Sports
Sheikh Kamal 2nd Bangladesh Youth Games kicks off
The first phase of the Sheikh Kamal 2nd Bangladesh Youth Games 2023, organised by the Bangladesh Olympics Association (BOA), began Monday in eleven districts of the country.
The first phase inter-upazila level competition of the Games kicked off at Chattogram, Noakhali, Lakshmipur, Rangamati, Chandpur, Mymensingh, Narsingdi, Joypurhat, Nilphamari, Kurigram, Barguna and Lakshmipur.
Former Chattogram City mayor AJM Nasir Uddin inaugurated the Games at MA Aziz Stadium in Chattogram at a function chaired by Deputy Commissioner (DC) and CJKS President Abu Bashar Mohammad Fakruzzaman.
Read: National Handball: Dhaka, Chattogram, Bandarban, Kushtia top groups
DC Dewan Mahbubur Rahman inaugurated the competition at Shaheed Bhulu Stadium in Noakhali and DC Mohammad Mustafizur Rahman at the Rafiquddin Bhuiyan Stadium in Mymensingh.
DC Abu Nayeem Mohammad Maruf Khan launched the competition at the Moslehuddin Bhuiyan Stadium in Narsingdi and DC Habibur Rahman in Barguna.
DC Saidul Arif inaugurated the Games in Kurigram, DC Pankoj Ghose in Nilphamari and Lakshmipur-2 MP Nur Uddin Nayon in Lakshmipur.
After the completion of the first phase on January 10, the inter-district second phase of the competition will be held during January 16-22.
Read: Sri Lanka lift Women's International Beach Volleyball trophy
The final phase of the competition will be held in Dhaka from February 26 to March 4.
Boys and girls aged under 17, born after January 2, 2006, can participate in the competition by showing their birth certificates.
With the new inclusion of cycling, gymnastics and rugby, the Games will feature 24 disciplines of sports.
Around 50,000 athletes took part in the first Youth Games in 21 disciplines of sports.
An athlete can compete in a maximum of eight events – six in individual and two in team events – in the first phase of the Games.
Bangladesh Championship League: BFF Elite Academy beat Wari Club 2-1
BFF Elite Academy earned their second consecutive victory in the Bangladesh Championship League (BCL) Football 2022-23 after beating Wari Club 2-1 at the Birshreshtha Shaheed Shipahi Mohammad Mostafa Kamal Stadium in Kamalapur Monday morning.
BFF Elite Academy, who managed a 3-2 win over Dhaka Wanderers Club in their last match, dominated the first half today with an opening goal from Mirajul in the 25th minute (1-0).
Jibon equalised for Wari Club in the 49th minute (1-1).
Mirajul scored the match-winning goal for BFF Academy in the 62nd minute from a penalty (2-1).
In the day's other match, Gopalganj Sporting Club defeated Uttara Football Club 2-1 at the same venue in the afternoon.
Also Read: Sheikh Kamal 2nd Bangladesh Youth Games begins Monday
Fahim put Gopalganj SC in front in the third minute (1-0). Mishu pulled one back for Wari Club in the 61st minute (1-1).
Iftesham scored the match-winning goal for Gopalganj SC in the 83rd minute (2-1).
In the day's remaining match, NoFel Sporting Club earned a 1-0 goal victory over Dhaka Wanderers at the same venue in the afternoon.
Kankar Biswas scored the winning goal for NoFel SC in the 52nd minute (1-0) after a barren first half.
Ronaldo joins Saudi Club Al Nassr: End of an Era in European Football
Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the greatest footballers of all time. His career has been remarkable, with numerous titles and records to his name. Since starting his professional career in 2002, this Portuguese footballer has constantly proved his talent in international games. Ronaldo's recent transfer to Saudi Club Al Nassr FC has surprised his fans as well as soccer enthusiasts around the world. Let’s explore Ronaldo’s eventful football career along with his triumphs, accolades, and milestones.
Overview of Cristiano Ronaldo’s Club Career
In his 20 years of soccer career Ronaldo has played with six different clubs and has been successful with all of them. In this section, we are going to highlight Ronaldo’s performance in clubs. Although he played for Sporting CP B and Sporting CP from 2022 to 2023, we are not covering his performance on these clubs as he did not have any significant achievements with these Portuguese clubs.
