Serena Williams said it plainly: It isn’t really fair. A male athlete would never have to make the same choice. But after a trailblazing career that both transformed and transcended her sport, Williams, who turns 41 next month, has told the world she’ll soon step away from tennis to focus on having a second child and making her daughter, Olympia, a big sister. Her explanation in a lengthy Vogue essay resonated with women in sports and well beyond, many of whom could relate only too well to her words, “Something’s got to give.” And to the idea that, no, you really can’t have it all — at least, not all at the same time. Many noted that Williams’ achievements, which included winning a major when two months pregnant, had made her seem superhuman. But, said Sherie Randolph, even ordinary women are expected to seamlessly combine work and motherhood. “Society makes women think they can have everything all at once — be the best hands-on-mom and at the top of the field,” said Randolph, a history professor at Georgia Tech and founder of a Black feminist think tank who's working on a book about African American mothers. “But that just is not borne out in reality for most women,” she said. ”What ends up happening is that working mothers are just worn out and overworked trying to labor at the highest level of two demanding jobs — motherhood and their profession.” As if to prove her point, Randolph’s 4-year-old son constantly interrupted her thoughts about Williams’ decision as she tried to discuss them in a phone call. In explaining how her daughter yearned to be a big sister, Williams noted she didn't want to be pregnant again as an athlete: “I need to be two feet into tennis or two feet out.” “Believe me,” the 23-time Grand Slam champion also wrote, “I never wanted to have to choose between tennis and a family. I don't think it’s fair. If I were a guy I wouldn't be writing this because I’d be out there playing and winning while my wife was doing the physical labor of expanding our family. Maybe I’d be more of a Tom Brady if I had that opportunity," she said, a reference to the 45-year-old superstar quarterback who recently retired, then reversed his decision 40 days later. Many women, discussing Williams' announcement, reflected on their own agonizing choices in the name of “having it all.” “Even as a woman who sits at a desk, whose body is not taxed by the work at hand, I have felt that searing pulling apart of myself — towards my career, and towards my family,” said Jo McKinney, 57, a New York advertising executive. “Now, looking back, I wish that every time I chose my family over my job . . . it didn’t label me as unambitious,” she said. “I got goosebumps as I read Serena’s piece because she said what many of us feel and are afraid to voice: It’s not fair, and something’s got to give.” Such dilemmas are exacerbated in sports, said Lisa Banks, a prominent Washington employment attorney specializing in both gender and sports cases. “Having it all is a subjective thing,” she said. "You can have it all, but can you have it at the same time and the same level, if you’re going through pregnancies? No, you miss some time, you miss training. You’re necessarily at a disadvantage.” Read:‘Sad story’: An injured Serena Williams is out of Wimbledon The issue has been illustrated vividly in track and field. U.S. sprinters Allyson Felix and Alysia Montano became advocates for mothers when they split with Nike over contract clauses that reduced salaries when they became pregnant. Four-time Olympic champion sprinter Sanya Richards-Ross retired after the 2016 Olympics before starting a family with her husband, former NFL defensive back Aaron Ross. “I always knew I didn't want to start a family while I was still competing,” she said. “I feel being an athlete is the most selfish role you could have because it’s always all about you. Resting, recovering, training. Everything is so hyper-focused on the athlete. And being a parent is the opposite of that.” Of Williams’ decision, she said, “I don’t want to say it’s unfair, but it's a harsh reality and harsh truth that as an elite female athlete, we definitely have to consider a lot of things our male counterparts don’t.” Distance runner Kara Goucher, who also fought battles over pregnancy pay, said people are starting to acknowledge the issue, and careers are lasting longer. But she added: “You see the dad at the Super Bowl holding his kids. The reason he’s able to do that . . . is because someone else is there taking care