave him the first break of the second set to lead 3-1.
   A tiring Puerta saved a set point in the eighth game but was powerless to prevent Nadal from levelling the final with a sweeping forehand with the clock standing at 1hr 53min.
   Puerta, bidding to keep the title in Argentinian hands after Gaston Gaudio’s victory in 2004, was beginning to pay for his first set heroics as Nadal broke again in the first game of the third set.
   Puerta squandered three break points of his own in the fourth game and was made to pay as Nadal unleashed another driven forehand to break again and lead 4-1.
   Nadal held for 5-1 and then snatched the set 6-1 after just another 26 minutes when Puerta served up his second double fault.
   Incredibly, Puerta, who had come from two sets to one down to win his last two matches here, wasn’t finished and gained a decisive break to lead 5-4 in the fourth set.
   In mounting tension, Nadal saved three set points in the tenth game and levelled to 5-5 when he chased down a drop shot and won an exchange of point-blank rallies at the net.
   The Spaniard held for 6-5 and took the title in the next game when Puerta hit a forehand wide after 3hr 24min of thrilling action.

Champions Brothers Union celebrated their third consecutive victory beating Fakirerpool Youngmen’s by 4-1 goals in the Premier Bank Senior Division Football League at the Banga-bandhu National Stadium on Monday.
   Fakirerpool, who was drubbed by a record 0-10 margin by Sheikh Russell in their last encounter, wore a new jersey but never showed any affect of the dilemma and once were level with their superior counterparts. But with the span of time the inexperienced side bowed under the ongoing pressure. The experience again was the factor as Fakirerpool tried hard to wipe away the nightmare and Brothers waited to avail the opportunities.
   Brothers adopted an attacking start from both the flanks and reaped the fruit in the 15th minute through Khokon who headed home an Abul cross from the left flag post. But the orange outfit was rocked four minutes later as Baten levelled the score with an intelligent placing shot after Rajon provided him a neat through. While the experienced Jewel Rana, Shujon and Masud Rana, were expecting that Baten will send a cross, he placed an angular shot to beat Tarek in the far post.
   Russian striker Victor Edwards tested Fakirerpool custodian Shiplu with his two typical left footed crackers in the 28th and 38th minute but Shiplu made a diving save for a corner on the first occasion and punched the ball to safety in the second.
   Victor was unfortunate in the 41st minute as his overhead chip beat onrushing Shiplu but the ball rolled outside instead of the empty net.
   After the break, Baten could have put Fakirerpool to a 2-1 lead but he shot the rebound off a Rajon effort to Tarek, the Brothers custodian’s feet.
   Substitute midfielder Liton put Brothers ahead in the 57th minute as he made one-two with Hicham Inani and placed a precise chip into the net.
   Victor at last struck in the 63rd minute as Liton sent him a neat minus and the big Russian rocked the net from his favourite position, the middle of the box. Five minutes before the final whistle Youngmen’s defender Ariful deflected a Parvez Babu grounder into his own net.
   Brothers Union now has nine points from their three matches while Fakirerpool is yet to collect one.

After two big defeats inside less than two-and-a-half days against England with a heavily inexperienced side, experts back home suggested Bangladesh to strengthen the domestic cricket for a remedy so that the country can avert such humiliation in future.
   It has been argued time and again that the present committee of the Bangladesh Cricket Board has put all their efforts in hosting the international teams or sending the local teams abroad under different banners making the domestic cricket the worst sufferer.
   Consequently, Bangladesh cricket also suffered heavily, believe the experts and the observers. In the last three years, top national players hardly had any opportunity to play in domestic cricket. The players, who were in the pipeline to replace the seniors in the national team, also could not take part in the domestic competitions.
   Due to the flawed policy of the BCB officials, the selectors were forced to pick back-up players from the so-called High Performance Unit, which a former cricketer on Monday dubbed ‘farm house’.
   The policy is clearly contradicting with the other Test playing nations. For one example, if a West Indian player wants to play for the national team he has to play at least six matches in the Busta Cup.
   In Bangladesh’s case, except wicketkeeper Khaled Mashud, none of the Bangladeshi players who are in the Test team against England, played more than four matches in the last national league.
   The irony was that three rookie players – Shahriar Nafees, Shahadat Hossain and Mushfiqur Rahim – did not play a single match in the league but they got chances in the Test team. Without experiencing any first-class cricket on home soil, two of them were fortunate to make Test debut at Lord’s.
   The former players did not blame the rookies for their unimpressive performances. Rather they said it was the BCB, who should take the responsibility for not giving them adequate chances to play at home before pushing them into the international arena.
   ‘If you look at England, you will see they announce only a 12-member team for a home Test so that the county teams do not suffer. But in our country we send the team abroad or call up a preliminary national squad when a domestic competition is in progress. ‘These are all useless,’ said former national captain Akram Khan.
   Akram sees no development to the national team standard in the past five years because of poor domestic structure. ‘You may say we played badly in England because of alien condition. But I strongly disagree with you. Tell me one thing frankly, in which condition we are used to. Even we are not used to playing in home condition, otherwise New Zealand and India could not have beaten us by so big margins. True, we defeated Zimbabwe at home, but they also fought neck-and-neck despite having a depleted side,’ lamented the former Test cricketer.
   Another former captain, Minhajul Abedin, urged the BCB to stop inducting players into the national side from the age-group teams. ‘One must play and perform in the domestic cricket before getting a call to the national team,’ said the outspoken former cricketer.
   To make the domestic cricket more competitive he advised the BCB to try to earn a first class status for the Dhaka Premier League. ‘Club is the perfect place to bring the best out of a cricketer. The more a player plays first-class cricket for a club the more he will be accustomed to competitive cricket’.
   However, Mackey Dudhia, the chief executive officer of the BCB, brushed aside the suggestion saying with the current time frame of domestic season it is not possible to arrange another first class competition alongside the national cricket league.
   ‘We do realise that all the top players should play in the domestic leagues, but at the same time you cannot ignore the necessity of sending the ‘A’ team and the age-group teams abroad to have the international exposure,’ he said .
   ‘We play domestic cricket from October to May, which is also the domestic season in many other Test-playing nations. So it gave us hardly any opportunity to send the teams abroad in the off season. We are working hard to make a calendar and solve the problem,’ he added.
   Dudhia further informed they were going to introduce a project from this year that will help them make the national cricket league more competitive with the involvement of the top players. And this is exactly what the former players and the experts are crying for day after day.

