It can be said that from the sporting point of view 1999 was quite a year. The last year of the twentieth century saw some long awaited events-- the Cricket World Cup. Copa America and the World Athletics Championships. Those nerve-tingling mega meets offered lot of amusements while it also left behind some sad memories as Ihe likes of our national hockey star Rabiuddln Ahmed, legendary West Indian fast bowler Malcolm Marshall and American golfing hero Payne Stewart started their journey to the un-knov/n. In the case of South Asian region, last year was highly significant as the eighth SAF Games. 2nd South Asian Football Federation Championship and the first-ever Asian Test Cricket Championship took place during this period. In fact, a year is a long time for sporting happenings as a lot of events can or do commence in 365 days. So. it is greatly difficult to picture a whole year in a few words. Being well aware of the trouble of short-listing, wc would like to highlight the following events, which in Star Sport's consideration are the (op of the things in 1999 simply because of their prominence and proximity.

BANGLADESH IN WORLD CUP

According to statistics. Bangladesh should have played in the 1996 cricket World Cup which was co-hosled by India. Pakistan and Sri Lanka In the sub-continent. Prior to (he ICC Trophy in Kenya in 1994. everything was going In (hat direction. But whatever (he reasons were they couldn’t quality. Tine dream gol shattered And. ever since Bangladesh becoming the 1997 ICC^Trophy champions in Malaysia, people of tins sports-loving country started dreaming again. This time they were not satisfied with only the qualification to the big league, but expecting something more from the boys, 14 < ri< kcti rs left for England on the I 4(l» of April to make their debut In World Cun. carrying the hopes of 120 million. Anri the Bengal Tigers performed even beyond the mass' Imagination. They created Bangladesh's sporting history on May 31 by defeating eventual finalists Pakistan by 62 runs which, to many, was this tiny nation's second biggest triumph after earning Independence from that very country In 1971.

CRICKET WORLD CUP

ry's last cricket World Cup was held in England from May ) 4 to June 20. 12 countries took part In the 42-match event, played at

Britain and Holland although its name was England '99. Bangladesh made its debut in the mega meet by becoming champions in the ICC Trophy held in Malaysia in 1997. Be-

Hides. Scotland also featured in this World Cup for the first Uinc. Kenya were the other non-Test playing nation In the fray. Australia staged a late recovery as winning the crucial matches in the later part of the tournament. And they continued their fine run until June 20 when they completely outplayed pretournament favourites Pakistan by eight wickets.

SAF SOCCER GOLD

The biggest moment for Bangladesh® football landed al the Dasharath Rangashala (slndlum) In the Nepalese capital of Kathmandu on October 4. Bangladesh hooters finally coded a long wait of 15 years

Star Sport workhorse Zakaria Simon looks back at 1999

when they tasted the elusive SAL Games gold by beating Nepal. Ace striker Altax Ahmed shot Bangladesh to their maiden South Aslan glory during the Injury time In the first half of the final against the hosts. Although Bangladesh had been the favourites right from the Inception of the regional carnival way back In 1984, the ultimate glory kept on eluding us somehow or in someway. They ended up with broken-hearts in their four previous appearances In final. They lost to hosts Nepal 4-2 in the final of the inaugural SAF Gaines. Apart from the cheers from football. Bangladesh glinched a gold In women's 50-metre small bore sports rifle event on September 29.

BANGABANDHU CUP

SOCCER TOURNEY

The second Bangabandhu Cup international football tournament was held at the Bangabandhu National Stadium from August 27 to September 7. Including Bangladesh, eleven teams from different countries across the world took part in the high-profile but low-quality tourney of the country’s annals. Led by Takaiyoshi Amma. the J-League Selection of Japan, lifted the Cup with a 3-2 ‘golden goal' win over the Ghana OljTnpic team in the grand finale. Takashi Takahashi shot FL Selection to glory 10 minutes into the sudden death extra time. Although for the hosts there was nothing at stake, they fared pretty well but failed to cross the first round hurdle due to their low scoring rate com-'pared to that of the Kerulet Football Club of Hungary. Kerulet and South Korea under-18.sides were the other semifinalists.