of their children. That’s not how it is for mothers.” Like Williams when she won the Australian Open in 2017, beach volleyball player Kerri Walsh Jennings was newly pregnant when she won a gold medal in London in 2012. “I think at some point, you gotta make that choice,” she said. “Ultimately it’s very clear that that clock is ticking. Usually, being a mama wins out.” But Walsh Jennings expects Williams to keep building her legacy. (Williams has become a venture capitalist with her Serena Ventures, and is a fashion designer, among other things.) “She has earned the right to stop and breathe, and to grow her family,” she said. Tennis legend Chris Evert, who won 18 Grand Slam singles titles, retired at 34 and started a family two years later. “The motherhood/tennis career subject is not one I experienced,” she said in an email message. “I wanted and chose to spend every second with my children. That was my choice but doesn’t mean it’s the right choice for everyone. “As far as Serena, I think this is the right time,” Evert said. “She’s squeezed everything she could out of her game . . . She’s transcended tennis and become a leader on many important cultural, social and gender issues. She has lived an extraordinary life and will undoubtedly continue to crash the glass ceiling.” One thing is clear: The U.S. Open, after which Williams strongly hinted she'll retire, will be a huge draw. Ticket sales were sharply up on Tuesday, said Kirsten Corio, chief commercial officer for the U.S. Tennis Association. A mother of two herself, Corio said of Williams’ announcement that “the realization is a little bit crushing, that as a woman you can’t do both as an athlete at the top of your game.” “It’s a lot of emotions to process, both as a fan of sports and of working moms,” she said. “The one emotion that I can boil it down to, really, is just gratitude.” Dearica Hamby was also feeling gratitude. Williams, said the WNBA player for the Las Vegas Aces, has been “an example for a lot of us, especially mothers being able to compete at such a high level." Still, Hamby, who like Williams has a daughter, 5-year-old Amaya, said the tennis star's call was a hard one — and it's a discussion she's been having a lot lately with coaches and players. “You're almost forced to choose," she said of motherhood and pro sports. "It’s the reality of the world we live in. I mean, are men gonna start having kids? It’s the hard reality of the world.”

The U.S. Soccer Federation reached milestone agreements to pay its men’s and women’s teams equally, making the American national governing body the first in the sport to promise both sexes matching money. The federation on Wednesday announced separate collective bargaining agreements through December 2028 with the unions for both national teams, ending years of often acrimonious negotiations. Also read:Lionel Messi: The Argentine sensation considers joining Inter Miami in 2023 The deals grew partly out of a push by players on the more successful women’s team, including stars like Alex Morgan and Megan Rapinoe, who were at the forefront of the gender equity fight while leading the team to a Women’s World Cup championship in 2019. The struggle became so much a part of the team’s story that chants of “Equal pay! Equal pay!” rose from the crowd as U.S. players celebrated winning the title in France. Morgan and Rapinoe could still be beneficiaries of the deal, though the next Women’s World Cup is in 2023 and the makeup of the team will have changed by then. “I feel a lot of pride for the girls who are going to see this growing up, and recognize their value rather than having to fight for it. However, my dad always told me that you don’t get rewarded for doing what you’re supposed to do — and paying men and women equally is what you’re supposed to do,” U.S. forward Margaret Purce said. “So I’m not giving out any gold stars, but I’m grateful for this accomplishment and for all the people who came together to make it so.” The men have been playing under the terms of a CBA that expired in December 2018. The women’s CBA expired at the end of March, but talks continued after the federation and the players agreed to settle a gender discrimination lawsuit brought by some of the players in 2019. The settlement was contingent on the federation reaching labor contracts that equalized pay and bonuses between the two teams. Perhaps the biggest sticking point was World Cup prize money, which is based on how far a team advances in the tournament. While