Sports

Doluweera records win against Indonesian FIDE Master

Published

4 years ago

2021/05/29

Asian Continental Hybrid Chess Championship – Day 8

FIDE Master Minul Doluweera won against Indonesian FIDE Master Andyka Pitra (2276) to end the penultimate round of the Asian Continental Hybrid Chess Championship with 4 ½ points on Friday. With yesterday’s win the University of Colombo player has the highest point aggregate among the Sri Lankan players.

While Theekshana Denuwan of Ananda College and Susal de Silva of Nalanda College had four points each at the end of yesterday’s eighth round, National Champion Ranindu Liyanage of Ananda College recovered to post a victory against Bayasgalan Khishigbaatar from Mongolia.

Grand Masters from Uzbekistan Vokihidov Shamsiddin and Singapore International Master Tin Jingyao are in the lead after their wins on Friday. They share 6 ½ points each. They will meet each other in the final round today to decide the Asian Chess Champion for the year.

Australian Grand Master Kuybukarov Temur, Grand Masters from Uzbekistan Nodirbek Yukubboev and Sindarov Javokin and Indonesian International Master Ervan Mohamad were sharing six points each at the end of round eight and are the top contenders to be selected for the FIDE Chess World Cup 2021.

The event which commenced on May 21 will conclude on Sunday. The Championship is categorized as ‘hybrid’ as it is conducted from different venues in different countries online. Organized by the Asian Chess Federation, the Championship has nine rounds and is played according to Swiss System. The proceedings are monitored from the Headquarters of Asian Chess Federation in Al Ain, UAE.

The winners will be awarded USD 16000.00. The champion will receive USD 5,000.00. The top seven players of the event will qualify to play the FIDE World Chess Cup to be held in Russia.

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Jason Gillespie resigns as head coach of Pakistan Test team

Published

10 hours ago

2024/12/13

Priyan

Jason Gillespie has been unhappy with the PCB in recent times (Cricbuzz)

Jason Gillespie has resigned as the coach of the Pakistan Test team. He communicated his decision to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Thursday (December 12), hours before the team was to set out for South Africa for a two-Test series.

This was confirmed to Cricbuzz by the PCB. “He has resigned,” a spokesman for the Pakistan Board said without elaborating. Gillespie’s exit was largely on the expected lines after the PCB refused to renew the contract of his assistant coach Tim Nielsen. It is said that both Gillespie and Nielsen had a good working relations.

Late on Thursday night the PCB said Aaqib Javed will take over as red ball coach on an interim basis. Aaqib had earlier also been appointed as the interim head coach of the white-ball team following Gary Kirsten’s resignation and is with the Pakistan white-ball currently in South Africa, for the three T20Is and three ODIs.

“The PCB has named Aaqib Javed as interim red-ball head coach following the resignation of red-ball head-coach Jason Gillespie,” the Pakistan Board said in a statement.

Aaqib’s first assignment as red-ball head coach will be Pakistan’s two-match Test series against South Africa. The first Test is scheduled at the SuperSport Park in Centurion from 26 to 30 December. The second Test will be played at the Newlands Cricket Ground in Cape Town from 3 to 7 January.

The developments have come at a time when Pakistan cricket continues to be in the news and not necessarily for the right reasons. The PCB is entangled in a protracted standoff with the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) over the Champions Trophy fiasco and there appears no end to the matter.

In the midst of the Champions Trophy impasse, the PCB is now having to deal with an on-field cricketing exigency. Gillespie, a former Australian pacer, was believed to be upset with a few recent decisions of the PCB and the Nielsen situation was the proverbial last straw that broke the back of the camel.

Gillespie was signed by the PCB earlier this year for two years for the red ball team. But he has been unhappy with PCB for quite some time as he was kept out of the loop in a few key decisions during recent home series against England.

The Gillespie affair comes close on the heels of the exit of Kirsten as the white ball coach. Kirsten was recruited along with Gillespie in April this year but the South African decided to move on in October. That two foreign coaches could not survive for even six months is not a great advertisement for Pakistan cricket. Given the Kirsten-Gillespie saga, the PCB may struggle to convince a foreign coach to take charge of its teams.

Gillespie’s first assignment was Pakistan’s home Test series against Bangladesh which the hosts lost 0-2. He also oversaw Pakistan’s 2-1 victory against England when they came back after losing the opening Test. He was also with the Pakistan white-ball team in Australia in November after Kirsten’s resignation. Pakistan won the ODI series 2-1 but were clean-swept in the T20I series by Australia.

