United News of Bangladesh

Amicus United have been crowned champions of the LAABRACU Futsal League 2026, organised with the participation of current and former students of the School of Law at BRAC University. The team secured the title with a convincing 3–0 victory over Invictus Victor in the final. Organised by the Law Alumni Association of BRAC University (LAABRACU), the tournament featured a total of 12 teams. De Jure Academy served as the title sponsor of the tournament. The LAABRACU Futsal League 2026 was held throughout the day on Saturday (19 September) at the Multipurpose Hall of BRAC University, followed by the prize-giving ceremony at the end of the competition. BRAC University Registrar Dr David Dowland attended the ceremony as the chief guest. Among others, the prize-giving ceremony was attended by LAABRACU President Meher Niger, Vice President Yasir Adnan, General Secretary Tafsir Ahmed Khan, BRAC University Alumni Relations Manager Farhad Hossain, and Rafiqul Islam Shimul, one of the proprietors of De Jure Academy. The tournament was coordinated overall by Sheikh Rasiful Islam, Sports and Cultural Secretary of LAABRACU. According to the organisers, the tournament was aimed at strengthening interaction and engagement among current and former students of the BRAC University School of Law while fostering a vibrant and active alumni community through sports.  

The trophy unveiling, partnership celebration with the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF), and mega auction for the ‘BGMEA Cup 2026’—one of the country's largest corporate football tournaments—were held on Saturday at the BGMEA Complex in Uttara. State Minister for Sports Md. Aminul Haque attended the event as the chief guest at the Nurul Quader Auditorium and officially unveiled the trophy alongside BGMEA President Mahmud Hasan Khan and BFF Vice-President Fahad Mohammad Ahmed Karim. Speaking at the event, State Minister Md. Aminul Haque gave a positive assurance regarding the allocation of a playground in the Uttara Phase-3 area following a demand raised by BGMEA leaders. He noted that the government has initiated steps to introduce sports allowances for athletes and engage corporate houses in sports development to modernize the sector. Presiding over the event, BGMEA President Mahmud Hasan Khan stated that despite being a trade organization, BGMEA plays a key role in various social and national causes. He added that plans are underway to include sports in the curriculum of BGMEA University. Addressing the gathering, BGMEA Vice-President (Finance) Mijanur Rahman urged the State Minister to allocate abandoned fields in Dhaka to BGMEA, assuring that the organization would renovate and maintain those using corporate sponsorships. BFF Vice-President Fahad Mohammad Ahmed Karim highlighted the joint efforts of BGMEA and BFF to elevate Bangladesh's image on the global stage. During the event, BGMEA Director and Sports Committee Director-in-Charge Shah Rayeed Chowdhury presented a PowerPoint demonstration outlining the collaborative partnership between BGMEA and BFF. A special Online Video Commercial (OVC) featuring women garment workers was also screened. Later, BFF Vice-President Fahad Mohammad Ahmed Karim handed over special jerseys to the chief guest and the BGMEA President. The event concluded with a mega auction involving 16 participating teams, marking the official countdown to the final competition scheduled to kick off on October 22, 2026. BGMEA Senior Vice-President Inamul Haq Khan, Vice-President Md. Rezwan Selim, Directors, Sports Committee Chairman Md. Sajjad Ali Khan, Sustainable Energy Committee Chairman Md. Saifur Rahman Sapu, BGMEA Secretary General Major General Dr. Md. Shahedul Islam (Retd.), along with garment sector entrepreneurs, were present at the event.

