United News of Bangladesh

World No. 3 Iga Swiatek lifted her maiden Cincinnati Open title on Monday night with a 7-5, 6-4 victory over seventh-ranked Jasmine Paolini. The Polish star, who had never progressed beyond the semifinals in six previous appearances, finally broke through after falling short to eventual champions Coco Gauff in 2023 and Aryna Sabalenka in 2024. “It means a lot to me,” Swiatek said. “I really wanted it this year. It’s nice to check off another tournament I hadn’t won. I feel comfortable here — it’s a relaxed tournament before New York.” Paolini made a strong start, racing to a 3-0 lead in the opening set before Swiatek fought back to take a 5-3 advantage. Although Paolini leveled at 5-5, Swiatek held firm to close out the set in 56 minutes. The four-time Grand Slam champion then relied on her serve, firing her eighth ace for a 5-3 edge in the second set. Paolini broke twice to stay alive but Swiatek sealed the win to secure her 24th career singles title. Swiatek, who now owns a perfect 6-0 record against Paolini, admitted the season had been demanding. “It hasn’t been easy, but I’m happy I could push through,” she said. Paolini, the first Italian woman to reach a Cincinnati final, acknowledged Swiatek’s serving as the difference. “When she needed an ace, she hit it,” she said. Venus Williams, 45, Becomes Oldest Woman Since Navratilova to Win Singles Match The Italian, a qualifier in Cincinnati just last year, has since reached two Grand Slam finals, captured a Grand Slam doubles crown and claimed Olympic gold. The Cincinnati Open, regarded as a key warm-up for the U.S. Open starting Sunday, has produced back-to-back men’s and women’s champions who later triumphed in New York. Earlier Monday, Carlos Alcaraz took the men’s title after Jannik Sinner retired ill during the first set. Source: Agency 

Humanoid robots showcased hip-hop dance moves, martial arts skills, and musical performances on keyboard, guitar, and drums at the opening ceremony of the inaugural World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing on Thursday evening. The three-day competition, which kicks off Friday, features more than 500 robots across 280 teams from 16 countries — including the United States, Germany, and Japan — competing in sports such as football, running, and boxing. The event highlights China’s push to advance humanoid robotics powered by artificial intelligence. During the opening, robots demonstrated various sports, some cheering and performing backflips to mimic a real sporting atmosphere. A robot footballer scored after several attempts, prompting the goalkeeper to collapse dramatically. Another fell but managed to stand up unaided. Robots also took part in a fashion show, modeling hats and clothing alongside human models. In one mishap, a robot toppled over and had to be carried off stage by two people. World humanoid robot games adds new events Participants include robotics companies, leading Chinese universities such as Tsinghua and Peking University, and three middle schools. China’s People’s Daily quoted a Beijing official as saying, “Every robot that participates is creating history.” Tickets for the games, which end Sunday, are priced between 180 yuan ($25) and 580 yuan ($80). Source: Agency 

Two Japanese boxers lost their lives from brain injuries sustained in separate matches held on the same event at Tokyo’s Korakuen Hall. Shigetoshi Kotari, 28, collapsed shortly after completing a 12-round draw against Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation junior lightweight champion Yamato Hata on August 2. He underwent emergency brain surgery for a subdural hematoma—a condition where blood pools between the brain and skull—but passed away on Friday. The World Boxing Organization (WBO) expressed condolences on social media: “Rest in peace, Shigetoshi Kotari. The boxing world mourns the tragic loss of this warrior and sends thoughts and prayers to his family, team, and the Japanese boxing community.” The following day, 28-year-old Hiromasa Urakawa died from the same type of brain injury sustained during a knockout loss to Yoji Saito. He had undergone a craniotomy in an attempt to save his life. In another statement, the WBO said, “This heartbreaking loss comes just days after Kotari’s passing. We extend our deepest sympathies to the families, friends, and the entire Japanese boxing community during this difficult time.” In response, the Japanese Boxing Commission announced that all OPBF title fights will be shortened from 12 rounds to 10. Earlier this year, Irish boxer John Cooney died a week after being hospitalized following his Celtic super-featherweight title defeat in Belfast. Source: Agency 