(Cricbuzz)

Sports

All eyes on new entrants ‘Sri Lions’ as domestic rugby kicks off today

Published

15 hours ago

2024/12/13

Thilina Walpola

Last season’s winners CR&FC celebrate winning the league tournament

By A Special Sports Correspondent

All eyes will be on new entrants to rugby ‘Sri Lions Sports Club’ when they debut in the 2024/25 Inter-club league rugby tournament in Kandy on Sunday (December 15). Sri Lions are slated to take on last season’s league tournament runners-up Kandy Sports Club at the Nittawela grounds. Despite Sri Lions SC being new to domestic rugby, a thriller is expected; as the team is packed with players who are well drilled at training and the other reason being all players possess an IRB Level 1 qualification.

Sri Lions SC’s entry into division 1 rugby was not smooth. Many clubs opposed their promotion to the top league in the domestic tournament. Rugby sources told ‘The Island’ that despite the opposition shown by some clubs, Sri Lanka Rugby and other prominent sports authorities in Sri Lanka had to grant the new entrants their due place in the top league. This was largely because Sri Lions SC had made progress through the proper channel by winning the B Division rugby tournament last season.

Dr. Kelum Sujith Perera, the founder chairman of Sri Lions SC, was quoted in the newspapers saying that the club’s priority was centred around professionalism and transparency and that the club was committed to contributing to rugby development in Sri Lanka.

The club boasts of having in their line up comprising 12 former national players and a horde of talented ex-schoolboy players who have recently finished their academic commitments on a high.

The other matches scheduled for the first week of club rugby are: Sri Lanka Air Force Sports Club vs CH&FC at Ratmalana (December 13), Army Sports Club vs Police Sports Club at Panagoda, Navy Sport Club vs Havelocks SC at Welisara (Both matches on December 14).

CR&FC will be one of the teams to watch this season given that they are the reigning league rugby champions. The side is led by Gemunu Chethiya. The club upgrading their stadium to have floodlight facilities should elevate player thinking to another level. The other club to offer floodlight facilities for domestic rugby matches is Havelocks SC. However CR will not have a match in the opening week of the tournament.

Last season’s league runners-up Kandy SC are led this season by seasoned scrum half Srinath Sooriyabandara who counts years of experience playing in domestic and overseas tournaments. The side is coached by Fazil Marija. Kandy SC’s dominance in domestic rugby was broken last season and much is expected of the side from Nittawela, which is going through a team building phase at present.

CH&FC is a dangerous side to play against when the team members are gelled and focused. Last season the side finished fourth. This season the Gymkhana Club is led by Janidu Dilshan.

Havelocks SC led by Abdullah Faiz is set to finish on a high this season. The Park Club finished third in the league rugby tournament last season. Police SC, which had to be satisfied winning the ‘Plate Championship’ in the league tournament last season, will be another strong contender vying for honours . The side is led for the second consecutive year by third row forward Mohan Wimalaratne.

The other sides in the tournament are Army SC, Air Force Sports Club and Navy Sport Club.

The tournament is conducted by Sri Lanka Rugby, the governing body for the sport in the island. Rugby sources reveal that an SGM has been called on December 20 for clubs to attend with the motive of announcing the date for the much looked forward to Annual General Meeting of SLR. According to International Rugby regulations, SLR has to have it’s AGM before January 31 next year.

Sports

Revaan, Shannon reach Under 12 singles final

Published

15 hours ago

2024/12/13

Thilina Walpola

(Pix by Kamal Wanniarachchi)

SLTA Hard Court Nationals

Revaan Amarasinghe and Shennon Senadheera reached the Under 12 boys singles final as they edged out their semi-final opponents at the Sri Lanka Tennis Association Hard Court Tennis Nationals at the SLTA courts on Thursday.

Amarasinghe of S.Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia beat Nuren Wevita 6-1, 6-1 in his semi-final.

In the other semi-final, Wesley’s Shannon Senadheera beat Yonal Dankumbura 7-6 (4), 6-2.

Results : Under 14 Boys quarter-final

Jayan Sebastian beat Buvidu Jayawardana 6-4, 6-3.

Damsath Peiris beat Thuvakar Sathiees 6-3, 6-4.

D. Wickramasinghe beat Umar Wayis 6-3, 6-1.

Under 18 Boys’ semi-final

Louis Knese beat Ganuka Fernando 6-4, 6-3

Women’s Singles quarter-final

Rukshika Wijesuriya beat Sandithi Usgodaarachchi 4-6, 6-4, 6-4.