& çâÌæÚUæð´ ·¤è ¥ôÚU Îð¹Ùæ ÁæÚUè ÚU¹ð´ ¥ÍæüÌ ¥ÂÙð ÜÿØ ÂÚU ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´Ð ãæÚU Ù ×æÙð´, €UØô´ç·¤ ·¤æ× ·¤ÚUÙð âð ¥æÂ·¤ô ©gðàØ ·¤è Âýæç# ãôÌè ãñ ¥õÚU ÁèßÙ ·¤æ ¹æÜèÂÙ ÎêÚU ãôÌæ ãñÐ ÖÜð ãè ÁèßÙ ×ð´ ç·¤ÌÙè Öè ·¤çÆÙæ§ü €UØô´ Ù ¥æ°, çÁ™ææâæ ¥õÚU ©ˆâæã ÕÙæ° ÚU¹ð´Ð ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´, ÜÿØ ã×ðàææ ¥æÂ·Ô¤ Âæâ ãôÌð ãñ´ çÁ‹ãð´ ÂæÙð ·Ô¤ çÜ° ÂýØæâ ¥æÂ ·¤Öè Öè àæéM¤ ·¤ÚU â·¤Ìð ãñ´Ð

Sparking Jewel sets new SAF mark

SPORTS REPORTER
Jewel Ahmed broke the SAF (South Asian Federation) Games record in the 50-metre butterfly on the third day of the 20th National Swimming Championship at the Army Swimming Complex yesterday.
The 21-year-old Bangladesh Navy natant, who finished third in this event in the Islamabad Games earlier this year, set the pool alight when he clocked 26.04 seconds to win his third gold in the meet. But this one is very special for Jewel as he shattered the region's record of 26.11 seconds in style. It is all the more memorable for the sailor as it bettered his own personal mark of 26.19 seconds, which he set in the Pakistan capital.
His fantastic swim also stunned officials of the Bangladesh Swimming Federation (BSF) who are now hopeful that he would bring a gold in this event at the next SAF Games in Sri Lanka in 2005.
"It is absolutely unbelievable what he clocked today. It was especially significant because he swam in difficult condition with the rain coming down hard," BSF general secretary Shaabuddin told The Daily Star Sport last night.
The swimmer was over the moon after his achievement.
"Actually the training in Thailand and China before the Athens Olympic helped me a lot to improve my timing. I was confident of doing better in this event but I never expected of breaking the SAF mark," said Jewel.
Rafiqul Islam of BKSP finished second in a time of 27.10 second and Jewel's teammate Jamal Hossain bagged the bronze clocking 27.81 seconds.
Jewel also led Navy to win the 4x100m freestyle relay along with Munmun Ahmed, Kazi Monirul Islam and Rubel Rana with a new 3:44.71 seconds beating the old
national record. They clocked SEE PAGE 14 COL 5
FROM PAGE 13 mark of 3:47.92.
Sabura Khatun of BJMC was other outstanding performer on the penultimate day of the four-day competition. She won three gold including two national records in 800m freestyle (11:17.33sec) and in 200m freestyle (2 :56.58 sec).
In the women's 50m breaststroke, Mahfuza Akhter of BKSP set a new national record with 36.17 seconds. The previous best was 37.13 seconds.
Labani Akhter Jui of Bangladesh Ansar created the other new national record in the women's 50m butterfly. She took 33.21 seconds surpassing the previous best of 33.40 seconds.