Manchester United (2003-2009)
Cristiano Ronaldo began his top-class football career in the year 2003 when he joined Manchester United, which was managed by Sir Alex Ferguson at the time. Ronaldo made an immediate impact in his first season with the club. He scored his first Premier League goal for Manchester United with a free-kick in a 3–0 win over Portsmouth on November 1. He ended the season with six goals, and he also scored the winning goal in the 2004 FA Cup Final against Millwall.
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During his time at Manchester United, Ronaldo won three Premier League titles, one FA Cup, one UEFA Champions League title, and one FIFA Club World Cup title. He also won the Ballon d’Or award in 2008, becoming the first-ever Manchester United player to win the prestigious award after 1968.
Real Madrid (2009-2018)
In 2009, Cristiano Ronaldo transferred to Real Madrid for a world record transfer fee of £80 million. In his first season at the club, Ronaldo scored 33 goals in all competitions and was an integral part of the team that put them in the second position with 96 points.
During his nine-year stint at Real Madrid, Ronaldo won two La Liga titles, two Copa del Rey titles, four UEFA Champions League titles, and three FIFA Club World Cup titles. He also achieved numerous individual awards, such as the Ballon d’Or awards in 2013, 2014, 2016, and 2017. He set a record for the most goals scored in a single La Liga season with 48 goals in the 2014-15 season.
Read More: Who will win Ballon d'Or 2023?
Juventus (2018-2021)
In 2018, Cristiano Ronaldo transferred to Juventus for a transfer fee of £88 million. In his first season at the club, Ronaldo scored 28 goals in all competitions and was part of the team that won the Serie A title. He has also won the Serie A title, the Coppa Italia, and the Supercoppa Italiana during his time at Juventus. He has also been awarded the inaugural Serie A Most Valuable Player.
Manchester United (2021-2022)
Ronaldo joined Manchester United again in 2021. However, he did not have any significant achievements in the last season with Manchester. But he scored 24 goals in 39 appearances. Among these, he appeared in 7 Champion League games and scored 6 goals.
Achievements and Awards
Cristiano Ronaldo has achieved numerous awards and accolades during his illustrious career at Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Juventus. He has won five Ballon d’Or awards, four UEFA Best Player in Europe awards, five UEFA Champions League titles, and three Premier League titles.
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He has also been named FIFA Men’s Player of the Year in 2016 and 2017. And he is the all-time top scorer in the UEFA Champions League with 141 goals. He is also the all-time leading goal scorer for Real Madrid, with 451 goals in 438 appearances.
Overall, Cristiano Ronaldo has had an illustrious career with numerous achievements and awards. He has made a name for himself as one of the greatest footballers of all time. After completing his long, eventful career in Europe, Ronaldo now joined the Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr in 2022.
Leader PSG loses 3-1 at Lens for 1st defeat; Monaco in 4th
French league leader Paris Saint-Germain crumbled under pressure to lose 3-1 at Lens for its first defeat of the season on Sunday as second-place Lens cut the gap to four points and maintained its perfect home record.
PSG's weakness against the counterattack was ruthlessly exposed by Lens. The northern side scored at the start of each half and dominated the midfield battle against a rattled PSG to make it nine straight home victories for coach Franck Haise's side. Lens has the league's best defense with 11 goals allowed in 17 matches, compared to 13 for PSG.
Frustrated PSG coach Christophe Galtier was alarmed by the performance, saying his players did not stick to the game plan.
“I struggled to recognize my team. We lacked solidarity and we got wiped out the more the game went on, leaving them far too much room,” he said. “In fact, we did the opposite of what we should have. We struggled against Lens' pressing, we should have played more long passes to make them defend deeper. Athletically, we were dominated.”
Read more: Tchouaméni shows at World Cup why Mbappé wanted him at PSG
Haise, meanwhile, celebrated his 100th game in charge by grabbing a microphone and singing a club anthem with the jubilant fans. Closely knit with its supporters, Lens has strong working-class roots from its history as a mining community and is known as Les Sang et Or (The Blood and Gold) for its yellow jersey and red shorts. Lens won its only league title in 1998 and was a close runner-up to Lyon in 2002.
The first goal came in the fifth minute.
