Athlete Imranur Rahman, an England-based Bangladesh-origin sprinter, made his career-best time of 10.11 seconds in the 100-metre sprint in an competition held in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London recently. The Bangladesh Athletics Federation recognised the personal best timing of the England-based Bangladesh-origin sprinter as Bangladesh's national record as the meet was approved and accredited by the World Athletics. Read : World Athletics: Imranur Rahman of Bangladesh finishes first in heat of 100-m sprint Imranur's performance is officially ranked and will be attached to his and Bangladesh's official databases. Earlier, Imranur clinched the historic gold medal, the first-ever by any Bangladeshi athlete at the Asian level, in the men's 60-metre sprint of the 10th Asian Indoor Athletics Championships held at the Kazakhstan capital Astana last February. This was the first ever medal for any Bangladeshi athlete in an Asian-level athletics championship. Read : Bangladesh Special Olympics team leaves for Germany to participate in Special Olympics World Games The 29-year-old sprinter clinched the country's dream gold by winning the men's 60-metre sprint title with a record time of 6.59 seconds. Imranur, who appeared in the country's athletics last year, emerged as the country's fastest man with a national record in his maiden competition with timing of 10.29 seconds. Read : Imranur conferred with country's first-ever gold at Asian-level athletics He further improved his record at the Asian Athletics Championship held in Bangkok in July this year with a time of 10.25 seconds in the 100-metre sprint. Bangladesh is expecting a good result from Imranur in this month's Asian Games to be held in China.

The Bangladesh national cricket team has encountered a significant setback just before their opening Asia Cup match against Sri Lanka, as their opener, Litton Das, has been ruled out of the first match due to fever. Litton has been among Bangladesh's top batters for the past few years, and his absence will undoubtedly be felt by the Tigers in their first Asia Cup match. Read: Asia Cup 2023: Preview of Pakistan vs Nepal 1st ODI Minhajul Abedin, the chief selector of Bangladesh, told UNB that the opener won't be able to participate in the opening match in Sri Lanka. "He is still suffering from fever," Minhajul told UNB. "We are awaiting an update from the medical department." Read: Bangladesh aim a Super Fours berth in Asia Cup Litton was supposed to travel to Sri Lanka with the team on August 27th but could not make it due to a fever.  He was rescheduled to travel to Sri Lanka on Tuesday and join the team in Kandy; Litton's plans were disrupted due to his ongoing fever, preventing him from taking the flight. Read: Bangladesh Cricket Team Departs for Asia Cup Without Liton Das Bangladesh are set to commence their Asia Cup journey on August 31st in Kandy. After that, they will travel to Pakistan for their second match against Afghanistan.  Minhajul mentioned that they have not yet contemplated a replacement for Liton. This year's Asia Cup features a total of six participating teams. Apart from Bangladesh, the other teams are Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Nepal. 