Pakistan (374 & 223/4) lead West Indies (404) by 193 runs at stumps, day 3
   Captain Inzamam-ul-Haq struck an unbeaten 64 to keep Pakistan in the hunt for a series levelling win against the West Indies on day three of the second and final Test in Jamaica on Sunday.
   Pakistan reached 223 for four at close, 193 runs ahead of the home side despite brilliant bowling from pacer Corey Collymore who has taken 10 for 114 in the match in Kingston.
   Collymore became the first West Indian bowler to take 10 wickets in a match since Courtney Walsh took 10 for 117 against England at Lords in 2000.
   Having dismissed Yasir Hameed (26), Shoaib Malik (64) and Asim Kamal (0) in the second innings, Collymore should also have picked up Inzamam’s wicket.
   Inzamam made the home side pay heavily for dropping him on the first ball he faced when keeper Courtney Browne put down a regulation chance while diving in front of first slip.
   Earlier, West Indies were bowled out for 404.

England captain Michael Vaughan hopes his side can use the forthcoming triangular one-day tournament as a platform for their first Ashes series victory in 18 years.
   England haven’t beaten Australia, their oldest foes, in a Test series since Mike Gatting’s tourists triumphed in the 1986-87 season.
   But when the teams last met in a one-day international, England beat Australia by six wickets in the semi-finals of the ICC Champions Trophy at Edgbaston in September.
   As Ricky Ponting’s side arrived in England on Sunday looking to extend an Australian run of eight successive Ashes series wins, Vaughan said it was vital England made a good impression in the one-dayers before the first Test at Lord’s on July 21.
   ‘There’s still a fair way to go before that first game,’ Vaughan told reporters after England wrapped up a 2-0 Test series win over struggling Bangladesh with an innings and 27 run-victory inside three days at the Riverside here Sunday. ‘Injuries can occur but hopefully that won’t happen. We’ve just got to make sure we play some good cricket in the one-day games.
   ‘It’s quite crucial that you start well,’ added Vaughan whose side face Australia for the first time this season in a Twenty20 match at Hampshire’s Rose Bowl ground a week on Monday before taking on Bangladesh in the triangular opener at The Oval on June 16.
   ‘Australia are a good one-day team and there are a few games against Bangladesh as well. But the big games are against Australia and it’s crucial we play well and gain some confidence.’
   Vaughan stressed Australia would not read too much into the Bangladesh series, which also featured an innings and 261 run win for England at Lord’s.
   ‘I think Australia would have expected no different, that we would beat Bangladesh 2-0. We’ve played some good cricket in the two victories. Only time will tell (how important they are).’
   Several leading players, including Vaughan himself, may not play a single first-class fixture before the Ashes.
   Worries have also been expressed about the timing of the series, with conditions in July and August likely to be more in favour of a spinner such as Australia’s Shane Warne rather than England’s seamers.
   ‘Ideally, I would have liked a four-day game before the Ashes start but it’s not to be,’ added the 30-year-old Yorkshire batsman who scored three hundreds in Australia during the last Ashes series in 2002-03.
   ‘Australia will have a three-day game (against Leicestershire) but we can’t control that. We’ve just got to make sure we get the practice and preparation throughout the five weeks from now until then.’
   Vaughan was more relaxed about the scheduling of the series. ‘It’s good to be playing them at the end of the summer as well. You can always get ball swinging if conditions suit so when you play is irrelevant for me.’
   England’s victory at the Riverside saw number four batsman Ian Bell, who made 162 not out, score his maiden Test hundred.
   The 23-year-old Warwickshire right-hander, who made 70 on debut against West Indies at The Oval last year, was left with the extraordinary Test average of 297 from three innings after making an unbeaten 65 at Lord’s.
   Asked if Bell could cope with the greater challenge involved in facing the Australia attack, Vaughan replied: ‘We think so. Only time will tell when the real pressure is on. But so far so good.’
   England were also heartened by all rounder Andrew Flintoff’s return to bowling ahead of schedule following an ankle injury, the Lancashire quick taking three for 58 in Bangladesh’s second innings.
   But the legality of his action was called into question by former Somerset captain Peter Roebuck, now a newspaper columnist in Australia, who labelled Flintoff’s bumper ‘diabolical’.
   However, Vaughan was adamant that there was nothing wrong with the 6ft 4’ all-rounder’s bowling style, notable for its strong wrist action.
   ‘Peter’s not even in the country, he’s watching it off the television. I’ve absolutely no worries at all over Freddie Flintoff’s action.
   ‘Yes, he’s got a big wrist, he’s got a big everything.’
   Meanwhile Bangladesh captain Habibul Bashar, whose team also suffered two innings defeats during their 2-0 Test series reverse in Australia two years ago, predicted a close Ashes series.
   ‘To me, England have got a better chance in this Ashes series more than any other one. It’s difficult to compare both sides. One is ranked number one in the world (Australia), one is ranked second (England). It’s not easy to face either of them.
   ‘Hoggard is bowling very well and Stephen Harmison (the Durham quick who took five for 38 in the first innings on his home ground) is a quite fantastic bowler,’ he added.
   Somerset left-handed opener Marcus Trescothick was named England’s man of the series after scores of 194 and 151. ‘He can be a key player for England when he scores big runs,’ said Bashar.
   But despite having now scored 12 Test hundreds, Trescothick has yet to register three figures against Australia.

