United News of Bangladesh

A five-member chess team will represent Bangladesh in the 1st FIDE Olympiad for People with Disabilities in Serbia's Belgrade from January 29 to February 5. The Bangladesh team consists of Md Khorshed Alam, Syed Ejaz Husain, Bappy Sarkar and Md Ali Newaz Sarker and non-playing captain plus coach Masudur Rahman Mallick. They will leave Dhaka for Belgrade Saturday morning. The details of the competition were disclosed by Bangladesh Chess Federation Vice-President KM Shahidullah at a press conference in the federation hall room Wednesday. Also Read: Bangladesh team shines at 15th International Earth Science Olympiad 2022 Bangladesh Chess Federation General Secretary Syed Shahab Uddin Shamim, FIDE instructor plus Joint Secretary of Chess Federation Masudur Rahman Mallick and International Arbiter Md Haroon Or Rashid also spoke. Twenty-six teams from 24 countries are expected to participate in the FIDE Olympiad, including two teams from Serbia. The remaining 24 teams were selected based on player ratings when countries applied to participate in the competition. The FIDE Olympiad will be played in a six-round Swiss League basis format. Four players from each team will take part in four boards in each match. Bangladesh team Md Khorshed Alam (rating 2026), Syed Ejaz Husain (rating 1952), Bappy Sarkar (rating 1778), Md Ali Newaz Sarker (rating 1809)    

Chittagong University clinched the five-team Inter University Hockey Tournament title beating Cumilla University by 2-0 goal in the final at the Dhaka University Central playground here on Wednesday. Hosts Dhaka University and Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) finished 3rd jointly. Read more: Five-team Inter-University Hockey begins Pro Vice Chancellor (Administration) of Dhaka University Prof. Dr Mohammad Samad was present at the day's closing function as the chief guest and later he distributed the prizes. Five University teams—Dhaka University, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), Chittagong University, Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) and Cumilla University—took part in the four-day meet that began last Sunday (January 22).

Sports Bangla took solo lead in the Marcel 2nd Division Chess League securing 10 points after the 5th round matches held at Bangladesh Chess Federation hall-room here on Monday.  Agrani Bank Limited Chess Team is in the 2nd position with 9 points in the meet, sponsored by Walton Hi-Tech Industries and organized by Bangladesh Chess Federation.  Five teams sharing the 3rd slot with 8 points each. They are: Master Mind Chess Club, Morning Glory Chess Club-Kushtia, Dipali Memorial Club-1, Nurul Islam Smirity Pathagar and Hatirjheel Chess Forum.  Read more: Sheikh Russel Youth Rapid Chess begins Friday In the day's 5th round games, Sports Bangla beat Morning Glory Chess Club (Kushtia) by 3.5-0.5 points, Agrani Bank Limited Chess drew with Dipali Memorial Club-1 by 2-2 points, Master Mind Chess Club beat BD Chess in School by 2.5-1.5 points, Hatirjheel Chess Foroum beat Bangladesh Chess Arena by 2.5 -1.5 points, Nurul Islam Smirity Patahgar beat Daffodil International University beat by 3.5 1.5 points, Ipsha Chess.Bd beat Mohammadpur Chess Club (Red) by 3.5-05 points,  Imers beat Debonair Chess Club by 3-1 points, Bangladesh Police Prime Chess Club beat Spandan Dhaka by 3-1 points, Legend Faraaz Chess Team beat Kothashilpi Shoukat Osman Smirity Daba Porishod by 3-1 points, Elegant International Chess Academy beat Bangladesh Police Gold Chess Club by 2.5 -1.5  points,  Asad Chess Club beat Sheikh Russel Chess Club by 3-1 points, Cumilla Victorians Chess Team by 3-1 points, Dabaru Spondon Chess Club drew with Dhaka University Chess Club (Blue) by 2-2 points, Afroze Chess World beat Flame Boys Chess Club by 4-0 game points, Les Chevalers De Notre Dame by 3-1 points, Agnibina Sporting Club-1 beat Bangladesh Shishu Academy by 3-1 points, Spandan Manikgong beat A.B Chess Club by 3-1 points, Dipali Memorial Club-2 beat South Point Navy Blue by 3-1 points, BUET Chess Team beat GN. Agro & Dairy by 4-0 points, Sheikh Russel Chess Academy (Sky) beat Sheikh Russel Chess Academy (Red) by 3-1 points, Ganibina Sporting Club-2 drew with South Points Blue by 2-2 points, Sheikh Russel Chess Academy (Yellow) drew with Bangladesh Police Star Chess Club by 2-2 points, GCC Chess Club beat Agami Chess Guild Switch Club by 3-1 points, Agami Chess Guild Sohag Team beat Sheikh Russel Chess Academy (Queen) by 3.5-0.5 points and South Points Sky Blue drew with South Points White by 2-2 points.  The 6th round matches will start on Tuesday from 3-00 pm at the same venues.