the U.S. women have been successful on the international stage with back-to-back World Cup titles, differences in FIFA prize money meant they took home far less than the men’s winners. American women received a $110,000 bonus for winning the 2019 World Cup; the U.S. men would have received $407,000 had they won in 2018. The unions agreed to pool FIFA’s payments for the men’s World Cup later this year and next year’s Women’s World Cup, as well as for the 2026 and 2027 tournaments. Each player will get matching game appearance fees in what the USSF said makes it the first federation to pool FIFA prize money in this manner. “We saw it as an opportunity, an opportunity to be leaders in this front and join in with the women’s side and U.S. Soccer. So we’re just excited that this is how we were able to get the deal done,” said Walker Zimmerman, a defender who is part of the U.S. National Team Players Association leadership group. Women’s union projections have compensation for a player who has been under contract to increase 34% from 2018 to this year, from $245,000 to $327,000. The 2023-28 average annual pay would be $450,000 for a player making all rosters, with the possibility of doubling the figure in World Cup years depending on results. Also read:English Premier League 2021-2022: Scenarios for Championship, Top Four, and Relegation The federation previously based bonuses on payments from FIFA, which earmarked $400 million for the 2018 men’s tournament, including $38 million to champion France, and $30 million for the 2019 women’s tournament, including $4 million to the champion United States. FIFA has increased the total to $440 million for the 2022 men’s World Cup, and its president, Gianni Infantino, has proposed that FIFA double the women’s prize money to $60 million for the 2023 Women’s World Cup, in which FIFA has increased the number of teams to 32. For the current World Cup cycles, the USSF will pool the FIFA funds, taking 10% off the top and then splitting the rest equally among 46 players — 23 players on the roster of each team. For the 2026-27 cycle, the USSF’s cut increases to 20% before the split. After missing the 2018 World Cup, the men qualified for this year’s World Cup in Qatar starting in November. The women’s team will seek to qualify this year for the 2023 World Cup, cohosted by Australia and New Zealand. “There were moments when I thought it was all going to fall apart and then it came back together and it’s a real credit to all the different groups coming together, negotiating at one table,” said federation President Cindy Parlow Cone, a former national team player who became head of the governing body in 2020. “I think that’s where the turning point really happened. Before, trying to negotiate a CBA with the women and then turn around and negotiate CBA terms with the men and vice versa was really challenging. I think the real turning point was when we finally were all in the same room sitting at the same table, working together and collaborating to reach this goal.” The women ended six years of litigation over equal pay in February in a deal calling for the USSF to pay $24 million, a deal contingent on reaching new collective bargaining agreements. As part of the settlement, players will split $22 million, about one-third of what they had sought in damages. The USSF also agreed to establish a fund with $2 million to benefit the players in their post-soccer careers and charitable efforts aimed at growing the sport for women.

Sports may be a breeding ground for bigotry and racial prejudice but it has also the potential to promote social cohesiveness and fundamental values like mutual respect, and tolerance. Lately, the anti-racism movement has become a hot topic in cricket following English cricketer Ollie Robinson's international suspension for racist remarks in the past. Cricket has a low prevalence of racist and discriminatory behavior when compared to other sports though there have been several instances of racialism in the gentleman's game. That's why the ICC is committed to eradicating racism in cricket. The five racist incidents in cricket are discussed in this article. Five Notable Racist Incidents in Cricket The racist comments of Mark Vermeulen In 2015, Zimbabwe Cricket Board banned batsman Mark Vermeulen from all cricket. It was reported that Vermeulen had engaged in a racist rampage on social media and he referred to black Zimbabweans as "apes" in one of his remarks. He allegedly said such things to Zimbabwe