Xavier reach semis

LALITPUR: Xavier International College reached the semi-finals of the Akhil Cup Inter-college Football Tournament here on Tuesday. In the match held at the ANFA Technical Centre in Chyasal, Xavier edged past Trungram International Academy (TIA) 2-1. TIA took the 21-minute lead from Dinesh Karki but Sri Krishna Khadka found the equaliser for Xavier in the 65th. Dikesh Khadki scored the decider in the 78th minute taking his team to the last four. In the second quarter-final match on Wednesday, Patan Multiple Campus will take on Triton College.

Track-suits presented

KATHMANDU: The Dhorpatan Sports Training Centre (DSTC) provided the SA Games participating Nepali national volleyball players with track-suits here on Tuesday. The National Sports Council Member Secretary Hari Babu Chaudhary handed over the track-suits to 12 players and two coaches. The DSTC also announced the dates of the fourth Gongabu Deepjyoti Cup Men's Volleyball Tournament for January 17-21. In all, six-teams — Tribhuvan Army Club, Armed Police Force Club, Pokhara, Jawalakhel Volleyball Training Centre, Deepjyoti Sports Club and G4 Sports Club — will participate in the tournament. The top three finishers in the tournament will earn Rs 50,000, Rs 30,000 and Rs 20,000 respectively. The best player will also pocket Rs 5,000.

Hosts BST win

KATHMANDU: Hosts Bishnumati Awasiya Higher Secondary School (BST) started with win in the first BST Cup Inter-college Basketball Tournament here on Wednesday. BST edged past Nava Jyoti 27-13 riding on eight points from Santosh Thapa. In another match, Sandok Thakuri netted 12 points as St Lawrence outplayed Valley College 44-21. A total of 20 teams are participating in the league-cum-knockout tournament.

Shankar in town

KATHMANDU: Malaysian badminton coach A Shankar on Wednesday arrived in Kathmandu. Shankar will train the Nepali shuttlers selected for the 11th South Asian Games in Dhaka later this month. Nepal Badminton Association officials received the coach at the Tribhuvan International Airport.

Black belt for Army

KATHMANDU: The Nepal International Taekwondo Federation (ITF) provided 20 armymen of Suryadal Battalion in Bhaktapur with Black Belt first dan on Wednesday. The armymen were provided with the black belts after a grading conducted by the Nepal ITF international coach Chetan Raj Giri and Chief coach Anju Nath Shrestha.