Hosts Chattogram District emerged Chattogram Divisional champions in the Sheikh Kamal 2nd Bangladesh Youth Games' 2023 that concluded on Sunday (January 22) at the MA Aziz Stadium in the port city here. Chattogram District  secured 18 gold medals to be the champion while Cumilla District finished runners-up bagging 16 gold medals. In the meet's Badminton competition, Sifatullah Galib and Aynal Tajrian of Chattogram District earned triple crown by winning singles, doubles and mixed doubles titles.  Secretary General of Bangladesh Olympic Association (BOA) Syed Shaheed Reza was the chief guest at the closing ceremony of the week-long meet on Sunday and distributed the prizes. President of Bangladesh District and Divisional Sports Organizers Parishad and former Chittagong City Corporation Mayor AJM Nasiruddin was also present as the guest honor at the function, chaired by Additional Divisional Commissioner (General) of Chattogram Dr. Prakash Kanti Chowdhury. CMP Police Commissioner Krishna Pada Roy, among others was also present on the occasion. Earlier on last Monday, hosts Chattogram District team also emerged champions in Handball competition beating Bandarban District by 27-22 goals in the final, also at the MA Aziz Stadium.      Some 700 (Under-17) promising athletes, who are qualified from upazila levels of eleven districts of Chattogram Division, took part in the week-long meet that began on January 16. The final phase of the meet will be held in Dhaka from February 26 to March 4. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the final phase of the meet on February 26 at the Army Stadium in Banani. Dhaka.  

The five-team Inter University Hockey Tournament began on Sunday (January 22) at the Dhaka University Central playground in the capital. Dhaka Univeristy Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr Mohammad Akteruzzaman inaugurated the four-day meet on Sunday as the chief guest. Five University teams—Dhaka University, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), Chittagong University, Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) and Cumilla University—are taking part in the meet.        The opening match of the tournament between Buet and Bangladesh Agriculture University (BAU) ended in draw.    

The Bangladesh-Turkiye Friendship Golf Tournament, sponsored by the Bangladesh-Turkiye Business Forum, was held at the Bhatiary Golf and Country Club Saturday. Thirty-five golfers from Tigers Golf Club and 16 golfers from Bhatiary Golf Club took part in the day-long tournament.

The ‘Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Dhaka Marathon-2023' was held in memory of the father of the nation under supervision of Bangladesh Army in the capital on Friday. A total of 2,163 runners from home and abroad took part in several categories including full and half marathon that started from Bashundhara International Convention Centre at 5.30am and ended at the Kanchhan Bridge. Of them, 832 local runners competed in the full marathon and 1,550 in the half marathon. Kenyan Stanley Kiprotich Bet won in the full marathon of the male division while Ethiopian Basaking Imochi Bilo in the female division. In the half marathon, Moroccan Abdul Aziz Baghazi secured the first position and Ugandan Rispa Cherop. Read more: Bangladesh’s first international marathon begins Sunday At the closing ceremony, Bangladesh Army Chief General SM Shafiuddin Ahmed hoped that the marathon will play a role in creating social and health awareness from all walks of people in society. He expressed his determination to organise the marathon in January every year in the memory of Bangabandhu’s Homecoming. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was the chief patron of the marathon while the army head was the chief advisor. Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal inaugurated the opening ceremony as the chief guest with State Minister for Youth and Sports Zahid Ahsan Russell as the special guest. After the race, Army Chief Shafiuddin handed over the prizes to the winners. 

President of Bangladesh Gymnastics Federation and Vice President of Bangladesh Olympic Association (BOA) Sheikh Bashir Ahmed Mamun got the "Certificate of Appreciation" award from Asian Gymnastics Union in recognition of his special contribution to Asian and local gymnastics. President of Asian Gymnastics Union Abdulrahman Ben Saad Al Shathri handed over the award to him during the 22nd Congress of Asian Gymnastics Union held in Doha, Qatar on Monday (January 16).  Read more: Singapore Open Gymnastics: Ali Kader Haque of Bangladesh wins silver medal Sheikh Bashir earned the honor for successfully arranging some international gymnastics in Dhaka, including holding the world class Bangabandhu 5th Central South Asian Artistic Gymnastics Championship and as well as for his contribution for the development of the country's gymnastics. BOA Secretary General Syed Shahed Reza congratulated Sheikh Bashir Ahmed Mamun for achieving this award.