cricketer Prosper Utseya'. Later, Vermeulen apologized to Utsaya and the general public. However, the Zimbabwe Cricket Board did not lift the ban imposed on him. Read: DPL T20 2021: Prime Bank Propel to Top West Indies vs Australia series (1975/1976) The West Indies cricket team visited Australia in the 1975-1976 cricket season. During the tour, it is reported that Australian cricketers made racial remarks towards West Indian cricketers both on and off the field. Not only the players but also the Australian crowd hurled racial insults towards the West Indian cricketers. Later on, a fair bit of writing was done on the subject. The Osama Remark England all-rounder Moeen Ali stated in his autobiography that an Australian cricketer referred to him as "Osama" during the first Test of the 2015 Ashes series. As a Muslim cricketer with a beard, he could not take such a comment well. Because Moeen Ali believes he has been labeled a terrorist by the remark "Take that, Osama." Later, the Australian Cricket Board looked into the allegation and found no truth in it. Read: Who was The Best Captain of Bangladesh Cricket team? The Terrorist Remark Former Australian cricketer Dean Jones worked as a commentator for the Test series between South Africa and Sri Lanka in 2006. Dean Jones referred to South African cricketer HashimAmla as a terrorist during his commentary of a match. He was heard saying "the terrorist has got another wicket" after Amla grabbed the catch to remove Kumar Sangakkara. Jones was later fired by Ten Sports as a result of the incident. The 'Monkeygate' scandal Spinner Harbhajan Singh and batsman Andrew Symonds had a spat in the second Test between India and Australia in Sydney in 2006. Harbhajan Singh referred to Symonds as 'Monkey' at one point during the argument. Although Harbhajan was initially banned for three matches by the ICC match referee, the two teams' players eventually resolved the matter among themselves. The ICC deducted 50% of Harbhajan's match fee when a second investigation revealed no such truth of the allegations. Read: West Indies Suffer Innings Defeat; New Zealand Win Series Against England Bottom Line The five racist incidents listed above are really a dark chapter in cricket's history. So, everyone must work together to remove racism from cricket. What exactly is racism? What type of societal impact may this sort of conduct and attitude have? These issues need to be discussed. Players in age-level cricket must be disciplined and made aware of corruption and racism. These cricketers will refrain from this kind of behavior when they play senior-level cricket in the future. Read: BCB to introduce shadow national team “Bangladesh Tigers”

  After reaching New Zealand, Bangladesh ODI captain Tamim Iqbal told the media that he would not participate in the T20 series due to personal reasons. The Bangladesh Cricket Board could not make an alternative of Tamim as an opener in any format, therefore his absence will be a big blow for Bangladesh. Furthermore, this is Mahmudullah Riyad's first series as a permanent captain. As a result, Riyad will face a significant challenge in not having the team's most prolific batsman in a difficult condition like New Zealand. Let's discuss who can replace Tamim in the opening slot?    What should be the ideal alternative of Tamim Iqbal for the T20 format? Tamim Iqbal holds almost all of Bangladesh's batting records. He is the first Tigers batsman to score a century in all formats. Tamim's only century in the T20 format came in the 2016 T20 World Cup against Oman. In that match, he played a fiery 103-run knock.   In consideration of Bangladesh's future, BCB should look for Tamim's replacement for the series against New Zealand. Since we must note that Tamim Iqbal is in his mid-30s and may not be able to play T20 cricket for a long time. After the T20 World Cup 2021 in India, some Bangladeshi senior cricketers may retire from the format. In that case, the BCB should be more focused on finding a permanent alternative for the seniors from now on.  Tamim Iqbal’s T20 International Career Batting Stats Match Inn Runs HS S/R 100s   78 78 1758 103* 116.96   Read: Bangladesh vs New Zealand 2021: Tamim-led team shows promise in 2nd ODI Five potential players to replace Tamim in the New Zealand T20 Series  Liton Kumar Das open the Bangladesh innings with Tamim in T20 format. So we left out him and mentioned five possible alternatives for the series. Let’s take a look at five players who can replace opener Tamim Iqbal for New Zealand series 2021  1.    