Ricky Ponting has claimed he is not losing any sleep about becoming the first Australian captain to lose an Ashes series for almost two decades.
   Alan Border was skipper when Australia last lost to England in 1986-87 since when Border himself, Mark Taylor and Steve Waugh have presided over eight straight wins over their oldest enemy.
   Ponting took over from Waugh when the latter retired in 2004 and when he landed in England on Sunday to prepare for this year’s renewal he insisted he was not fretting about being the one to lose Australia’s proud record.
   Ponting said: ‘I’m not looking at it as being the first to lose them (the Ashes), I’m looking at being another Australian captain to retain the Ashes.
   ‘It comes back to us being here and preparing well. There is no more pressure on this team than in any other series. In every series we have played for the last ten years we have been favorites and it might be the same this time. It is not something we have thought about - we are here to play the best possible cricket.’
   England’s resurgence in form in the last two years, under the captaincy of Michael Vaughan, has seen them move up to second place in the ICC World Rankings. In the hugely unlikely event of them beating Australia 5-0 in the Ashes series they will take over at the top of the table.
   But several of the Australians have played county cricket in England and Shane Warne, who will just be playing in the Test matches, is currently captaining Hampshire who are top of the English County Championship.
   Ponting added: ‘From the outside looking in it seems that they deserve to be number two in the world. They have beaten everyone they have come up against in the last couple of years and that indicates they have improved quite a lot. That makes it exciting for us.
   ‘I was asked about this series 12 months ago (when Ponting had a short spell at Somerset) and that shows how big it is.
   ‘Shane (Warne) has been doing his own homework and from reading in the papers things seem to be going pretty well which is good for him and good for us.
   ‘Mike Hussey, Simon Katich and Shane have been over here playing, it is good for them to get some cricket under their belts and it’s good for us to have a bit more knowledge.’
   Two new faces the Australians will face this summer are Andrew Strauss and Andrew Flintoff.
   Strauss has had a dream start to his career scoring five centuries in his first year of Test cricket whilst Flintoff has never played in Ashes Test because of a mixture of poor form and injuries.
   His form in the last two years, however, sees him come into the Ashes series - that starts at Lord’s on July 21 - as one of the world’s premier all rounders.
   ‘I’ve not played against Strauss,’ said Ponting. ‘But all our team enjoy the challenge of playing against very good opposition. Strauss has done very well at the top of the order and every side in the world would like to have an all rounder of Flintoff’s class. We have Adam Gilchrist as our all rounder but most sides would like to have Flintoff.’
   Australia will play England in an international Twenty20 game in Southampton on 13 June, then take part in a triangular one-day series with the hosts and Bangladesh. After three further one-dayers against England the Ashes series will eventually get under way.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Sunday it preferred a joint bid for the 2011 World Cup as it would make for a unique event hosted four ‘equal partners’ including India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
   Ranbir Mahendra, the president of Board of Control for Cricket in India, last week said that the BCCI was serious about holding the 2011 World Cup.
   He had said after a BCCI Working Committee meeting that there had been no discussions on whether it would be a joint bid with Pakistan or Sri Lanka, saying there was plenty of time to decide those things.
   Shaharyar was realistic while saying that only India was the only Asian country that had the infrastructure, facilities and capabilities to single-handedly host the 2011 World Cup.
   ‘India has 27 international standard grounds while we have not more than five and Sri Lanka have almost the same.
   ‘Pakistan is not equipped to single-handedly bid for the competition but over the years we have proven to be tremendous hosts and our organization of international events has been praised world-over.
   ‘We would definitely like to be equal partners of the 2011 World Cup and if we decide in London for a joint bid, that event will become a unique tournament as it will have four partners,’ Shaharyar Khan said on Sunday.
   Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka jointly hosted the 1996 World Cup while Pakistan and India joined hands when the first competition was held outside England in 1987. Both the competitions are considered as the best organized events.
   Shaharyar said the issue was discussed in the Asian Cricket Council meeting Kuala Lumpur last month and would again be taken up in the next meeting in London later this month.
   ‘After the London meeting, it will be decided if it is going to be a joint bid or the countries will have the option of making individual bids,’ he said.
   ‘But the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) is unanimous that since it contributes more to the cricket promotion than any other continent or country in terms of sponsorship, publicity and development, Asia should get more opportunity to host World Cups.
   ‘In addition to this, Asia offers increased financial and playing rewards for the players, organizers and the participants,’ Shaharyar said after his return from the West Indies where he watched the Barbados Test and also met England Cricket Board (ECB) officials in London on way back to Pakistan.
   The ICC’s rotation cycle suggests that Australasia should be in line to hold the tournament after the 2007 World Cup in West Indies but the mother body is yet to spell out clear-cut policy for the awarding of the 2011 World Cup.
   The Indian Cricket Board on Sunday reacted positively to Pakistan Board’s suggestion for a joint bid to host the 2011 World Cup saying it will definitely discuss the matter.
   Meanwhile, BCCI Secretary SK Nair over phone said, ‘We will definitely be discussing all the factors including an option of a joint bid in the near future. But so far we have not yet discussed the technical details of the bid.’
   ‘One thing is sure, we are keeping all options open,’ he said.