The Bangladesh cricket team is all set to depart for Sri Lanka on August 27th to participate in this year's ACC Asia Cup, which is slated to be held in both Sri Lanka and Pakistan. Ahead of their departure for Sri Lanka, Bangladesh's head coach, Chandika Hathurusunghe, stated that their initial goal is to secure qualification for the second round of the event. Read: Mahmudullah joins practice camp with backup players In addition to Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, and Nepal are also participating in the Asia Cup. Bangladesh's opening match is scheduled against Sri Lanka on August 31st. The team finds itself in group B, with Afghanistan being the third team in the group. While Bangladesh is set to face Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka, they will need to travel to Pakistan for a match against Afghanistan on September 3rd. Within the span of just three days, Bangladesh will traverse two countries to compete in two 50-over matches. Chandika, the coach, expressed some concerns about this tight schedule, saying, "It certainly is a new challenge because we normally don't travel between countries and play a tournament. But, it's the same thing for both teams. So, we are looking forward to that challenge." Read: Asia Cup 2023: Six Players in Bangladesh ODI Squad to Watch Both Sri Lanka and Afghanistan have posed challenges for Bangladesh in previous Asia Cups. This time around, they are once again set to test the Tigers in the 50-over format. "Those two teams played really good games against each other, especially in the previous Asia Cups. So, I think both teams give us a good challenge. But at the same time, I think we had some success against them in the recent past," Chandika said during a pre-event press conference in Dhaka. Before departing for Sri Lanka, Bangladesh underwent a comprehensive preparation camp that included a medical assessment and fitness testing. Chandika expressed being "very happy" with the team's preparation for the Asia Cup. The question of who will bat at number 7 has been a topic of discussion in the cricketing community in Bangladesh. Chandika clarified that he's not designating anyone for that role; rather, the decision will depend on the situation and the opponents. The coach also praised the batting improvements of the bowlers, who often find themselves batting in the final few overs. He noted the progress of Taskin Ahmed, Hasan Mahmud, and Mustafizur Rahman, considering it a positive development. Read: Injury casts uncertainty on Ebadot's participation in Asia Cup "Our main aim is to qualify for the Super Four," Chandika emphasized. "We are playing against Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka, a team that performs well on their home turf. And we will face Afghanistan in Pakistan, a team that recently won a series here. So, there are significant challenges, but we are prepared for them." Bangladesh will have to overcome the absence of Ebadot Hossain, their fastest pacer. The coach acknowledged Ebadot's absence as a "significant loss" and pointed out that finding a direct replacement is a formidable task. Ebadot sustained a leg injury during the ODI series against Afghanistan. Although initially part of the squad, the team's physiotherapist later indicated that he required more time to recover from his injury. As a result, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, an uncapped pacer, was named as his replacement.

Bangladesh National Women' s Hockey team left for Oman Tuesday evening to participate in the Men's and Women's Asian Hockey five-a-side World Cup Qualifier to be held in Salalah, Oman from August 25 to September 2. In all, 10 countries, split into two groups, will compete in the qualifying round of the women's competition scheduled for August 25-28. Read: Abu Dhabi Chess: GM Ziaur Rahman makes good start beating Armenian IM Denielyan Vaha Bangladesh was placed in Challengers Pool with Hong Kong, Chinese Taipei, Indonesia, Iran and hosts Oman while India, Japan, Malaysia and Thailand were put in Elite Pool. In the qualifying round, Bangladesh women's will play Indonesia and Chinese Taipei both on August 25, face Iran and hosts Oman on August 26 while they will play their last group with Hong Kong on August 27. Three teams from the qualifying round will play the World Cup Hockey.    