Soumya Sarkar  T20 Career Stats: M: 138 | Inn: 136 | Runs:  2,423 | HS:  88* | S/R:  119.24 | 100s: 0  Soumya Sarkar is the first name on Tamim's list of possible replacements. For the past seven years, he has been a member of the Bangladesh national team. But he hasn't been able to secure his place in the national team so far. The left-arm batsman has a lot of talent but could not make the most of it despite getting enough opportunities. Now he has retained his place in the team with medium pace in addition to batting. Soumya bats at number 7 and sometimes at number 3 when the team requires it. In the absence of Tamim, we could see Liton and Soumya open the innings for Bangladesh.  Read: Shakib Al Hasan: What lies ahead after a dispute with BCB? 2. Mohammad Naim  T20 Career Stats: M: 35 | Inn: 34 | Runs:  928 | HS:  105 | S/R:  116.43 | 100s: 01  Bangladesh toured India after the 2019 World Cup. Tamim Iqbal did not play in that tour. In his place, the former top-order batsman of the Bangladesh U19 side opened with Liton. He won his first international match. Naeem Sheikh demonstrated his talent by scoring 81 runs in the second Twenty20 match against India. Since then, the selectors have special attention to this tall left-arm batsman. Naim is now a regular member of the national team squad. However, he is not a regular starter due to a lack of opportunities. In the absence of Tamim, Mohammad Naeem is a strong contender to be Liton's opening partner.  Read: Pro Kabaddi Tournament Could Rejuvenate Bangladesh’s National Sport 3. Nazmul Hossain Shanto  T20 Career Stats: M: 61 | Inn: 57 | Runs:  1,208 | HS:  115* | S/R:  129.61 | 100s: 02 Nazmul Hossain Shanto, one of the best batsmen in the under-19 squad, has been a consistent performer in the domestic circuit. As a result, he is getting many chances to play for the national team. But, like Soumya, this young left-arm top-order batsman is struggling to capitalize on many opportunities. Nazmul Hossain Shant failed miserably after getting a chance in the ODI and Test series against the Windies at home last January. In the absence of veteran Tamim Iqbal, he may be given another opportunity to play against New Zealand. But would he be able to make the most of this opportunity this time?  Read: Potential Young Players Who Could Rule World Football Next Decade 4. Parvez Hossain Emon T20 Career Stats: M: 10 | Inn: 10 | Runs:  233 | HS:  100* | S/R:  130.16 | 100s: 01 Top-order batsman Parvez Hossain Emon has the potential to be one of Bangladesh's brightest stars. He played a key role in helping Bangladesh win the U19 World Cup even after being injured in the final of the Youth World Cup against India. Parvez recently set a record by scoring a century off just 42 balls in a match of the Bangabandhu T20 Cup competition. Since then, he has gained the BCB selectors' favor. Parvez was included in Bangladesh's initial squad for the recent Windies series but was later omitted due to injury. He has a fair chance of being included in the squad for the forthcoming New Zealand series. In that case, Pervez Hossain Emon could represent Bangladesh in a match.  Read: How to Become a Cricketer in Bangladesh: An Overall Guideline 5. Anamul Haque Bijoy  T20 Career Stats: M: 119 | Inn: 114 | Runs: 2,378 | HS: 105 | S/R: 118.78 | 100s: 01 Enamul Bijoy was once regarded as a potential star for the Bangladesh national team. Enamul had an excellent start in the international arena, but he was dropped from the squad after the 2015 World Cup. He couldn't secure a place in the team after that. Despite many opportunities, the right-handed top-order batsman was dropped from the national team for a poor batting display. However, the selectors may include this experienced batsman in Tamim's absence because of his consistent success in the domestic league. In that case, Liton's opening partner will be Enamul Haque.   Read: Famous Bangladeshi athletes with the most unique records

Chattogram, Oct 29 (UNB) – A brilliant second hat-trick in a row by captain Lee Tuck guided Terengganu FC of Malaysia to the final of the Sheikh Kamal International Club Cup Football Tournament eliminating Kolkata’s Mohun Bagan AC 4-2 in the 2nd semifinal at floodlit MA Aziz Stadium here on Tuesday.

Dhaka, Oct 29 (UNB)– Twenty four cricketers from around the world were banned from all cricketing activities for the different terms for match-fixing and violation of ICC code during the last 19 years.