Wallabies hooker David Porecki has announced his immediate retirement from rugby following a heel injury that ruled him out of last weekend’s third test against the British and Irish Lions. Rugby Australia confirmed the 32-year-old’s decision in a statement on Tuesday, marking the end of a professional career that spanned five seasons in the UK with Saracens and London Irish before returning to the New South Wales Waratahs in 2021. Porecki made his test debut for Australia in 2022 against England and was part of the Wallabies squad for the 2023 Rugby World Cup. He became the 88th Wallabies captain after Will Skelton’s injury, leading the side in three of its four pool matches. Despite his leadership, Australia exited at the group stage for the first time in World Cup history. After a setback in 2024, Porecki returned to the national squad last month and earned his 21st and final cap on July 26 at the MCG, where the Lions sealed the series with a late try. “Rugby has given me so much,” Porecki said. “But it feels like the right time to turn the page.” Source: Agency 

Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen is set to undergo back surgery next week and will be sidelined for approximately three months, the club confirmed on Thursday. The surgery is intended to address persistent lower back issues that have troubled the German international. “Today is a personally difficult day for me,” Ter Stegen said in a statement. “Physically I feel fit, but the pain hasn’t gone away. After extensive consultations with Barcelona’s medical staff and outside specialists, we’ve concluded that surgery is the quickest and safest route to full recovery.” The 33-year-old shot-stopper already missed the majority of last season due to a knee tendon rupture, and he was previously out for around two months in 2023 following a separate back procedure. From hospital bed to hero: Bonmatí's goal sends Spain to first Euros final “This time, doctors recommend a three-month recovery window to eliminate any risk,” he added. “Emotionally, it’s tough not being able to help the team, but I’m confident in the rehab process and the path forward.” Barcelona recently strengthened their goalkeeping options by adding Espanyol’s Joan García to the squad. Iñaki Peña served as the backup last season. Source: Agency 

A four-member Bangladeshi delegation including two swimmers, one coach and one congress representative left Dhaka for Singapore on Thursday (July 24) to compete in the 22nd World Aquatics Championship. Bangladesh Swimming team consists of two swimmers Shamiul Islam Rafi and Annie Akhter, coach M Niaz Ali and congress representative M Mahbubur Rahman left Hazrat ShahJalal International Airport Thursday early morning. National Age Group Swimming: BKSP comfortably maintains top slot Some 2500 swimmers from 205 countries lmk all over the world are expected to participate in the 22nd version of the World Swimming Championship Singapore is hosting the most prestigious World Aquatics Championship as the first South East Asian country. Bangladesh team will return home on August 4

Venus Williams made a triumphant return to singles tennis on Tuesday night, defeating 23-year-old Peyton Stearns 6-3, 6-4 at the DC Open and becoming the second-oldest woman in history to win a tour-level singles match. At 45, Williams is now only behind Martina Navratilova, who won a match at age 47 in 2004. This marks Williams’ first singles match in over a year and her first singles victory since August 2023 in Cincinnati. She had been sidelined following surgery to remove uterine fibroids and was listed as “inactive” by the WTA until this week. “Each week was a mental battle,” Williams said of her comeback journey. “Some days I felt I wasn’t ready. Some weeks I made progress. But it was always a head game.” Williams, once ranked world No. 1, showed flashes of her old dominance, firing aces above 110 mph and landing powerful groundstrokes. The crowd at the 7,000-seat stadium rallied behind her, cheering loudly from the moment she stepped onto the court. Diplomatic badminton, table tennis tournament begins Friday Backed by decades of experience and seven Grand Slam singles titles — four of which came before Stearns was even born — Williams broke Stearns early and never looked back. Though she needed six match points to seal the win, she did so emphatically with a 112 mph serve that forced an error from her opponent. “I really wanted to win — for myself and to show what’s possible,” Williams said after the match, adding that maintaining good health remains her biggest priority. Stearns, currently ranked 35th, praised her opponent: “She played some ball tonight. Her movement and serve were on point — more than I expected.” Venus now advances to face fifth-seeded Magdalena Frech, 27, in the next round. Determined and battle-ready, she said, “It’s never easy out here. But I’m ready to fight for every match.” Source: Agency 