Lens used its strong pressing game to win the ball and moved it wide left to Florian Sotoca, whose goal-bound cross was palmed away by goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma only for winger Przemyslaw Frankowski to volley home.
The lead was short-lived as forward Hugo Ekitiké, given a rare start in the absence of Neymar and Lionel Messi, scored from close range three minutes later after Lens failed to deal with a cross from the right.
PSG was without Neymar, through suspension, and World Cup winner Messi, who is returning to training after an extended stay back home in Argentina.
“They are two great players who make the difference but that is not an excuse,” PSG captain Marquinhos said. “We lacked cohesion, efficiency and intensity.”
PSG's weakness against rapid attacks was exposed when midfielder Seko Fofana won the ball near his own penalty area and threaded a 40-meter pass to Loïs Openda. He expertly cut inside defender Marquinhos before slipping the ball under Donnarumma.
PSG conceded just two minutes into the second half as midfielder Fabien Ruiz lost the ball, Openda back-heeled it to forward Alexis Claude-Maurice and he slotted past Donnarumma.
PSG star Kylian Mbappé was kept quiet, with the league's 13-goal top scorer mustering only a speculative shot in the 60th.
Galtier's decision to play Mbappé and Morocco right back Achraf Hakimi this week in back-to-back games so soon after the World Cup appeared to backfire as both looked jaded. Galtier said they will be rested for Friday's French Cup game at Châteauroux.
Read more: Messi, Neymar & Mbappe all score as PSG beat Troyes 4-3
OTHER MATCHES
Monaco moved up to fourth place after winning 1-0 at home to Brest, with Russia midfielder Alexandr Golovin scoring in the 54th minute.
Monaco coach Philippe Clement made a bold choice selecting 17-year-old Eliesse Ben Seghir over established striker Wissam Ben Yedder, the club's top scorer for the past three seasons.
“He brought a lot of energy to the team,” Clement said. “What’s important is not a player’s age but what he shows on the field.”
Ben Seghir made a sensational league debut in midweek, coming off the bench to score twice — including an Mbappé-style curling winner — to help Monaco win 3-2 at Auxerre.
Monaco is level on points with third-place Marseille, which plays at Montpellier on Monday.
Lyon lost 1-0 at home to Clermont, with midfielder Muhammed Cham scoring a penalty with three minutes left. The win moved Clermont into ninth place and two points behind Lyon in eighth.
Rock-bottom Angers took a 10th-minute lead through striker Abdallah Sima, but Lorient equalized in the 79th when Sima turned Enzo Le Fée's corner into his own net. Le Fée hit the winner for 2-1 as Lorient moved up to sixth spot.
Toulouse won 2-0 against Ajaccio, with goals from Rafael Ratao and captain Brecht Dejaegere.
Substitute Marcus Coco scored the winner as Nantes beat Auxerre 1-0 to pull clear of the relegation zone.
MONDAY'S GAMES
Rennes needs a home win over Nice to move above Monaco into at least fourth place in the chase for a Europa League spot.
After a narrow 2-1 defeat at PSG, struggling Strasbourg hosts Troyes, and Lille hosts Reims.
Sheikh Kamal 2nd Bangladesh Youth Games begins Monday
The first phase of the Sheikh Kamal 2nd Bangladesh Youth Games 2023, organised by the Bangladesh Olympics Association (BOA), will begin Monday at the upazila level.
After the completion of the first phase on January 10, the inter-district second phase of the competition will be held during January 16-22.
The final phase of the competition will be held in Dhaka from February 26 to March 4.
The boys and girls aged under 17, born after January 2, 2006, can participate in the competition by showing their birth certificates.
Read: Sheikh Kamal 2nd Bangladesh Youth Games begins on January 2
With the new inclusion of cycling, gymnastics and rugby, the Bangladesh Youth Games will feature 24 disciplines of sports.
Around 50,000 athletes took part in the first Youth Games in 21 disciplines of sports.
An athlete can compete in a maximum of eight events – six in individual and two in team events – in the first phase of the Games.
On December 23, BOA President and Chief of Army Staff General SM Shafiuddin Ahmed unveiled the Games' logo and mascot at a function in Dhaka.
