Chess team departs

KATHMANDU: A six-member Nepali chess team on Saturday is leaving for Bangladesh to take part in the 11th Standard Chartered Inter-school Chess Championship to be held in Dhaka from July 14-22. The team includes four players - Asmita Adhikari and Shanta Thapa in girls’ section and Rupesh Jaiswal and Bijay Raj Aryal in boys’ section of the championship to be held under Swiss League format. Accompanying the players are Vice President of Nepal Chess Association (NCA) Nabin Tandukar as coach and Member Madhav Prasad Pradhan as the team official. Rupesh had finished seventh in the last edition. NCA President Rajesh Hari Joshi bade farewell to the team. — HNS

Plasil joins Bordeaux

BORDEAUX: Czech midfielder Jaroslav Plasil on Thursday joined Bordeaux from Spanish club Osasuna in a four-year deal, the French League champions announced. The 27-year-old who spent seven years at Monaco and at Creteil before moving to the north Spanish club two years ago where he scored eight times. “It’s a challenge which opens up the possibility for me to play in the Champions League and other competitions,” the Czech international said. Plasil joins a squad which has been reinforced by the permanent signing of playmaker Yoann Gourcuff (on loan last season from AS Roma) and the arrival of goalkeeper Cedric Carrasso from Toulouse. — AFP

Banks banned

LONDON: Former West Indies Test all-rounder Omari Banks was on Thursday banned for three matches after admitting ball-tampering

when he was bored. The 26-year-old Banks committed the offence of running his thumb and fingernails over the ball during a Somerset 2nd XI match against Essex. He did not think anyone had noticed but his behaviour was spotted by the umpires — and five penalty runs were immediately awarded to Essex. Banks was suspended until July 20 while Somerset were fined 500 pounds and ordered to pay an additional 500 pounds costs. — AFP