The second phase of the Sheikh Kamal 2nd Bangladesh Youth Games 2023 began Monday in the port city like elsewhere in the country. Chattogram Metropolitan Police Commissioner Krishna Pada Roy inaugurated the district-level round at the MA Aziz Stadium in Chattogram in the morning. Former Chattogram City Corporation mayor AJM Nasir Uddin was also present. Eight athletics events and a handball competition were held on the opening day. Home team Chattogram beat Bandarban 27-22 in the final of the handball competition at the MA Aziz Stadium.     Read more: Sheikh Kamal 2nd Bangladesh Youth Games district phase begins Monday Around 700 boys and girls aged under 17, who qualified from the upazila-level, are competing in 10 disciplines of sports in the inter-district competitions, which will continue till January 22. The final round of the Games will be held in Dhaka from February 26 to March 4. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the final phase of the meet on February 26 at the Army Stadium in Banani. More than 50,000 athletes are competing in 24 disciplines of sports this year, with the new inclusion of cycling, gymnastics and rugby. Read more: Sheikh Kamal 2nd Bangladesh Youth Games kicks off In 2018, around 50,000 athletes took part in the first Youth Games in 21 disciplines of sports.

LOOKAHEAD TO TUESDAY Novak Djokovic is set to make his return to action at the Australian Open after being banned from the country a year ago because he was not vaccinated against COVID-19. He has won 30 of his past 31 tournament matches dating to the end of last season. He is chasing his 10th trophy at the Australian Open and 22nd Grand Slam title overall, which would tie rival Rafael Nadal for the most by a man in tennis history. Djokovic faces Spain’s Roberto Carballes Baena on Tuesday at Rod Laver Arena in a first-round matchup. No. 2 seed Casper Ruud opens against Tomas Machac, while three-time major champion Andy Murray takes on Matteo Berrettini. The No. 2-seeded woman, two-time Slam runner-up Ons Jabeur, plays Tamara Zidansek, and No. 4 Caroline Garcia faces Katherine Sebov. Read more: Djokovic says no hard feelings over Australian deportation TUESDAY'S FORECAST Chance of showers. High of 97 degrees Fahrenheit (36 Celsius). MONDAY'S KEY RESULTS Men's First Round: No. 15 Jannik Sinner beat Kyle Edmund 6-4, 6-0, 6-2; No. 28 Francisco Cerundolo beat Guido Pella 6-4, 6-4, 6-3; No. 10 Hubert Hurkacz beat Pedro Martinez 7-6 (1), 6-2, 6-2; No. 16 Frances Tiafoe beat Daniel Altmaier 6-3, 6-3, 6-7 (5), 7-6 (6); No. 20 Denis Shapovalov beat Dusan Lajovic 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1; No. 29 Sebastian Korda beat Cristian Garin 6-4, 1-6, 6-3, 6-2. Women’s First Round: No. 3 Jessica Pegula beat Jaqueline Adina Cristian 6-0, 6-1; Marta Kostyuk beat No. 28 Amanda Anisimova 6-3, 6-4; No. 7 Coco Gauff beat Katerina Siniakova 6-1, 6-4; Bianca Andreescu beat No. 25 Marie Bouzkova 6-2, 6-4; No. 13 Danielle Collins beat Anna Kalinskaya 7-5, 5-7, 6-4; No. 6 Maria Sakkari beat Yuan Yue, 6-1, 6-4; No. 15 Petra Kvitova beat Alison van Uytvanck 7-6 (3), 6-2; No. 17 Jelena Ostapenko beat Dayana Yastremska 6-4, 6-2; No. 24 Victoria Azarenka beat Sofia Kenin 6-4, 7-6 (3). Read more: Djokovic matches Federer's record with 6th ATP Finals title STAT OF THE DAY Zero — Number of main-draw win at the Australian Open in the professional era by Chinese men until Monday, when 17-year-old qualifier Shang Juncheng beat Germany’s Oscar Otte 6-2, 6-4, 6-7 (2), 7-5. QUOTE OF THE DAY “Yes, we feel pressure being the top Americans and want to do well for our country, but I feel they’re on the ‘GOAT’ status and we’re not even close to reaching that, so there’s no need for us to put pressure on ourselves for that yet.” — Coco Gauff, asked whether she and Jessica Pegula feel pressure trying to represent the U.S. after all of the Grand Slam success of Serena and Venus Williams sisters.