Newly-crowned French Open champion Rafael Nadal has played down a repeat Grand Slam success at Wimbledon with the 19-year-old insisting his career is still a work in progress.
   Nadal stormed to the championship here with a 6-7 (6/8), 6-3, 6-1, 7-5 win over Argentina’s Mariano Puerta but despite knocking out world number one, and reigning Wimbledon champion Roger Federer, in the semi-finals, the Spaniard was quick to dampen all talk of his All England Club chances.
   He has only played Wimbledon once winning two matches before a third round defeat in 2003.
   Such is his uncertainty about his chances in London, that he will warm-up in Halle this week in singles and doubles and may even play a second grass court tournament before Wimbledon begins on June 20.
   ‘On grass, I can’t challenge for the title but I will try and improve for Wimbledon. I am only 19 and I have problems on my serve in every match,’ said Nadal.
   ‘I need to practice all of my shots to stay at this level especially my serve and my volley to be able to play better on grass.
   ‘I like to play on grass. I know it’s not my best surface, it is a little too fast so I need to improve some things in my game to play better on grass and on fast courts.’
   Nadal now has six career titles to his name, all on clay, with five of them coming this year where he won 38 of his 40 matches on the slow surface.
   The teenager has aleady been compared to Bjorn Borg who collected six French Open crowns and five Wimbledon titles, but Nadal insists that he has a lot to learn.
   ‘It’s not possible to compare me to Borg. My goal is just to improve every day on all surfaces. I hope that I will have a good result at Wimbledon. After that I will keep working. Nothing has changed.’
   Nadal broke down in tears after becoming the first man since Mats Wilander in 1982 to win the French Open on his debut. He was congratulated by the King Juan Carlos of Spain, received the trophy from soccer star Zinedine Zidane and dedicated the win to his family whom he embraced after climbing into the VIP box on the Philippe Chatrier Court.
   ‘It’s one of the best moments of my career. It’s a dream and I remembered all the bad times I had when I was younger,’ said Nadal who was prevented by injury from making his Roland Garros debut before this year.
   ‘The king congratulated me and said what I had done was incredible. Zidane said I was a phenomenon. ‘At the end of the match, I cried for the first time. They are the moments when everything comes upon you, all the work you have been doing, all the sacrifices.
   ‘But I will continue to be the same as before and work like I have done all my life. I am not going to change just because I won this tournament.’

Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, whose action has been under the scanner off and on, added another chapter to the controversy by throwing the ball out of ‘frustration’ in a county match, for which he was called.
   Harbhajan, playing for Surrey, was no-balled by umpire Peter Willey on the last day of the four-day match against Warwickshire at Whitgift on Saturday.
   After taking just one wicket all day — on a pitch offering some turn — Harbhajan threw a half-tracker at Michael Powell and the ball sailed over the batsman and the wicketkeeper over the boundary.
   Following a consultation with his partner, the umpire signalled six no-balls.
   The England and Wales Cricket Board confirmed that the bowler was no-balled for throwing adding it was ‘probably out of frustration and the matter would not be investigated any further.’
   ‘I can confirm that Harbhajan Singh was no-balled by Peter Willey, the square-leg umpire, for deliberately throwing the ball, an action by the bowler that was probably due to frustration,’ ECB’s Cricket Operations Manager Alan Fordham said.