Bangladesh women's hockey team which is going to participate in the international hockey after about four years, aiming to beat Hong Kong, Chinese Taipei and Indonesia.  Read: Maldivian club Eagles in Sylhet to play Dhaka Abahani in AFC Cup play-off Meanwhile, Bangladesh national men's hockey team will fly for Oman on August 26 to take part in the qualifying round of the meet to be held bewteen August 29 to September 2 to be participated by 11 countries. Bangladesh Women’s team : Sumi Akhter, Mukta Khatun, FBardia Akhter Ratri, Arpita Paul, Sanjida Akhter Moni, Kona Akhter, Riasa Akhter and Irin Akhter Riya. Bangladesh Men’s team : Asim Gope, Sarowar Hossain, Mahbub Hossain, Shafiul Alam Shishir, Deen Islam Imon, Sarowar Morshed Shawon, Raju Ahmed Topu and Abed Ullah. Read: Jr Asia Cup Hockey: Bangladesh eliminated in group stage  Team Officials: Ariful Haque Prince (Manager Men's team), Tariquzzaman Nannu (Manager Women's team),M Abdul Hannan (Team official), M Zahid Hossain (Coach) and Parvin Nasima Nahar Putul (Co-(Co-ordinator of Women's team)    

Kylian Mbappe secures fourth consecutive Ligue 1 Player of the Season Award as PSG clinches record 11th title. With that award he became the only player to achieve it for four consecutive times. Previously Zlatan Ibrahimovic won three times in a row. Mbappe’s Record in 22/23 Season at Ligue 1 Kylian Mbappe, the renowned Paris Saint-Germain star, achieved a remarkable feat in Ligue 1 on Sunday night. He secured his fourth consecutive title as the French League Player of the Season. The 24-year-old prolific striker has not only netted 28 goals in the league but has also claimed the title of the top goal scorer in Ligue 1 for a remarkable five consecutive times. This season he also assisted five goals. 31st Edition of the Trophées UNFP Ceremony The ceremony took place in Paris, graced by the presence of numerous players. Mbappe became the winner, surpassing contenders such as Lionel Messi, Loïs Openda, Séko Fofana of Lens, and Jonathan David, the forward from Lille. Mbappe, along with his teammate Nuno Mendes, who received the Young Player of the Year award, became the sole PSG representative to claim individual awards. Notably, Lionel Messi, and Gianluigi Donnarumma, did not secure the awards for the categories they were nominated in. However, Messi did not attend the ceremony as he went to Barcelona to watch the Coldplay concert. Read more: Indonesia to Host Argentina In a Friendly Football Match on June 2023 By securing this award, Mbappe has now claimed the prestigious title of Ligue 1 Player of the Year for the fourth consecutive time. This remarkable achievement surpasses Zlatan Ibrahimovic's record of three awards, which he also earned during his time at PSG. Continuing an extraordinary streak, Paris Saint-Germain has once again produced the Player of the Year, marking the seventh consecutive year of their dominance. This outstanding line includes notable players such as Zlatan Ibrahimovic (2016), Edinson Cavani (2017), Neymar Jr (2018), and Kylian Mbappe (2019, 2021, and 2022). Having been named Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year for three consecutive seasons (2017, 2018, 2019), Mbappe continued his dominance by capturing the coveted Player of the Year award for the subsequent four seasons, extending his winning streak to a remarkable eight trophies in a row, until 2023. Will Mbappe Stay with PSG? Based on reports, unless the 24-year-old exercises an option to extend his contract until 2025, his contract with PSG is set to expire next year. Amidst swirling rumors about the French star's potential departure from the club next year, he personally confirmed and reassured fans of his commitment to stay with PSG for the upcoming season. Nevertheless, Mbappe's exceptional talent has garnered interest from Real Madrid. So, we will have to wait one more season to see if Mbappe continues playing with PSG. Read more: BAN vs AFG Series 2023: Fixtures, Schedules, Teams, Head-to-Head Records Final Words This outstanding achievement sets his status as one of the league's brightest stars and highlights his dominance on the football field. With each passing season, Mbappe continues to elevate his game, fascinating fans with his remarkable skills and goal-scoring ability. As he adds another award to his growing list of achievements, the football world eagerly awaits to witness the next chapter in Kylian Mbappe's illustrious career.

