Anisur Rahman

Swimmer Ariful Islam could have caught a flight to Bangladesh before lockdown was enforced in France early last month, but the 21-year-old decided to stay back there in home quarantine in a bid to keep his family members and others in Bangladesh safe from the coronavirus.

National team’s forward Matin Mia is eagerly counting days to return to the pitch after recovering from a hamstring injury which he sustained during the Bangabandhu Gold Cup’s semifinal against Burundi on January 23.

Athletes of different disciplines have an opportunity to maintain their fitness by doing exercise at home, but weightlifters need special type of exercise which cannot be conducted at home.

I grew up in a district that has long been a breeding ground for many renowned athletes and also one that hosted a lot of national events, apart from local leagues of football, cricket, hockey and many other sports.

“Working from home” has suddenly became a buzzword for the professionals the world over following the outbreak of coronavirus, but for professional athletes that hardly holds meaning as all they can do is some light practice to stay fit.

World Cupper Daniel Colindres has become a household name in Bangladesh football after he played a key role in Bashundhara Kings’ Bangladesh Premier League triumph in his debut appearance last season.

While most people of the country including sports stars are staying indoors to contain the spread of coronavirus, some national hockey players, especially the ones employed by Bangladesh Navy, are mentally gearing up to step out and serve the people in their hour of need.

The long-awaited elections of Mohammedan Sporting Club Ltd will be held on April 18 with the hope of electing board of directors, which is expected to revive the past glory of the country’s traditional outfit.

With state-owned BJMC already withdrawing its team from the upcoming Bangladesh Championship League (BCL) citing a financial crisis, other outfits based in Motijheel and Arambagh’s Club Para, are facing similar problems in signing players in the ongoing transfer market.

After failing to shine in the recent Bangabandhu Gold Cup at home, the national team forwards’ inability to cash in on opportunities has once again come to the fore and Bangladesh head coach Jamie Day reiterated that changes in domestic football structure as well as reduction in the foreign players’ quota in top-flight football would pave the way for local forwards.

Having ensured the semifinals of the Bangabandhu Gold Cup for the fourth time in a row on the previous night, the Bangladesh team relaxed yesterday as all the players enjoyed optional training inside the team hotel.

A brace from Costa Rican World Cupper Daniel Colindres helped Bashundhara Kings lift the title of the TVS Federation Cup with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Rahmatganj MFS in an exciting final at the Bangabandhu Nation Stadium yesterday.

Two days after being re-elected for a third term as Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) President in May 2016, Kazi Salahuddin promised to place emphasis on developing district football, strengthening club football and building a strong national football team.

The country’s footballing hopes were illuminated after considerable time in the doldrums following the national team’s impressive recent performances against higher-ranked sides in the ongoing Joint Qualifiers of the World Cup and Asia Cup.

Whether the story is of success or failure, mainstream sports like cricket, football, hockey and to a lesser extent shooting, swimming and other disciplines always hit the headlines.

The hasty exit of the Bangladesh national swimming team’s Japanese coach Takeo Inoki because of the punishment he witnessed being meted out to junior swimmers has forced the authorities to identify a new way to penalise rule-breakers during training camps.

The road heading north of Eden Gardens is a calm and quiet one, with some old trees lining the sides of the narrow street near the famous stadium.

Bangladesh were once again deprived of a win by India when they surrendered a first-half lead to play out a 1-1 draw against the Blue Tigers in the 2022 World Cup qualifying encounter at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata yesterday.

On September 3, 2013, during a match of the 10th SAFF Championship at Halchowk Stadium in Kathmandu, India’s prolific striker Sunil Chhetri robbed Bangladesh of a much-deserved win by curling a free-kick over the wall and past Bangladesh goalkeeper Mamun Khan to rescue India in stoppage time after having gone down 1-0 in the 82nd minute.

Bangladesh coach Jamie Day had surprisingly announced that he that he would play for a win at home against Asian champions Qatar but the 39-year-old tempered expectations on the eve of the joint qualifier for the World Cup and Asian Cup against India at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata today.