Star batsman Sachin Tendulkar eased the pain for Indian fans saying he is recovering well from an elbow surgery and will be ready for international cricket again in four months.
   ‘I am progressing quite well and will need at least 14 to 16 weeks to return to competitive cricket,’ Tendulkar said Sunday night after flying back from London, where he underwent an operation last month.
   ‘We tried everything, but when nothing worked we had no option but to go for surgery,’ said Tendulkar, who is also set to miss a triangular one-day series in Sri Lanka featuring the West Indies in early August.
   ‘The doctors have prepared a rehabilitation programme and I will be busy following that during this period,’ said Tendulkar, who has spent 16 of his 32 years in international cricket.
   Tendulkar declined to comment on the appointment of former Australian Test captain Greg Chappell as India’s new coach.
   ‘I have not met him yet, so what I can say,’ he said.

Allegations that Andrew Flintoff is a chucker were brusquely dismissed by Michael Vaughan after England’s seven-session defeat of Bangladesh at Chester-le-Street.
   The claim was made by Peter Roebuck in Saturday’s Sydney Morning Herald.
   In his article, which was syndicated throughout Australia, he wrote that Flintoff’s final spell in the first Test at Lord’s ‘contained some of the most blatant transgressions of the law covering legitimate actions seen in respectable company this year’.
   He continued: ‘Flintoff’s action seems to deteriorate when he searches for an extra yard of pace and especially when he moves around the wicket and starts to pound the middle of the pitch. Then his naturally open-chested style betrays him.’
   Roebuck, the former Somerset captain who now lives much of the year in Australia, appears to have little time for England, and unsurprisingly, his latest outburst found few supporters.
   Vaughan brushed aside a post-match question on the matter. ‘Peter hasn’t been in the country,’ he said.
   ‘He’s watching it on TV. I have no worries at all about Freddie’s action.’ Dav Whatmore, Bangladesh’s coach, added that he had ‘no complaints’.
   Flintoff was analysed by ICC officials during last September’s Champions Trophy in England - he was one of a number of bowlers who were scrutinised - and his action was found to be well within the 15 degree limit.

With the arrest of two persons in South Delhi, police on Monday claimed to have unearthed a ‘satta’ racket involved in betting on the ongoing West Indies v Pakistan Test cricket series.
   Manoj (27) and Yogesh (31), known as ‘Gulli, Danda’, were arrested from their Krishna Park office in Sangam Vihar on Sunday, police said.
   Among the recoveries made from them were Rs 14,400, two television sets, 10 mobile phones, four cordless phones, two computers, ‘satta’ chits and a register containing the code names of those indulging in betting.
   Acting on a tip off, a decoy customer was sent to the betting office with a Rs 500 note and upon a signal from the decoy that the deal was struck, the police party conducted a raid in the office. Police said both Manoj and Yogesh had selected clients, who would call them on mobile for making the bet.

Ronaldinho converted two first-half penalties as Brazil beat Paraguay 4-1 on Sunday to close in on a place at the 2006 World Cup.
   Ze Roberto and 21-year-old Santos forward Robinho added two more goals in the second half as Brazil ended a three-match winless run against their smaller neighbours. Bayern Munich’s Roque Santa Cruz headed Paraguay’s consolation.
   Defender Lucio spoiled the day for the world champions when he was sent off for a second bookable offence in the 79th minute.
   Brazil, second in the 10-nation South American World Cup qualifying group with 27 points from 14 games, moved within one point of leaders Argentina, whom they meet in Buenos Aires on Wednesday.
   Paraguay stayed fourth with 19 points and their defeat was good news for Colombia, Uruguay and Chile, who are all two points behind them.
   The top four teams go straight to the Germany finals next year and the fifth play off over two legs against the Oceania regions winners for another place. Ecuador, who upset Argentina 2-0 on Saturday, are in third place.
   The game kicked off five minutes late because of an overlong fireworks display and Brazil, without suspended captain Cafu and worn-out Real Madrid striker Ronaldo, quickly took the initiative.
   Paraguay goalkeeper Justo Villar twice dived at the feet of Adriano as the Inter Milan forward broke through and made an excellent save in the 15th minute to turn away Kaka’s low drive after a quick exchange of passes by the Brazil attack.
   Kaka was also foiled by a timely tackle from Julio Mansur when he was in an excellent shooting position.
   Paraguay threatened with some of their trademark aerial attacks but failed to properly test goalkeeper Dida.
   The breakthrough came in the 33rd minute when Roberto Carlos’s cross struck the outstretched arm of Carlos Bonet, Uruguayan referee Martin Vazquez pointed to the spot and Ronaldinho sent the penalty low to Villar’s right.
   Nine minutes later, Robinho fell over Paulo da Silva’s outstretched leg and, although television replays suggested no contact was made, Brazil were awarded another penalty and Ronaldinho blasted the ball high into the top left-hand corner.
   Ze Roberto, who hit the crossbar after a neat exchange with Kaka in the 48th minute, added the third in the 71st with a curling 25-metre shot.
   In between, Paraguay’s Carlos Paredes shaved the foot of the post with a shot on the turn and the visitors had a penalty turned down when Roque Junior appeared to hold down an opponent.
   They were rewarded in the 73rd minute when Santa Cruz rose at the far post to head in Denis Caniza’s cross from the right.
   Despite Lucio’s dismissal, Brazil restored their three-goal lead when Robinho ran on to Ze Roberto’s pass in the 83rd minute and calmly slotted the ball past Villar.