India, Pakistan, and Nepal will play in Group-A at the Asia Cup Cricket 2023, which is set to start on September 2 and end on September 17. While Pakistan and India joined as the ICC full member, Nepal qualified for the tournament after winning the 2023 ACC Men’s Premier Cup. Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan will play in Group B. Among the two groups, Group A will surely provide an intense battle as two rivals, India and Pakistan, will compete to become the group champion. That brings a question, will Nepal get any chance? Let’s find out in Group A analysis of the 2023 Asia Cup Cricket tournament. Analysis of Group A Unlike Group B, all the focus in Group A will be on the India vs. Pakistan match. As a newcomer and less experienced team, Nepal might not give a good fight against these heavy-weight teams. India India has appeared in 14 Asia Cups since 1984. Among these, 12 appearances were in ODIs, and 2 were T20I Asia Cup. And India is the most successful team in the tournament, as they won 6 ODI tournaments and one T20I. However, India’s last title came in the 2018 Asia Cup, which was the ODI tournament. So far, India played 49 ODIs in Asia Cup and won 31 of them, losing 16 matches. As the ODI World Cup is approaching this year, the tournament will be played in the ODI format. Read more: Asia Cup Cricket 2023: Analysis of Group B Analyzing India’s most recent ODI matches, it can be said that India is a strong contender for the 2023 Asia Cup. Although India lost their last ODI series against Australia by 2-1 in March, they have won two series by 3-0 against New Zealand and Sri Lanka. However, before starting the Asia Cup, India will play a series against the West Indies in August. So this will also help them to prepare for the tournament. Pakistan In addition to India and Sri Lanka, Pakistan stands as the only other country to have emerged victorious in the Asia Cup cricket tournament. Similar to Sri Lanka and India, Pakistan started their campaign as the continental champions back in 1984. Since then, they have participated in an impressive 14 out of the 15 editions of the prestigious Asia Cup. Their consistent presence in the tournament reflects their status as a tough cricketing nation in the Asian region. Pakistan played 45 Asia Cup matches in the ODI format and won 26 of them. In the last two years, Pakistan played several ODI series. Out of their last 4 series, Pakistan won three of them. The most recent series win came against New Zealand, which took place in April- May this year. They won by 4-1, which reflects them as another strong team in the Asia Cup 2023. Read more: Bangladesh to host Afghanistan in June-July 2023 Nepal Nepal made it to the group stage of the Asia Cup for the first time. Nepal's remarkable journey in cricket continues as they secured their qualification for the Asia Cup by defeating the United Arab Emirates in a thrilling final of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Premier Cup on May 2. In the final match, Nepal showcased their bowling ability, stopping the Emirates team to 117 runs. Lalit Rajbanshi proved to be the standout performer, claiming an impressive four wickets for just 14 runs. The talented Sandeep Lamichhane also made a significant contribution, taking two wickets for 34 runs in his 10 overs. Chasing the target, Nepal displayed their batting skill, reaching the required total in 19.3 overs. Gulshan Jha emerged as the batting hero, scoring a magnificent 67 runs off 84 balls for the team's victory.  This year has undoubtedly been a momentous one for Nepalese cricket, as they not only secured their qualification for the World Cup qualifiers earlier in the year but also earned their spot in the prestigious Asia Cup. Read more: Bangladesh A earn hardfought draw against West Indies A Who Will Proceed to Super Four from Group A? It is clear that India and Pakistan will surely advance to the Super Four as the other opponent Nepal has less experience. Although Nepal has been doing well recently, they are yet to play a big team like India and Pakistan. Final Words India, being the champions of the inaugural edition, holds the record of being the most successful team in the Asia Cup. Since the inception of the tournament, a total of 15 editions have taken place, showcasing thrilling battles among Asian cricketing nations. The tournament format expanded to include the T20I format in 2016, adding an additional layer of excitement to the competition. Now, it is time to see the years-old rivalry between India and Pakistan in Asia Cup Cricket 2023 Group A.

