Anisur Rahman

What little hope that Bangladesh had of emerging as Group A champions in the SAFF Women's Championship was shattered yesterday when they suffered a disappointing 3-0 defeat to hosts Nepal in their final group match at the Sahid Rangsala in Biratnagar yesterday.

The Bangladesh women's football team were shocked at the news of mass shootings at two mosques in New Zealand yesterday which,

Bangladesh's bid to play in the SAFF Women's Championship final got a huge boost when the women in red and green handed a 2-0 defeat to Bhutan in their group opener, securing a semifinal berth in the process at the Sahid Rangsala in Biratnagar, Nepal yesterday.

Bhutan showed signs of improvement but it was not enough to stop Bangladesh from notching a 2-0 victory in a SAFF Women's Championship encounter at the Sahid Rangsala in Biratnagar, Nepal yesterday.

Bangladesh will begin their bid to play in back-to-back finals of the SAFF Women's Championship when they take on Bhutan in a Group A encounter at the Sahid Rangashala in Biratnagar, Nepal today.

"We are now crossing the border at Rajshahi and are about to enter Indian airspace. Passengers sitting on the right can enjoy the sight

Although the SAFF Men's Football Championship has always been a major attraction for football lovers in South Asia, the women's

It was Bangladesh that produced the Asian sub-continent's first Grand Master (GM), Niaz Murshed, some 31 years ago but the once-promising discipline of chess has seemingly been stuck in an unsound position since the country got its fifth and last GM in 2008.

Mohammad Ismail Hossain took up the challenge of competing in the 100m sprint just six months ago, during the Summer Athletic Championships, and the 26-year-old athlete burst onto the scene after breaking a 27-year-old national record in his first-ever sprint event at the Walton 42nd National Athletic Championships at the Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday.

The Bangladesh Premier League is all set to enter its 11th edition today when holders Abahani meet NoFel SC, but the country's top-flight professional football league continues to struggle to mould itself into a model based on professionalism despite starting its journey over a decade ago.

Wrestler Billal Hossain is now 40 and still competing in the National Wrestling Championships with the same inspiration he had some 14 years ago.

Refereeing decisions often lead to controversies in football everywhere in the world, but it is perhaps more severe in Bangladesh than many other places as big clubs often raise their fingers against match officials during and after crucial encounters.

Rangpur Division emerged champions in the inaugural Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman National Gold Cup (U-17) Football tournament with a 2-1 win over Rajshahi Division in an entertaining final at the Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday.

It may sound like idle gossip that a person built the first stand of a stadium with the construction materials originally intended for the expansion of his own building, but that is what happened in 1953 in Jashore.

The alleged sexual assault of an under-age female weightlifter sent shockwaves through the country's sports fraternity yesterday. Bengali daily Kaler Kantho revealed that a 17-year-old weightlifter was admitted to a mental hospital on October 23 because of mental trauma suffered in the aftermath of the alleged assault.

Newcomers Bashundhara Kings will be dreaming of becoming the first side to be crowned on their debut appearance in top-flight football in today's Federation Cup final but standing in the big-spenders' way is the imposing figure of giants Abahani.

As big-money foreign signings take their time to settle into the style and pace of play in Bangladesh, the opening stage of the football season's curtain-raising Federation Cup is traditionally the platform where local players can showcase their talents and make an impact.

Favourites Palestine became the newly crowned champions of the 5th Bangabandhu Gold Cup following a 4-3 win on penalties over 10-man Tajikistan in the final at the Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday.

Bangladesh's campaign in the Bangabandhu Gold Cup came to an end with a 2-0 defeat against Palestine in the second semifinal at the Birshrehtha Shaheed Ruhul Amin Stadium in Cox's Bazar yesterday, but not before the hosts won hearts with their brave performance.

The return of Bangladesh head coach Jamie Day in the tactical area for today's Bangabandhu Gold Cup semifinal against Palestine will surely serve as a motivational boost to the men in red and green. Day even conducted a vital training session just after being discharged from the hospital yesterday morning.