Mighty Nigeria surrendered first place in a 2006 World Cup qualifying group to Angola Sunday after being held 1-1 at minnows Rwanda.
   The top-versus-bottom clash in the central African city of Kigali took a dramatic turn nine minutes into the second half when Rwanda striker Jimmy Gatete completed a dazzling dribble with a chip over goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama into the net.
   Spurred by a capacity 30,000 crowd that included President Paul Kagame, Rwanda held the advantage until caught napping by a 79th-minute counterattack that culminated in Inter Milan striker Obafemi Martins equalising.
   Both teams squandered chances to collect maximum points in a lively end to an often drab encounter with Nigeria sorely missing midfielder Jay-Jay Okocha and striker Aiyegbeni Yakubu, who said they were tired after the English Premiership season.
   Another Premiership performer, former African Footballer of the Year Nwankwo Kanu, led Nigeria, but struggled to exert any influence on midfield and made way for Ayo Makinwa in the second half.
   Angola edged Algeria 2-1 in Luanda through goals from Flavio Amado and Fabrice 'Akwa' Maieco to join Nigeria on 14 points in Group 4, and go top thanks to a superior head-to-head record having downed the Super Eagles 1-0 last year.
   Zimbabwe remain third thanks to a 1-0 victory over Gabon in Harare through a hotly disputed penalty converted by veteran striker Peter Ndlovu seven minutes into the second half of a lacklustre match.
   Togo overwhelmed Zambia 4-1 in Lome to take a two-point lead over 2002 qualifiers Senegal in Group 1 with France-based striker Emmanuel Adebayor opening and closing the scoring.
   Cherif Toure and Kader Coubadja were the other Togolese scorers while Gift Kampamba struck an early equaliser for Zambia, who trailed 2-1 at half-time and had coach Kalusha Bwalya sent off for interfering with an assistant referee near the end.
   Senegal could only draw 0-0 with Congo in Brazzavile while Mali secured their first pool win at the seventh attempt, defeating depleted Liberia 4-1 in Segou with Dramane Coulibaly scoring twice.
   Democratic Republic of Congo and Ghana moved within three points of Group 2 front runners South Africa via contrasting home wins. The Congolese hammered Uganda 4-0 in Kinshasa while Ghana came from behind to pip Burkina Faso 2-1 in Kumasi.
   Shabani Nonda, one of many France-based players in action around Africa, scored twice for DR Congo with Ngasanya Ilonga and Matomona Zola the other marksmen against Uganda, who have gone six matches without a win since beating the Congolese in the first round.
   Moumouni Dagano gave the Burkinabe Stallions a shock 30th-minute lead over the Black Stars, Juventus midfielder Stephen Appiah levelled from a second-half penalty and Matthew Amoah grabbed the winner six minutes from full-time.
   Guinea climbed two places to second in Group 5 after shading Kenya 1-0 in Conakry courtesy of a goal midway through the second half from Sambegou Bangoura. The visitors lacked leading scorer Dennis Oliech, who refused to travel because of a cash dispute.
   Morocco lead the pool with 15 points followed by Guinea and Tunisia with 11 each and Kenya with nine. Tunisia, who have a game in hand, host suspect travellers Guinea next weekend.
   Egypt were the most convincing winners of the 10-match programme, scoring three goals in each half to sink Group 3 strugglers Sudan 6-1 in Cairo with Abdel Halim Ali and Amr Zaki claiming two each.
   Ivory Coast, seeking a first appearance at the quadrennial showcase of international football, lead a section labelled the Group of Death with 16 points followed by Cameroon (14) and Egypt (13).

Argentina coach Jose Pekerman’s constant tinkering with his team finally backfired as they lost 2-0 away to Ecuador in Saturday’s World Cup qualifier.
   Pekerman, who replaced Marcelo Bielsa last September, had gone through his first seven games unbeaten despite using more than 40 players.
   But he appeared to try one experiment too many as he gambled on a second string team for the match in Quito and left players such as Hernan Crespo, Luis Gonzalez, Roberto Ayala and Javier Saviola in Buenos Aires preparing for Wednesday’s game with Brazil.
   Argentina, who have 28 points at the top of the South American qualifying group, could have clinched their World Cup place with four games to spare, but they never got into their usually majestic stride.
   They began with Luciano Galletti playing as a lone striker before Pekerman shuffled his pack again after half an hour, bringing on striker Carlos Tevez for defensive midfielder Aldo Duscher and moving Javier Zanetti to an unfamiliar left-back role.
   Midfielder Esteban Cambiasso capped a bad afternoon for the Argentines when he was sent off during a scuffle which followed Ecuador’s second goal and will miss the game against Brazil.
   Pekerman’s improvisation was partly forced on him after the Argentine Football Association (AFA) decided to release River Plate pair Luis Gonzalez and Javier Mascherano to play in a Libertadores Cup match on Thursday night, less than 48 hours before kick-off.
   First-choice goalkeeper Roberto Abbondanzieri played for Boca Juniors away to Mexico’s Guadalajara in another Libertadores game the same evening.
   ‘Argentina were confused and short of ambition,’ was the verdict of the Buenos Aires daily Clarin. ‘When they fell behind, they didn’t show any signs of reacting. The substitutions added more confusion.’
   Inter Milan midfielder Cristian Gonzalez, making his first appearance since Pekerman took over, also criticised the Argentine performance.
   ‘We played a disastrous game,’ he told Argentine media. ‘Nothing worked for us. That was the reality and we deserved to lose. Every time we got the ball, we lost it quickly again.’
   Pekerman tried to play down the performance.
   ‘There’s no need to make a drama out of this,’ he said, adding that Argentina had the best chance of the first half when Galletti missed an open goal.
   ‘If that chance in the first half had gone in, we’d be talking about something else.’