Bangladesh finished a great series against Ireland. The tigers touched new heights in the first two matches as the team scored the highest total. Bangladesh wanted to demonstrate their power and expertise through its performance in the field by playing an aggressive style of cricket. And the plan worked well as the tigers won the three-match series by 2-0 against the young Ireland team. 2023 BAN vs IRE ODI Series Analysis In the Bangladesh vs Ireland series, Bangladesh won the three-match ODI series by 2-0. The first match was won by Bangladesh with a huge margin of 183 runs. The second match was washed away by rain, and Bangladesh got a 10 wicket victory in the last match. Considering the performance in three matches, Litton Das and Najmul Hossain Shanto have been very consistent. And as a new batter, Towhid Hridoy’s performance was also eye-catching. In addition to that, Shakib’s 93 for 89 in the first match was also remarkable. For the bowling part, Hasan Mahmud and Ebadot Hossian’s performance played a crucial role in winning the first and third matches. Overall, all the Bangladeshi players gave their best on the field. From Ireland, George Dockrell played a brilliant inning of 45 runs off 47 balls, including six fours in the first match. But the rest of the Irish batting lineup failed to perform in both games they batted. If we look at Ireland’s bowling in all three matches, Graham Hume was the only bowler that stopped Bangladeshi batters. Although Hume’s economy rate was quite high, he took 7 wickets in total. Read More: Shakib launches cancer foundation to support underprivileged patients Records and Achievement for Bangladesh We have seen aggressive cricket from both Bangladeshi batters and blowers. And In the eyes of captain Tamim, Bangladesh just completed the perfect series. Let's take a look at the accomplishments of this remarkable series. Biggest Win by Runs Bangladesh achieved a record-breaking victory in their first match, winning by an incredible 183 runs - the largest margin of victory in the nation's ODI history. After winning the toss, Ireland sent Bangladesh to batting, and the Tigers scored 338 runs. In response, the Bangladeshi bowlers stopped them to 155 runs. Shakib’s 7000 Runs Milestone After Tamim Iqbal, Shakib became the second Bangladeshi cricketer to cross 7,000 runs milestone in ODIs. Shakib achieved a remarkable feat with his 93-run score. He entered the field with 24 runs away from 7000 runs, and Shakib achieved the landmark easily. Mushfiqur Rahim’s 7000 Runs Mushfiqur Rahim scored a century in the second ODI, and he also crossed 7000 runs in ODI cricket. Mushfiqur has become the third batsman from Bangladesh to achieve 7000 runs landmark after Tamim and Shakib. He needed 55 runs to reach the milestone but achieved it with the century, and now Mushfiques total ODI runs are 7045. Read More: Analysis of Bangladesh T20 Squad Against Ireland Mushfiqur Rahim set another record in this match. He took five catches as the wicketkeeper in the first match. He has taken the most catches as a wicketkeeper in ODIs for Bangladesh. However, Khaled Masud Pilot had five dismissals with three catches and two stumpings against Kenya in 2006. Mushfiq’s Fastest Century In 2009, during a match in Bulawayo, Shakib achieved an impressive accomplishment by scoring a century in only 63 balls against Zimbabwe. Mushfiqur topped Shakib's 14-year record as he hit a century off just 60 balls in the second ODI. He achieved his ninth century in the last ball of the innings, scoring 14 fours and 2 sixes for a total of 100 runs.

The Independence Day Handball Tournament (Men's and Women's), organised by Bangladesh Handball Federation (BHF), will begin on Wednesday (Match 15) at the Shaheed Capt (Retd) M Monsur Ali National Handball Stadium here. Former Chairman of Rajuk and former BHF Vice President Abdur Rahman will inaugurate the tournament. Six teams, split into two groups, will participate in both the men's and women's competitions. Participating Men's teams: Group A - Border Guard Bangladesh, Team Handball, Dhaka and Ideal Handball Garden Chapainawabganj) Group B- Ansar & VDP, Police Handball Club and Chattogram Zila Krira Sangstha. Also read: Youth Games Handball: Rangpur Div clinch women's title beating Dhaka Div by 30-17 goal Women's teams: Group A- Ansar & VDP, Badalgachi Handball Association and Tetulia Upazila KS Group B - Jamalpur Sports Academy, Police Handball Club and Handball Training Center, Dhaka Eight matches will be held on the opening day (Wednesday).    