BPL 2023: Salahuddin laments lack of DRS
The new season of the Bangladesh Premier League T20 (BPL) is just around the corner, and only five days before the first match, the authority confirmed that there would be no Decision Review System (DRS) for any matches prior to the play-offs.
This announcement came as a surprise to many, including Mohammad Salahuddin, coach of the Comilla Victorians, who expressed his dismay at the lack of DRS from the start of the tournament.
A total of seven teams are set to compete in this season. The new edition will take place in three different venues across Dhaka, Chattogram, and Sylhet.
Read: Bangladesh Cricket in 2022: A peak to begin with, then mostly downhill
“Such a big cricket event, it would be a great pity if it does not have DRS,” Salahuddin said on Sunday during a practice session of his team.
“One wrong decision could turn out to be fatal for a team’s chances of winning the tournament. The board has earned considerable money, so I think they should invest in DRS. Moreover, they had plenty of time before the BPL commences,” he added.
It’s going to be the ninth edition of BPL.
Read: Russell Domingo Steps Down as Bangladesh Head Coach
The Victorians are the most successful team in BPL history, with three titles. Imrul Kayes, the left-handed opener, led the Victorians to the titles on two occasions.
Salahuddin announced that they have yet to decide who will captain the team for the upcoming BPL season, but hinted that they will likely continue to depend on Imrul's leadership.
Read More: BPL 2023: All Teams Squad, Captain, Players List details
National Handball: Dhaka, Chattogram, Bandarban, Kushtia top groups
Dhaka, Chattogram, Bandarban, and Kushtia DSAs topped their groups to reach the second round of the Exim Bank 33rd National Men's Handball Championship 2022 after their wins at the Shaheed Captain Mansur Ali National Handball Stadium in the capital Sunday.
Dhaka came top of Group A, defeating Dinajpur by 46-18 goals after leading the first half 21-10.
Chattogram topped Group B, beating Lalmonirhat 20-12 after dominating the first half 11-6.
Read: Sheikh Kamal 2nd Bangladesh Youth Games begins on January 2
Bandarban defeated Narail 31-15 in their day's first match and later outplayed Joypurhat 26-4 in the day's second match to come top of Group C.
Kushtia topped Group by defeating Cumilla 40-14 in the first match and beating Jamalpur 33-29 in the second match.
In the day's other matches, Jamalpur outplayed Thakurgaon 28-12, Patuakhali defeated Khulna 25-11, and Cumilla beat Thakurgaon 23-11 at the same venue.
U-19 T20 World Cup: Young Tigresses to leave Dhaka for South Africa tonight
The Bangladesh U-19 women's cricket team, led by Disha Biswas, will head to South Africa on Sunday night to participate in the first ICC Women's Under-19 T20 World Cup.
While speaking to the media at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in the capital's Mirpur Saturday, Disha, from all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan's hometown Magura, hoped that they would achieve something remarkable at the competition.
"Even though we might not win the title, we have an outstanding team, and I am confident that we will be able to achieve great success," she said.
Disha believes the Bangladesh U-19 women's team is a force to be reckoned with, boasting an impressive balance across all departments of the game.
Read: Russell Domingo Steps Down as Bangladesh Head Coach
Not only is the team well-stocked in batting, but they have also nurtured several immensely talented cricketers who are poised to make their mark soon, the U-19 women's cricket team captain said.
The inaugural edition of the ICC U19 Women's T20 World Cup 2023 will kick off in South Africa on January 14. Sixteen teams will lock horns against each other in the tournament – 12 secured direct qualifications while the other four earned their places after winning their respective qualifier tournaments.
In their first match, Bangladesh will take on Australia on January 14.
Bangladesh squad
Disha Biswas (c), Shorna Akter (vc), Rabeya, Marufa Akter, Dilara Akter, Misty Rany Saha, Reya Akter Shika, Sumaiya Akter, Afia Humaira Anam Prottasha, Mst Unnoti Akter, Mst Dipa Khatun, Leky Chakma, Asrafi Yeasmin Arthy, Jannatul Maoua, and Eva.
Uruguay striker Luis Suárez joining Brazil's Gremio
Uruguay striker Luis Suárez is joining Gremio, the Brazilian club said Saturday.
The 35-year-old Suárez was a free agent after he left his boyhood club Nacional before the World Cup in Qatar. Brazilian media reports said Suárez signed a two-year deal with Gremio.