Edwin van der Sar on Sunday agreed to join Manchester United from Fulham in a £2million deal - six years after Sir Alex Ferguson first tried to sign him, reports Agencies and British press.
   Ferguson turned to Van der Sar after United refused to meet Newcastle’s £8million asking price for Shay Given, the Old Trafford boss’s first-choice target.
   Van der Sar, who will complete his move from Fulham on July 1, becomes the 10th keeper Ferguson has tried out in his ongoing quest to find a successor to Peter Schmeichel.
   Ferguson tried to sign Van der Sar in 1999 when Schmeichel quit after United’s Treble triumph - but he lost out to Juventus.
   And when van der Sar became available again in 2001, Fabien Barthez was established as United’s No1 and Ferguson saw no reason to make another move for the Dutchman.
   But Roy Carroll’s release on a free transfer and Tim Howard’s failure to live up to the standards set in his debut season left Ferguson needing to recruit an experienced goalkeeper.
   Van der Sar has signed a two-year deal and will make his first appearance for United on July 23 in Hong Kong in the first game of their pre-season tour of the Far East.
   He only signed a contract extension with Fulham in January, but publicly admitted he would not have done so had United or Arsenal made a bid for him.
   The short length of the deal reflects the stop-gap nature of Van der Sar’s signing, with Ferguson still confident Howard can one day regain the form that made him United’s top choice.
   Van der Sar will start the new season as No1 but United insiders revealed Ferguson’s belief that the Dutchman’s experience and knowledge will help turn Howard into a world-class goalkeeper.
   The 34-year-old earned his 100th cap for Holland last week and Dutch coach Marco van Basten hailed him as the best keeper in the world, despite his advancing years.
   ‘He is in the form of his life,’ said van Basten. ‘Edwin is a goalkeeper with class and vast experience - exactly what you need with young players in the team.’
   
   Life after Schmeichel
   Massimo Taibi (Signed August 1999 from Venezia, £4.5m): A high-profile replacement for Peter Schmeichel but played just four games and was jettisoned after a series of blunders.
   Fabien Barthez (Signed June 2000 from Monaco, £7.8m): Despite his undoubted brilliance, Barthez was another keeper prone to making major errors.
   Andy Goram (Signed on loan May 2001 from Motherwell): Brought in as short-term cover to much derision from the footballing world. The 36-year-old played only two matches before returning to Scotland.
   Roy Carroll (Signed July 2001 from Wigan, £2.5m): Brought in to be Barthez’s understudy but the Frenchman’s increasing problems gave him first-team action. He frustrated Ferguson with his reluctance to sign a new deal and has been released.
   Ricardo (Signed July 2002 from Valladolid, £1.5m): Another of Ferguson’s flops, managing only five appearances.
   Tim Howard (Signed July 2003 from New York Metrostars, £2.3m): Impressive start but lost his place for a month after United’s Champions League exit.

Argentina have named a below-strength squad for the Confederations Cup in Germany, resting experienced players such as Hernan Crespo and Roberto Ayala as well as locally-based regulars Roberto Abbondanzieri, Luis Gonzalez and Javier Mascherano.
   There was also no place for midfielder Juan Sebastian Veron, who has not been picked since Jose Pekerman took over as coach last September.
   Pekerman was not available to comment on the squad but told Reuters in an interview in April that he would use the competition to test less experienced players.
   The eight-team tournament starts on June 15 and continues until June 29.
   First-choice goalkeeper Abbondanzieri, who plays for Boca Juniors, and Gonzalez and Mascherano, who play for River Plate, were left out because their clubs are still involved in the South American Libertadores Cup.
   Real Madrid defender Walter Samuel, who was recalled to the squad for this month’s World Cup qualifiers after a six-month absence, was among the players named.
   Pekerman also called up Manchester United defender Gabriel Heinze, Villareal trio Juan Pablo Sorin, Juan Roman Riquelme and Villareal and Brazilian-based forward Carlos Tevez.
   Two uncapped players were also selected - defender Martin Demichelis, who has struggled for a first-team place this season at Bayern Munich, and striker Mario Santana, who plays for Italian club Palermo.

Barcelona boss Frank Rijkaard and president Joan Laporta are caught in a battle of wills over Manchester United's Rio Ferdinand and Ruud van Nistelrooy.
   Laporta, the man who came to power with the promise of signing David Beckham only to lose out to Real Madrid, now has Ferdinand in his sights.
   But Rijkaard isn't keen on the Old Trafford defender and has other targets including Ferdinand's team-mate Van Nistelrooy, says the Daily Star.