The Asian Games officially opened Saturday with a colorful ceremony, beginning a 16-day sporting event that has already been underway for more than a week. Basketball competition began on Sept. 10 due to the packed schedule, while the men's semifinals were held Friday, a day before the official opening. Soccer has also been underway for almost as long. While the Summer Olympics usually begin a few days before their opening ceremonies, the Asian Games have started even earlier. The event features at least 11,000 athletes from 45 countries and regions competing in 43 sports. The 2024 Paris Olympics had about 10,700 athletes, while roughly 12,000 competed at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China. Japanese organizers have not yet announced the final number of athletes, but the total could match or exceed the figure from Hangzhou, partly because of several new sports. Alongside Olympic sports such as athletics, swimming and soccer, the Asian Games feature traditional Asian disciplines including kurash, kabaddi and sepaktakraw. Kurash is an ancient wrestling style from Uzbekistan, kabaddi resembles a physical team version of tag, and sepaktakraw combines elements of volleyball and soccer. Mixed martial arts, padel, teqball and esports have also been added, making the schedule particularly busy. Japan has the largest delegation with 933 athletes, while China has sent more than 800. China topped the medal table at the 2023 Games with 201 gold medals, followed by Japan with 52 and South Korea with 42. Royal family leads opening ceremony Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako were among the leading dignitaries at the opening ceremony. Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, who was elected president of the Olympic Council of Asia earlier this year, also attended. "Tonight the eyes of Asia, and much of the world, turn to Japan," Sheikh Joaan said in his address before the Emperor officially declared the Games open. International Olympic Committee President Kirsty Coventry was also present. The ceremony was themed "Harmonic Heart Beat," with a large heart-shaped stage set up on the infield of Nagoya City Stadium. Afghanistan led the traditional athletes' parade, while host Japan entered last to loud applause. Controversies before opening The official opening may bring some relief to organizers, who faced several controversies during preparations. One major issue involved accommodation. Instead of building a dedicated athletes' village, organizers planned to house an estimated 17,000 athletes and officials on a large cruise ship, in hotels and in wooden containers converted into accommodation. Japan officially spent $13 billion on the Tokyo Olympics, which were postponed until 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. A government audit later suggested the actual cost may have been about twice that amount. Organizers therefore sought to avoid similarly high spending for the Asian Games. Some athletes have complained that beds and rooms are too small, while others have reported leaks in the wooden accommodation units. The wide spread of venues around Nagoya could also create logistical challenges. Nagoya, Japan's third-largest metropolitan area, has a population of about 9.5 million and is located around 200 miles (350 kilometers) south of Tokyo. Political issues also emerged before the opening. On Friday, organizers mistakenly played the North Korean national anthem during a field hockey match between South Korea and Bangladesh. South Korean players stood at attention as the unfamiliar anthem played. Many South Koreans are not familiar with North Korea's national anthem and did not immediately recognize it. Around the same time, Taiwanese Sports Minister Lee Yang, a two-time Olympic badminton gold medalist, was temporarily prevented from attending a welcoming ceremony involving Taiwan and several other countries, including North Korea, Palestine and India. The Olympic Council of Asia described the incident as a misunderstanding but did not provide a full explanation. Lee was later allowed to join the ceremony. Taiwan competes in the Asian Games and Olympics as Chinese Taipei and does not use its own flag because China claims sovereignty over the island off its eastern coast.

Brentford moved up to third in the Premier League after a convincing 3-0 victory over west London rival Chelsea on Friday. The defeat extended Chelsea’s winless league run to three games and left manager Xabi Alonso searching for answers after a poor second-half performance. Jaidon Anthony, Igor Thiago and Fabio Carvalho scored in the second half to give Brentford all three points. “Disappointed with the second half, disappointed with the result,” Alonso said. “This is not how to compete in the Premier League. We were punished.” He added that Chelsea need to become more consistent throughout matches. “At the moment we are not being consistent enough to compete during the whole game. Forty-five minutes is not enough, you need to compete for the whole game,” Alonso said. “It’s about everything, it’s about tactical things that we need to keep improving and do much better.” New-look Chelsea Chelsea’s lineup reflected several of the changes made during the offseason, with experienced players Jordan Henderson and Danny Welbeck making their first league starts for the club. The visitors looked more organized defensively in the first half than they have at times this season. They matched Brentford physically, won several duels and prevented Keith Andrews’ team from controlling second balls. However, Chelsea’s defensive problems returned after halftime. Brentford took the lead in the 61st minute when Mikkel Damsgaard delivered a corner that was headed on by Jannik Schuster before Anthony finished the move. Thiago then found himself unmarked and scored after Kevin Schade’s shot was saved. Carvalho completed the victory in stoppage time, firing home a low cross to send the Brentford supporters into celebration. Andrews praises Brentford “It was a really good evening,” Brentford manager Andrews said. “It’s important that you enjoy evenings like this because you work so hard and there are so many tough days in this game.” He said the rivalry with Chelsea made the victory even more satisfying. “When you play against a west London rival, you build up to a game and you go on a bit of a journey with the team,” Andrews said. “There are always bumps along the way, but we were in a really good place and it’s nice to see it come into fruition tonight.” Brentford now have nine points from five matches, three behind joint leaders Arsenal and Manchester City, who play on Saturday and Sunday respectively. Chelsea remain seventh with seven points from five games.