The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) has effectively banned transgender women from competing in women’s events at the Olympic level, citing compliance with an executive order signed by President Donald Trump earlier this year. In a low-profile update to its website and a formal letter sent to national sports governing bodies, the USOPC said it is obligated to follow Trump’s February executive order titled “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports,” which warns of cutting federal funding from organizations that allow transgender athletes to participate in women’s competitions. “As a federally chartered body, we must align with federal expectations,” USOPC CEO Sarah Hirshland and President Gene Sykes wrote. “Our revised policy stresses the need to maintain fair and safe environments for female athletes. All National Governing Bodies (NGBs) must now update their policies accordingly.” The change comes months after the NCAA revised its own rules to restrict participation in women’s sports to athletes assigned female at birth. The USOPC oversees roughly 50 NGBs, including USA Swimming and USA Track and Field, many of which now face the task of adjusting their policies across both elite and grassroots levels. USA Swimming acknowledged the new directive and is consulting with the USOPC, while USA Fencing announced a new policy — effective August 1 — allowing only athletes “of the female sex” to compete in women’s categories. Men’s events will now be open to transgender athletes and others not eligible for the women’s division. The National Women's Law Center condemned the move, calling it politically motivated. “By caving to political pressure, the USOPC is undermining the safety and rights of its own athletes,” said the center’s president, Fatima Goss Graves. Usyk knocks out Dubois to reclaim undisputed world heavyweight title The issue of transgender inclusion in sports has become a flashpoint in U.S. politics, with over two dozen states enacting laws restricting transgender participation in women’s and girls’ sports. Some measures have faced legal challenges for being discriminatory. At the international level, sports such as swimming, cycling, and track and field have adopted stricter eligibility rules that bar athletes who have undergone male puberty from competing in women’s events. The International Olympic Committee, under new president Kirsty Coventry, has emphasized preserving the integrity of the female category while allowing federations to set sport-specific rules. Trump has been vocal about his stance, calling for sweeping changes by the IOC and labeling the issue “ridiculous.” The 2028 Summer Olympics will be hosted in Los Angeles. Source: Agency 

Oleksandr Usyk may humbly deny being one of boxing’s all-time greats, but his performance at Wembley Stadium on Saturday continues to strengthen his legacy. The Ukrainian southpaw became the undisputed world heavyweight champion for the second time after a fifth-round knockout of Britain’s Daniel Dubois, landing a powerful left hook to end the bout in front of 90,000 fans. With the win, Usyk successfully defended his WBA, WBC, and WBO titles and reclaimed the IBF belt he vacated over a year ago. The 38-year-old showed no signs of slowing down and hinted at future bouts against Tyson Fury, Derek Chisora, Anthony Joshua, or Joseph Parker. Even YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul expressed interest. “I will continue boxing and training,” Usyk said post-fight. “But right now, I want to return home. I’ve been away from my family and living with my team in one house for over three months.” Usyk dropped Dubois twice in the fifth round, finishing the fight with a lunging left hook he jokingly called “Ivan”—a punch he likened to a heavy blow from a farmhand. U-18 Asia Cup Hockey: Airin's hattrick powers Bangladesh women to secure bronze ; men finish 4th Saturday’s finish came without the controversy that surrounded their first encounter, which ended with a ninth-round stoppage following a debated low blow. This time, there was no doubt. Dubois, who stunned Joshua with a knockout last September, was aiming to become the first British heavyweight to unify all major titles since Lennox Lewis. Despite improved form, he couldn't withstand Usyk’s power. “I gave everything I had. No excuses,” said Dubois (22-3, 21 KOs). Usyk (24-0, 15 KOs), a former undisputed cruiserweight champion, has remained unbeaten since turning pro. He praised Britain as his “second home,” recalling past victories in London, Liverpool, and Manchester. Meanwhile, Jake Paul teased future bouts against both Joshua and Usyk, drawing attention with a stadium stare-down and online challenge. Source: Agency 

Bangladesh have lost the toss and were put to bat first in the second T20I of the three-match series against Sri Lanka. Bangladesh lost the first match, and are now on the verge of another defeat in the ongoing Sri Lanka tour. Winning the second T20I, that Bangladesh aimed, will give the Tigers a chance to seal the series in the last match. Bangladesh made a few changes to their playing XI. Jaker Ali returned to replace Mohammad Naim who was slow in the middle in the first match. Mustafizur Rahman and Shoriful Islam also made their way to the playing XI to replace Taskin Ahmed and Tanzim Hasan Sakib. But Sri Lanka fielded an unchanged squad. FIFA, players' unions agree on minimum rest rules for footballers Bangladesh XI: Tanzid Hasan, Parvez Hossain Emon, Litton Das (captain, wicketkeeper), Jaker Ali, Towhid Hridoy, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Shamim Hossain, Mohammad Saifuddin, Rishad Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman, Shoriful Islam Sri Lanka XI: Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis (wicketkeeper), Kusal Perera, Avishka Fernando, Charith Asalanka, Dasun Shanaka, Chamika Karunaratne, Jeffrey Vandersay, Maheesh Theekshana, Binura Fernando, Nuwan Thushara//