Liverpool could sell captain Steven Gerrard this summer in a world record £50 million deal.
   The Sunday Mirror says in the days since Liverpool's Champions League triumph it seems Gerrard and his advisers at SFX have been thinking the unthinkable.
   And the unthinkable can lead to Gerrard joining Chelsea or Real Madrid in the next couple of months.
   He will not demand a transfer or aggravate a painful situation for Liverpool. But it seems the European football grapevine is alive with the word that Gerrard will consider a move - as long as it's a deal Liverpool can't refuse.
   Even if Liverpool might have 50 million reasons for cashing in, at a time when they have considered welcoming new investors, the prospect of seeing Gerrard play for another English club will surely be hard to accept among the Anfield hierarchy.
   Madrid, and a life alongside England colleagues David Beckham and Michael Owen, may provide the most acceptable, if still painful, exit route.

Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard won't protest should president Joan Laporta choose to sell the Cameroon ace.
   Manchester United and Chelsea are both prepared to make mega offers for the prolific striker, who had several bust-ups with Rijkaard towards the end of last season.
   Eto'o was particularly upset with Rijkaard's selections in the end-of-season games, believing that he was weakening the team as he chased the top scorer's trophy.
   The African eventually lost out to Villarreal's Diego Forlan and confronted Rijkaard over his decisions. The coach responded by stating there were no stars at Barca and that every member of the squad had a role to play.
   Eto'o was furious and AS says he instructed his agents to seriously listen to offers from the Premiership, particularly Chelsea, about a summer move.
   Rijkaard has already informed Laporta that he wouldn't be against the sale of Eto'o, but only if he can be replaced with an equally dynamic goal scorer.

A sensational swap involving Real Madrid striker Michael Owen and Inter Milan star Adriano is being mooted.
   Adriano's comments that he could quit Inter after the 2006 World Cup has fueled talk that the club's majority shareholder Massimo Moratti is ready to open talks with Real president Florentino Perez.
   Real are set to offer Owen and defender Walter Samuel in part-exchange for Adriano, who warned, 'Next season I will definitely be wearing the Nerazzurri jersey, but if we don't win anything then I will ask to be sold after the 2006 World Cup.
   'A player needs to win important things in his career.
   'I'll ask to join a club where I can finally become a Champion.'

Badminton team
off to Nepal
A six-member Bangladesh badminton team left Dhaka to Kathmandu, Nepal on Monday to participate in the Asian Satellite Badminton Championship scheduled to be held in the Nepalese capital from June 7. The players are, Mokter Hossain, Enayetullah Khan, Konica Rani Odhikari and Dulali Halder. Shiekh Nur Islam and Golam Aziz Zilani are accompanying the team as the manager and the coach respectively.
— New Age

Women’s volleyball final round from today
The final round of Pepsi Inter-District Women’s Volleyball Championship begins today at Dhanmondi Women’s Complex. Bangladesh Volleyball Federation (BVF) president Alhaj Nasiruddin Ahmed Pintu MP will inaugurate the four-day meet. Eight district sports associations, splitting into two groups, will take part in the meet, organised by BVF and sponsored by Transcom Beverage Limited. State Minister for Cultural Affairs Begum Selima Rahman will distribute prizes among the teams as chief guest on concluding day. The participating teams are Rajbari, Pabna, Khulna and Magura (group-A), Rajshahi, Rangpur, Tangail and Gazipur (group-B). Six matches will be held on the opening day of the meet.
— BD News

Third win for Mohakhali
Mohakhali Ekadosh registered an emphatic 3-0 victory over BRTC in the Premier Bank First Division Football League at Bir Shrestha Shaheed Mostafa Stadium ay Kamalapur on Monday. The winners led the first half 1-0 when Alauddin scored in the 30th minute. After the lemon break, Masum doubled the margin in the 61st minute while Arafat made it 3-0 in the 71st minute. With the day’s victory, Mohakhali Ekadosh secured 10 points from five matches while BRTC remained on two points from the same number of outings.
— BD News

3-match suspension for Dhanmondi captain
The disciplinary committee of first division football league suspended the skipper of Dhanmondi Club Kamal Hossain Raton for three matches and fined Tk 15,000 for misbehaviour with referee, a press release said on Monday. The committee took the decision in its meeting on Sunday on two reports — the referee report and disciplinary committee report. Kamal received red card for kicking the opponent player during the match between Dhanmondi Club and Wari Club. Later, he misbehaved with referee due to showing red card.
— BD News

School taekondo begins
The two-day fourth national school Tankoando competition began in Dhaka on Monday. Housing and Public works Minister Mirza Abbas inaugurated the competition at the National Sports Council gymnasium. South Korean ambassador in Bangladesh Sing Ung Park and Secretary General of Bangladesh Olympic Association Kutub Uddin Ahmed were present at the inaugural ceremony. As many as 350 competitors, including 210 boys, from 25 schools are taking part in the competition.
— BD News

Win for Sujon SS
Sujon Smriti Sangsad defeated Bilaichhari upazila team 3-2 in the second match of the second round of the Zila Parishad Junior (Under-14) Gold Cup Football tournament at the Rangamati local stadium on Sunday. Arjun, Ramesh and Mintu scored one goal apiece for the winner while Ripon and Triratna scored the consolation goals for the loser.
— New Age