Kelsey Mitchell scored 33 points to set a WNBA season scoring record, while Caitlin Clark added 28 points and matched her season high with 14 assists as the Indiana Fever defeated the Toronto Tempo 103-85 on Friday night. The victory was Indiana’s eighth in its last 10 games. Mitchell broke A’ja Wilson’s previous WNBA single-season scoring mark of 1,021 points, set with Las Vegas in 2024, with a 3-pointer in the third quarter. Mitchell now has 1,034 points this season. She also extended her WNBA record by scoring at least 20 points in 25 consecutive games. Mitchell shot 12 of 17 from the field and made seven of 11 attempts from 3-point range. Clark went 7 for 15 from the field and 2 for 8 from beyond the arc. She made all 12 of her free-throw attempts and recorded her 14th double-double of the season in her first game since helping the United States win the women’s FIBA World Cup in Germany. The game was the first for both teams after a nearly three-week break for the World Cup. Clark previously recorded 14 assists against Toronto in a home victory on June 16. Laura Juskaite led Toronto with 22 points, while Kiki Rice scored 18. Isabelle Harrison and Temi Fagbenle each added 16 points for the Tempo, who suffered their fifth consecutive loss. Toronto began its inaugural season with a 9-9 record but has since gone 2-21. The Tempo played without guard Marina Mabrey, who will miss the team’s final four games because of a right adductor injury. The team announced Wednesday that Mabrey had been ruled out. She has not played since Toronto’s home loss to Indiana on Aug. 18. Toronto Raptors guard Immanuel Quickley attended the game.

Lionel Messi was seen pointing his finger at Major League Soccer (MLS) commissioner Don Garber several times during a postgame exchange following Inter Miami’s match against Cruz Azul on Wednesday. Video from after the game showed Messi pointing at Garber while speaking to him before walking away. He later returned and appeared to point at Garber again as they continued their conversation. In another video, the two were seen pointing at each other while talking. MLS declined to comment on the exchange, while Inter Miami did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The incident came after Inter Miami beat Cruz Azul 2-0 to win the Campeones Cup. Messi scored the 100th goal of his Inter Miami career during the match. The victory added another trophy to Inter Miami’s collection since Messi joined the club three years ago. The team won the Leagues Cup in 2023, the Supporters’ Shield in 2024 and the MLS Cup in 2025.

Bangladesh advanced to the Asian Games women's cricket semifinals Thursday after their quarterfinal against China was abandoned due to a wet outfield, with neither team taking the field. The sun was out and both sides had completed their warm-ups, but the ground stayed too wet from earlier rain for play to start. The match was called off before the toss. Bangladesh went through on ranking, sitting 10th in the ICC T20I standings against China's 36th. Bangladesh will face the winner of Friday's match between India and Japan, set for 11 a.m. Bangladesh time, in the semifinal on September 20. The team has won two silver medals and a bronze in past editions of the Games. In a video message released by the Bangladesh Olympic Association before the China match, batter Sobhana Mostary said the squad was aiming for another medal. The washout also cost China what would have been a first official meeting between the two sides in T20 cricket. Bangladesh and China last played at the 2010 Asian Games, where Bangladesh bowled China out for 34 and chased the total down in seven overs for the loss of one wicket. That match was not recognized as an international fixture, meaning Thursday's game would have been the first sanctioned T20I between the teams.

