Mike Tyson, one of the greatest heavyweight champions of all time, is returning to the ring after a long gap.

The 54-year-old will meet four-division champion Roy Jones Jr in an eight-round exhibition match on Sept 12 at Dignity Health Sports Park, reports AP.

Tyson became the youngest heavyweight champion in history when he won the title in 1986 at age 20 and for a time was the most feared fighter in boxing.

His career became littered with distractions and he hasn't boxed since 2005 after losing his second straight fight.

He has occasionally teased a return with workout videos and it's finally scheduled to happen.

His explosive training videos with his trainer shocked many. He looked in terrific shape and people were clearly surprised seeing the speed and power of the former champion even at the age of 54.

After retiring from boxing, Mike Tyson even went on to star in the popular Yip Man franchise alongside Donnie Yen.

In one of the first training videos he posted, Tyson said "I'm back", teasing a comeback and triggering speculations about his comeback fight.

Many names came up as prospective opponents but it has finally been decided to be Jones.

Jones, 51, won titles in the middleweight, super middleweight and light heavyweight before moving up to win the heavyweight title in 2003, becoming the first former middleweight champion to do so in 106 years.

The event will air on pay-per-view and the social media music platform Triller. Further matches on the card and musical entertainment will be announced in the coming weeks.

When COVID-19 pandemic has paused most sports worldwide, the United Nations (UN) has been celebrating a game that you can play safely indoors or online and also help to reduce anxiety, improve mental health on Monday marking the first ever World Chess Day.

Melissa Fleming, Under-Secretary-General of UN Global Communications said, at a virtual commemorative event, said “Today is a day of celebration for an intellectual game that for centuries has managed to entertain, stimulate and sometimes even confound millions of us, the world over.”

“And as we celebrate, we remind ourselves of the special value that a game such as chess is bringing to so many people during this awful Covid-19 pandemic”, she added.

“They feed our lifelong sense of play…nurture our passion and enthusiasm… refresh our minds and bodies…distract us from troubles, and reduce our anxieties”, said Fleming.

According to reports, the pandemic has spurred a surge in chess, with more players coming together online, to compete and enjoy the game.

Combining sport, scientific thinking and artistic flair, chess is one of the most ancient, intellectual and cultural of games, according to the UN.

“The UN is mainstreaming sport initiatives into its work towards development and peace, part of our wider efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030”, affirmed Fleming.

This is being done by strengthening education; realizing gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls.

Also taking part in the event, the fifteenth world chess champion, groundbreaking Indian grandmaster, Viswanathan Anand, reflected on the long history of chess as a masterful "game of strategy". 

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) remains "fully committed" to staging the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2021, IOC president Thomas Bach said on Wednesday.

It is considering "multiple scenarios" to ensure the safety of all participants, Bach said.

The Tokyo Olympic Games, which was initially scheduled to start on July 24 this year, has been postponed by one year due to the global COVID-19 pandemic.

"We are working all together with our Japanese partners and friends to celebrate the Games next year from July 23 until August 8, 2021," Bach told reporters in a conference call after the IOC Executive Board meeting on Wednesday.

"First of all, the entire IOC is following the principle we have established before the postponement of the Tokyo Olympic Games that the first priority is about safety of all participants," Bach said, "For this reason, we are working now on multiple scenarios of the organization of the Games with regard to the health situation of which we do not know."

"The World Health Organization (WHO) is playing a very important role. So we continue to be guided by the advice of WHO and based on this advice we are preparing multiple scenarios," the IOC chief added.

However, Bach emphasized that although "multiple scenarios" are being taken into account, an Olympic Games without spectators is not what the IOC wants.

"The Olympic Games behind closed doors is clearly something we don't want," Bach said. "So we are working for a solution for the Olympic Games which on the one hand is safeguarding the health of all participants, and on the other hand is also reflecting the Olympic spirit."

The IOC Executive Board on Wednesday also approved the decision to push back the 2022 Summer Youth Olympic Games, scheduled to take place in Dakar, Senegal from October 22 to November 9, 2022, by four years to 2026. The proposal will be submitted to the 136th IOC session for ratification on Friday.

Bach said that the postponement of Dakar 2022 will allow the IOC, the National Olympic Committees (NOCs) and the International Federations (IFs) to better plan their activities, and allow Senegal to carry on with preparations for the Youth Olympic Games.

The first death anniversary of renowned sports journalist and Sports Editor of Dainik Sangbad Ajay Barua falls on Sunday (July 12).

Eminent sports journalist Ajay Barua, a former vice president of Bangladesh Sports Journalists Association (BSJA), breathed his last at a London hospital on July 12 last year at the age of 70.

He left behind his wife, two daughters, a son and a large number of well-wishers to mourn his death.

Ajay, a freedom fighter, went to England to cover the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019, was initially admitted to King George Hospital in London after falling sick. When his condition worsened, then he was put on life support at the Saint Berts Hospital in the UK where he was expired after 10 days.

Ajay Barua joined the Dainik Sangbad in 1974 as a sports journalist and performed his duties as its sports editor till he passed away.

He was a Dhaka University Blue and a decorated sportsman before beginning his career in sports journalism. He also played football for Dhaka Abahani.

He was one of the founding members of Bangladesh Sports Journalists’ Association and also served as the sports secretary of Jagannath Hall of Dhaka University.

Barua, who loved to play football and cricket in his formative years, was involved with sports journalism for around five decades.

Also read: Sports journalist Ajay Barua dies in London

The government has allotted Tk 3 crore as humanitarian aid for 150 distressed athletes in the country on Tuesday.

State Minister for the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Zahid Ahsan Russell handed over the cheques of humanitarian aid for the athletes on behalf of National Sports Council and Bangabandhu Krirashebi Kalyan Foundation.

While distributing the financial aid for athletes at National Sports Council building in the capital, State Minister said they have already provided aid to over 600 athletes.

The allotted money will be handed over to the root level athletes soon as per the directive of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, he said adding that a modelling a policy in this regard is underway.

Read Also: BCB donates BDT 5 million for athletes of different federations

State Minister also informed that they have been working to provide Tk 24,000 to each of 1,150 athletes in one year from Bangabandhu Krirashebi Kalyan Foundation.