The three-nation Group H matches of the AFC U-20 Women's Asia Cup Qualifiers will begin tomorrow (March 8) at the Bir Shrestha Shaheed Shipahi Mohammad Mustafa Kamal Stadium here.Hosts Bangladesh have been placed in strong Group H of the Asian meet along with the Islamic Republic of Iran and Turkmenistan. In the group matches, Iran will play Turkmenistan in the opening match at 5 pm tomorrow (Bangladesh time),Host Bangladesh will start their campaign by taking on Turkmenistan on Friday (March 10) also at 5 pm while Bangladesh will encounter stronger Iran on Sunday (March 12) at the same time and same venue in the last group match.Bangladesh Television will telecast the matches live while Bangladesh Betar will broadcast the running commentary of the matchesThe final round of the tournament will be held next year in Uzbekistan.The coaches and captains of all three participating teams, in a press conference at BFF House today, expressed their optimism to play an entertaining football to clinch the group titleEarlier last Thursday, Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) announced a 35-member national team for the meet, which comprises 23 booters and 12 officials.Booters of Bangladesh team:Goal Keppers: Rupna Chakma (vice-captain), Sathi Biswas, Swarna Rani MondalDefenders; Surma Jannat, Afeida Khandakar, Nasrin Akter, Kohati Kisku, Ety Khatun and Unnoti KhatunMidfielders: Swapna Rani. Sohagi Kisku, Mahfuza Khatun, Nouson Jahan, Miss Rupa, Rehena Khatun, Shamsunnahar (captain). Halima Akter and Trishna RaniForwards: Shaheda Akter Ripa, Aklima Khatun, Anika Tanjum, Airin Khatun and Souravi Akhand Prity.Team Leader -Zakir Hossain Chowdhury, Team Manager Amirul Islam Babu, BFF Technical Director -Paul Thomas Smalley, Head Coach - Golam Rabbani Choton.

Comilla Victorians dominated Rangpur Riders in their final match of the league phase of the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) on Friday, securing a decisive 70-run victory in Mirpur. Victorians’ victory in their final league phase has solidified their position in second place on the points table. As a result, they will face off against the Sylhet Strikers in the first qualifier on February 12. On the same day, Rangpur Riders will face Fortune Barishal, the third and fourth team in the points table, in the eliminator. The outcome of this match will determine which team will be eliminated from the competition. The winner of the first qualifier will proceed to the final on February 16, while the loser will have to compete in the second qualifier against the winner of the eliminator. The team that emerges victorious from the second qualifier will then advance to the final to compete against the winner of the first qualifier. In Friday's match, the opening duo of the Comilla Victorians, Mohammad Rizwan and Litton Das, got off to a strong start, contributing 43 runs to the first wicket before Rizwan was dismissed for 24. Despite this setback, Litton was firm in the middle. Read more: BCB to mark month of language during BPL matches Friday Sunil Narine came to the crease with high expectations, but he was unable to convert his start and was dismissed for just 8 runs. This was a major setback for the team, and the pressure was on to find a new source of runs. However, Liton was quick to step up and took control of the situation, scoring 47 runs off 33 balls with three fours and as many sixes. Despite his strong effort, he was unable to carry on. Skipper Imrul Kayes and Jaker Ali then took over the responsibility of keeping the scorecard ticking, scoring 19 and 34 runs, respectively. The star of the show for Victorians was undoubtedly Khushdil Shah, who remained not out on a remarkable 40 runs off just 20 balls, hitting 2 fours and 3 sixes. This innings was instrumental in posting a challenging total for the Victorians. Comilla finished their innings on a strong note, scoring 177/5 in 20 overs. For the Riders, Azmatullah Omarzai took two wickets, conceding 34 runs. Rangpur Riders had a rough start in their pursuit of 178 runs, as opener Mohammad Naim was dismissed for just 6 runs. Rony Talukdar and Rahmanullah Gurbaz attempted to steady the innings, but both fell short with scores of 13 and 29 runs respectively. Despite the efforts of Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Nurul Hasan, and Shamim Hossain, Rangpur Riders struggled with the bat and were eventually all out for 107 runs in 17 overs. The bowlers for Comilla Victorians, however, put in a fantastic performance. Tanvir Islam took 2 wickets, while Narine and Mustafizur Rahman took 2 and 3 wickets respectively. Andre Russell also contributed with 1 wicket to secure a decisive 70-run victory for Comilla Victorians.