One more time. That's it, that's all. Lionel Messi will wear the Argentina shirt once more, and then that's the end of it. The plan had been rumored ever since Messi announced his international retirement last month: the Argentine Football Association (AFA) wanted him back for one home friendly during a FIFA window, so the fans who'd watched him for twenty years could actually be there to say goodbye. Now it's confirmed. Argentina play Benin on October 6 at the Monumental in Buenos Aires — 85,000 seats, and Messi's name is on the squad list Lionel Scaloni released. It's his last game in the shirt. AFA president Claudio Tapia put it plainly in a video message: the federation invited Messi so he'd get, in his words, "the proper farewell he deserves." It's going to be a lot, that night. The AFA invited every player from the 2022 World Cup-winning squad, plus their families, and Tapia says the whole match is being dedicated to Messi. There was a real chance this wasn't how his story with the national team would end. Argentina lost the World Cup final to Spain 1-0 back in July, and Messi — 39 now — posted his retirement on social media on August 31. For a while, it looked like that final loss would just be the last thing anyone remembered. The AFA clearly didn't want that to stick. Two friendlies come first: Bolivia in Córdoba on September 30, then Burkina Faso in Buenos Aires on October 3. Benin will be cap number 208 for Messi. Only Cristiano Ronaldo has played more internationals and scored more international goals than him. Within Argentina alone, Messi already owns both records — 207 caps, 125 goals. There's a wrinkle hanging over the home games. FIFA hit Argentina with a disciplinary sanction last month for using a match to make a political statement, and ordered the next home game capped at half capacity. So the Bolivia match at Estadio Mario Kempes will be played with the stands half-empty. That goes back to the World Cup semi-final win over England, when a group of Argentina players unfurled a banner reading "The Falklands are Argentina's." Separately, suspensions from the brawl between Argentine and Spanish players after the World Cup final are due to kick in around these same friendlies — Leandro Paredes gets 10 matches, Nahuel Molina seven, Thiago Almada one.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has confirmed that the national men's team will travel to Nepal in March 2027 for a three-match T20 International series. This tour will be dedicated to the memory of those who died in Nepal's recent devastating floods. All three matches will be held in Kathmandu, on March 26, 28 and 30, 2027. Plans for the tour took shape during a meeting between State Minister for the Ministry of Youth and Sports Md Aminul Haque and Nepal's Ambassador to Bangladesh, Ghanshyam Bhandari. Ambassador Bhandari followed up with a visit to the BCB, where he met President Tamim Iqbal to discuss the proposed series and broader cricketing ties between the two nations. The BCB said it wanted to express sympathy for flood victims through the gesture, describing the series as a chance for the two cricketing nations to stand together at "a time of great loss" and send a message of friendship and solidarity Beyond the series itself, the BCB pledged continued support for cricket development in Nepal, pointing to potential cooperation on men's and women's team tours, High Performance programmes, and coaching and technical assistance for players and staff in both countries.

Lionel Messi scored his 100th goal for Inter Miami as the club defeated Cruz Azul 2-0 on Wednesday night to win the Campeones Cup. Messi gave Miami the lead in the 24th minute, heading in a cross from Luis Suárez. It was his 100th goal in 115 appearances for Inter Miami across all competitions. The milestone came against the same team Messi faced when he scored his first goal for Miami. He found the net with a stoppage-time free kick to give Miami a 2-1 victory over Cruz Azul in his debut in July 2023. Brazilian midfielder Casemiro doubled Miami's lead in the 81st minute, heading in a corner delivered by Messi. Casemiro has now scored four goals in his last five matches, all with headers. He scored in three straight games against CF Montreal, Atlanta United and Chicago before failing to score against Nashville on Saturday. The victory gave Inter Miami another trophy three years after Messi joined the club. Miami previously won the Leagues Cup in 2023, the Supporters' Shield in 2024 and the MLS Cup in 2025. Up next Inter Miami will return to MLS action Sunday when it hosts San Diego FC at Nu Stadium. Miami currently sits second in the Eastern Conference standings.