Reigning Champions Titas Club will play Power Development Board (PDB) in the final of Bangabandhu Popular Life Insurance Premier Division Volleyball League on Wednesday.

The match will kick-off at 3:30pm at the Shaheed Nur Hossain National Volleyball Stadium here.

In the third place-deciding match, Bangladesh Ansar & VDP will play Police SC also on Wednesday at 1:30pm at the same venue.

Secretary of Youth and Sports Ministry Md Akhter Hossain will be the Chief Guest in the final and later he will distribute the prizes.

Holders Titas Club reached to the final beating Ansar & VDP by straight 3-0 sets (25-12, 25-6, 25-19 points) in the first semifinal while PDB beat Police SC also by 3-0 sets (25-12, 25-15, 25-19 points) in the 2nd semifinal on Tuesday.

Bangladesh’s celebrated archer Ruman Shana has been promoted to the post of Lance Naik of Bangladesh Ansar & VDP.

Director General of Ansar & VDP Major General Kazi Sharif Kaikobad adorned badges to Shana, recognising his achievements in Archery on Tuesday at the headquarters Ansar & VDP in Khilgaon area.

Besides, Vice President of Bnagladesh Olympic Association  and Parliament Member Mahabub Ara Begum Gini,
Additional Director General of Ansar & VDP Brigadier General AKM Asif Iqbal, Director of Sports and Culture Nurul Hasan Faridi and other distinguished personalities were present on the occasion.  

“We recognise our athletes every year. We have promoted Ruman Shana to Lance Naik recognising his achievements in SA Games and other international events. Hopefully, he will continue his performance in the upcoming Bangabandhu Games and will bring glory for Ansar & VDP,” said Major General Kazi Sharif Kaikobad.   
 
After getting promoted, Shana said, “I belong to a middle class family. The promotion will increase my salary and allowances. It will be helpful for my mother and family.”

The 24-year-old archer from Khulna, has created history in the country’s sports arena by securing a spot in the Tokyo Olympics 2020 from the World Archery Championship in the Netherlands on June last year. With the feat, Shana became the second Bangladeshi athlete to qualify in the Olympics on merit after golfer Siddikur Rahman, who took part in the Rio Olympics in 2016.

Shana also claimed first bronze medal in the world meet beating celebrated Dutch archer Van Den Berg Sjef in the quarterfinal after beating two-time world champion Kim Woojin of South Korea in the elimination round.

The feat boosted his morale and the Khulna boy made a new history in the 13th South Asian Games in Nepal on December. Shana secured total of three gold medals -- two in teams events and one in singles events – along with his two other teammates Eti Khatun and Md Sohel Rana.

The trio became the best Bangladeshi athletes in the regional games after swimmer Mosharraf Hossain Khan, who secured a record five gold medals for Bangladesh in a single edition -- three in individual events and two in relay--in the 2nd SAF Games (presently SA Games) in Dhaka in 1985.

Besides, Ruman Shana clinched his first gold in Asia Cup-World Ranking Archery Tournament (Stage-3) in Philippines on September. It was his 3rd individual international gold medal after claiming gold medals in the 1st Asian Archery Grand Pix’2014 in Thailand and in the International Archery Tournament’2017 in Kyrgyzstan.

Apart from these, Shana bagged one gold medal in a national-level archery competition this year. He bagged gold in recurve men singles of Modhumoti Bank Bangladesh Cup Archery (Stage-3) in Tongi on Sepetmber.

Melbourne, Australia, Jan 28 (AP/UNB) — The Latest on the Australian Open (all times local):

12:45 p.m.

Sofia Kenin is the first player into the Australian Open semifinals. The 21-year-old American beat Ons Jabeur 6-4, 6-4 in the first match of the day on Rod Laver Arena to reach the semifinals at a major for the first time.

Kenin's best run at a major was to the fourth round at last year's French Open.

She beat 15-year-old Coco Gauff in the fourth round, when she made only nine unforced errors in winning the second and third sets.

Against Jabeur, Kenin made the key break in the second set in the seventh game after saving three break points of her own in the previous game.

Jabeur was the first Arab woman to make the quarterfinals at a major.

Next up on Rod Laver Arena is another women's quarterfinal between top-ranked and French Open champion Ash Barty and two-time Wimbledon winner Petra Kvitova.

Bhasha Shaheed Abdul Jabbar House emerged champions in the Inter-House Annaul Sports Competition of Bangladesh International School & College (BISC) concluded on Sunday at school premises in Nirjhor, Dhaka Cantonment.

Bhasha Shaheed Abdus Salam House finished runners-up in the week-long meet.

On the final day (Sunday), there was a great congregation of students, teachers and guardians in the college premises. Students presented a marvelous parade show and display in addition to participating in the regular sporting events

Commander of Logistic Area of Bangladesh Army Major General Md Moshfequr Rahman was the chief guest at the Sunday’s closing function and later he distributed the prizes while his wife Begum Munshi Raihana  Snigdha was the special guest on the occasion.

Chairman of the Governing Committee Brigadier General Khondker Md Mozammel Haque and Principal Lieutenant Colonel Md Moksed Ali were also present at the closing function.

Police Lines High School of Faridpur beat Patuakhali Government Jubilee High School by 3-2 goals  in the thrilling tiebreaker in  Faridpur Zone opener of the Bangabandhu National School Hockey Tournament’2020 on Monday.

The match was locked in a goalless draw at the Sheikh Jamal Stadium in Faridpur.

Deputy Commissioner of Faridpur and President of Faridpur District Sports Association (DSA) Atul Sarker inaugurated the meet as the Chief Guest.

Eight schools are going to participate in the Faridpur Zone competition, said Bangladesh Hockey Federation (BHF) in a press release Monday.

A total of 80 school teams, split into nine zones -- Chattogram, Cumilla, Mymensingh, Rajshahi, Rangpur, Dinajpur, Faridpur, Gopalganj and Khulna are taking part in the first phase of the competition.

Top two teams from each of the zone will be entitled to play in the final round scheduled to be held in February in Dhaka.

Besides, fifteen talented hockey players from each zone will undergo a long-term training session under the supervision of BHF.