“One of the biggest in Uruguay's history, Luis Suarez is coming to continue his victorious trajectory,” Gremio said on social media. “A top goal scorer, a multiple champion, and a fighter. Welcome, Luisito.”
Read more: Ronaldo Saudi move to signal likely end of elite club career
Suárez, who played for Ajax, Liverpool, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid, confirmed the deal.
“I wanted to thank you for all the love I have received,” Suárez said in a video posted on social media. “We will meet shortly.”
Gremio returned to Brazil’s Serie A after one year in the second division.
Ronaldo Saudi move to signal likely end of elite club career
Less than two weeks after his great rival Lionel Messi lifted the World Cup, Cristiano Ronaldo has completed a move to Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr and likely signalled the end of his career in elite club soccer.
In agreeing a contract until 2025, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner has ended speculation about his future after having his contract terminated by Manchester United last month.
“I am fortunate that I have won everything I set out to win in European football and feel now that this is the right moment to share my experience in Asia,” Ronaldo said.
Al Nassr described the deal as “history in the making,” however, it is likely to raise questions about Ronaldo’s ambition at this stage of his career.
While Messi finally won the one major trophy that had evaded the two men widely regarded as the greatest players of their generation, after leading Argentina to the World Cup in Qatar, Ronaldo will be playing outside of top level European soccer for the first time in his career.
Media reports have claimed the 37-year-old Portugal international could earn up to $200 million a year from the move, but he will miss out on the chance to extend his record as the all-time leading scorer in the Champions League with his record currently standing at 140 goals.
Messi is on 129 goals in the competition.
Ronaldo is also unlikely to add to his Ballon d’Or collection - the trophy awarded to the best player in the world.
Meanwhile, Messi will be among the favourites to win that trophy for an eighth time next year after his World Cup triumph.
He also has the chance to win the Champions League with Paris Saint-Germain, having lifted European club soccer’s biggest prize on four occasions with Barcelona.
Ronaldo won the Champions League five times during spells with United and Real Madrid.
Six months ago Ronaldo wanted to join a team playing in the Champions League after United failed to qualify for this season’s competition.
Read more: Cristiano Ronaldo bids adieu to the World Cup
However, a move never materialized, with the most serious interest in him coming from an unnamed Saudi Arabian club.
It is not known what other serious offers were made after he became a free agent last month, but the move to Al Nassr represents a significant step down compared to the level he has operated at throughout his career.
Still it is a major coup for soccer in the Middle East and will add to the debate over Saudi Arabia’s attempts to use so-called “sportswashing” to improve its reputation internationally after its sovereign wealth fund led a buyout of Premier League club Newcastle United last year.
“This is more than history in the making. This is a signing that will not only inspire our club to achieve even greater success but inspire our league, our nation and future generations, boys and girls to be the best version of themselves,” Al Nassr posted on social media.
Ronaldo remains one of soccer’s biggest global icons, but the move comes at a time when he has faced questions over his ability to still produce his best form at the highest level.
He managed just three goals for United in 16 games this season, with one of those coming from the penalty spot.
He became the first male player to score in five World Cups with his penalty in Portugal’s 3-2 win against Ghana in Qatar, but ended the tournament having been dropped for his country’s last two games before going out to Morocco in the quarterfinals.
By comparison Messi inspired Argentina’s third World Cup triumph, scoring seven goals, including two in the 4-2 penalty shootout win against France in the final after a 3-3 draw through extra time.
Ronaldo and Messi have had their achievements compared throughout their careers.
Messi’s World Cup win saw him emulate soccer greats Pele and Diego Maradona by lifting the sport’s biggest prize.
Read more: Ronaldo's career at Manchester United may be over
To many, it will also have given him the edge in his personal rivalry with Ronaldo. And at the age of 35, he still has time to further embellish his career in top level soccer.
Meanwhile, Ronaldo has earned headlines in recent months for his antics away from the field.
He was dropped and made to train away from United’s first team when refusing to come on as a substitute in a game against Tottenham in October.
He then conducted an explosive interview with Piers Morgan in which he criticized manager Erik ten Hag and United’s owners the Glazer family.
It led to the termination of his contract, his eventual move to Al Nassr and the next chapter of his career away from the glare of top flight European soccer.