Weeka Talentia

KATHMANDU: Kathmandu Don Bosco College is organising the Inter-College Basketball Tournament as a part of Weeka Talentia — also featuring Poetry Competition, Elocution and Art Exhibition — from January 6. In all, 19 teams are taking part in the nine-day tournament. Five matches are scheduled for the inaugural day — Don Bosco vs CAB, Gyanodaya vs Nobel, White House vs Rehdon, Brookfield vs Nagarjuna and Prime vs Shuvatara.

Madhyapur in final

BHAKTAPUR: Ramesh Sinkeman scored a hat-trick as Madhyapur Youth Club beat hosts Siddhi Ganesh Sports Committee 4-1 in the day’s semi-final of the Siddhi Ganesh Cup football tournament. Bal Gopal Shahu scored the other goal for Madhyapur, while Krishna Ram Prajapati scored the consolation for the hosts. Madhyapur will face Bhaktapur Municapility, which defeated Buddhist Youth Club 4-3. Bikash Duwal and Rupesh Dhaubanjar scored two goals each for the winning team, while Prajjwol Raut netted two goals and Raj Krishna scored the other for Buddhist Club.

New Year’s Cup golf

KATHMANDU: Gokarna Forest Golf Resort and Spa is organising the New Years Cup golf tournament on January 4. More than 100 golfers from Gokarna Golf Club, Royal Nepal Golf Club, Tribhuvan Army Offices’ Club, Himalayan Golf Course of Pokhara and Nirvana Country Club of Dharan are expected to take part in the annual tournament. Defending champion Maj Gyan Bahadur Gurung will pit his skills against fellow amateur golfers, said Le Meridien in a press release on Thursday.

Open Squash Tournament

LALITPUR: Bir Bahadur Nepal beat Ratna Kaji Shakya beat 3-1 to enter the quarter-finals of the Open Squash Tournament, which has been organised by Nepal Squash Rackets Association on the occasion of the 33rd birthday of Crown Prince Paras and to select the players for ninth SAF Games. Others to enter the men’s singles last eight are Ajay Singh, Janak Thapa, Sancha Narayan Shrestha, Prajjwol Pradhan and Arun Rana. Krishna Gurung beat Arun Kumar Thapa 3-0 in men’s plate section, while Mahendra Singh defeated Tirtha Pun 3-0 in veterans’ category.

Santos wins road race

SAO PAULO: Marilson Gomes dos Santos of Brazil won the 79th annual St Silvester road race on Wednesday, outpacing a field of 13,500 competitors that included defending champion Robert Cheruiyot of Kenya. Dos Santos ran the 15-km course in 43 minutes, 49 seconds. Countryman Romulo Wagner took second in 43:57, followed closely by Kenya’s Martin Lel. Margaret Okayo of Kenya beat a field of 1,500 runners to win the women’s race. Okayo posted a time of 51:24 ahead of countrywoman Debora Mengich (52:35) and Brazil’s Marcia Narloch (52:49).

Bonano leaves Barcelona

BARCELONA: Goalkeeper Roberto Bonano has left FC Barcelona and will finish the season with Spanish league team Murcia. The Argentine, who had been under contract until June 2004, joined Barcelona in 2001 and was the team’s No 1 goalkeeper for two seasons. Bonano played in 27 league and 15 Champions League matches in his first season at the Camp Nou. In second season, he played 24 league and 8 Champions League matches.

Zimbabwe win tour opener

PERTH: Zimbabwe warmed up for the forthcoming triangular series against Australia and India with an eight-run one-day cricket win over Australia A on Thursday at the WACA. Chasing 241 runs for victory, the Australia A side was all out for 232 in the 49th over. Zimbabwe opener Carlisle (100 not out) earlier carried his bat as he led his side to 240 from 49.5 overs.