ASIAN TEST

CHAMPIONSHIP

The championship in Test cricket - a brainchild of ICC president Jagmohan Dalmiya--saw the light in the sub-continent when India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka clashed for the inaugural version in February and March. The first match was held at the Eden Gardens in Calcutta on February 16-20 which Pakistan won by 46 runs against India. The next game, which ended In a draw, commenced in Colombo four days later between India and the hosts. The championship s last tic of the first round was played In Lahore from March 4-8 which Sri Lanka and Pakistan drew. Being a cricket-crazy country, Bangladesh also participated In the championship, but only by playing host to the grand final on March 12-16. Pakistan and defending one day champions Sri Lanka were the contestants. And Pakistan defeated the islanders convincingly by an Innings and 175 runs on the fourth day. During the meet, Pakistan captain Wasim Akram snared a hat-trick of wickets In Lahore and repeated the feat in Dhaka to become the only cricketer to do It twice tn both forms of the game. Excepting the. mercurial left-handed tearaway, no bowlers could even achieve the

feat once both In Test and one-

COPA AMERICA

The 39th version of the Copa America-- the biggest football festivity In Latin America-- was held In Paraguay from June 29

to July 18. World soccer's powerhouse Brazil, who went down 3-0 to hosts France in the final of the World Cup in 1998. retained the title by outclassing Uruguay 3-0 with strikes from Rivaldo and Ronaldo, two of the greatest names in world football these days. Rivaldo and Ronaldo were also Joint-top scorers in the tourney with 5 goals apiece. Although it is a South American tournament. Japan, who are co-hosting the 2002 World Cup with South Korea. were Invited to participate in the 12-team fray as guest participants. It was Brazil's sixth title in the continental competition. Both Argentina and Uruguay have won 14 times each.

GOODBYE STEFFI

Steffi Graf, the undisputed queen of the world tennis, fighting a series of injuries, badc her final goodbye on August 13. Winner of 22 Grand Slam singles titles. The 30-year-old German goddess, who was having a chronic back injury and a subsequent knee problem, had to stay out of tennis for more than 3-and-a-haIf months in 1997. Graf burst onto the international scene capturing the French Open in 1987 at the age of 18. The following year she went on to win all the four Grand Slams to start an era of a new queen. Said to be the perfect grass-court player. Grafs finest moments came at Wimbledon where she reached the final nine times and ended up winning seven titles. She became the youngest woman at 13 to receive a WTA Tour ranking in 1982. She stayed on the top spot for a record 377 weeks. Graf won her last Grand Slam at the French Open In 1999 and reached the Wimbledon final to lose to American Lindsay Davenport In July. OIT the court, her romance with American star Andre Agassi this year has become the most sought-after

stuff for the mediamen.

MANCHESTER

UNITED’S TRIPLE

CROWN

Manchester United football club, at the moment world's most glamorous side, completed a fairytale end to the season in the Spanish city of Barcelona on May 26 when they sensationally beat Bayern Munich in the final of the European Champions’ League. Substitutes Teddy Sheringnam and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer scored with the German champions leading 1-0 in the regulation 90-mlnute play. The astonishing strikes in the third minutes of the injury time not only enabled the Red Devils clinch the most prestigious title in the continent but also completed a unique treble in the English soccer following their triumphs in the Premiership and the FA Cup in the previous two weeks. Tne last time United won the coveted was In 1968.

LENNOX: KING OF THE RING

British heavyweight boxer Lennox Lewis established himself as the undisputed champion of the world on November 13 when he earned a unanimous decision over Evander Holyfield handed by a panel of three judges. Although Holyfield shouted. “1 won the fight" shortly after the final bell, the judges were Impressed enough to declare the 34-year-old Briton the champion. The two fought in an ill-fated unification bout on March 13 at the Madison Square Garden which was called off Just after three rounds. Many of the observers, however, felt' Lewis easily won that match. But It w-as scored a majority draw, which led to a grand jury Investigation and several hearings. It was then set that a rematch would be held on November 13 if an undisputed champion was to be made.

lioiuddo adopts a child!

ROME. Dec 31: Ronaldo w^ given a poignant present for h wedding from former Inter M lan teammate Mauro Milanea — a sponsored Brazilian chil< reports Reuters. '

Milanese, who now plays fa Perugia, gave the "long-distanc adoption gift to the Brazl striker, who is due to become 1 father himself in April, an Itai ian charity said.

Ronaldo, 23. married mode Milene Domingues. 22. oi Christmas Eve at his mother's house in a luxury district of Rk de Janeiro. Wedding guests in eluded two of the striker's dost friends from his early years ii a poor Rio neighbourhood.

"After the news that (Parmi keeper Gianluigi) Buffon ha sponsored a child fron Cameroon as a gift to his girl friend, we are immense!} pleased that Milanese chos this gift above so many other and that Ronaldo has acceptet it." said Paolo Brancaleone, at official with the Assisi Centn for International Peace betwea Peoples.

"Now we hope that more am more soccer players will male gestures of this kind."

No details of Ronaldol "adopted* child were immedi ately available.