A 13-member first batch of the national football players left Dhaka for Saudi Arabia's Medina on a two-week tour for intensive training ahead of the Tri-Nation Cup 2023, to be held in Sylhet from March 20 to 28. Brunei Darussalam (No. 190 in FIFA ranking), Seychelles (No. 199) and Bangladesh (No. 192) will compete in the nine-day tournament during the FIFA window. On Thursday, the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) picked 27 players for the national training camp for the Tri-Nation Cup Football Tournament. Twelve players from Bashundhara Kings, six from former champions Dhaka Abahani, three from Sheikh Russel, two each from Fortis and Muktijoddha Sangsad, and one each from Dhaka Mohammedan and Bangladesh Police earned a call-up to the camp. The first batch of players led by Bangladesh national team head coach Javier Fernández Cabrera of Spain left the capital Sunday 1:15am. The second batch of players will fly for Medina Monday also at 1:15am. Bangladesh defender Tariq Raihan Kazi, now in Finland, will directly join the team in Medina. Two other players – Sheikh Russel forward Mohammad Ibrahim and Police midfielder Rabiul Hasan – will not accompany the team in the second batch due to problems with their passports. However, they will join the team later.

Thailand sealed a stunning one-wicket win against Pakistan in the ongoing Women’s Asia Cup on Thursday in Sylhet. It was Thailand’s first-ever win against Pakistan in T20Is.  Pakistan won the toss and opted to bat first. They posted a moderate total of 116 runs for five wickets with opener Sidra Ameen hitting 56 runs off 64 balls with six fours.  Thailand bowlers were disciplined enough to restrict Pakistan to a moderate total.  For Thailand, Sornnarin Tippoch scalped two wickets while Thipatcha Putthawong took one wicket.  In reply, Natthakan Chantham guided Thailand to a historic victory. She scored 61 off 51 balls with five fours and two sixes.  Read: Women’s Asia Cup: Jemimah, Deepti guide India to stunning win Pakistan pushed the match to the last over. But with only one wicket in hand, Thailand sealed the match with one ball to play.  Nida Dar and Tuba Hassan scalped two wickets each, but their efforts were not enough to avoid a loss.  It was Pakistan’s third match in the event. They have won the first two matches. The Indian women’s team is on top of the table, with three wins in three matches.  Sri Lanka have also played three matches and won two of them while Bangladesh played two matches and won one. Bangladesh is set to take on Malaysia on October 6. 

Jemimah Rodrigues and Deepti Sharma smashed a fifty each to guide India to a stunning win against the UAE in the ongoing Women’s Asia Cup in Sylhet.   It was India’s third match in the event and they now have three wins in three matches.    India batted first on Tuesday and posted a challenging total of 178 for five. Jemimah scored 75 off 45 balls with 11 fours while Deepti scored 64 off 49 balls.    India lost wicketkeeper-batter Richa Ghosh in the first over of the match for a duck, but the fifties from two batters helped them post a big total on the board.    In reply, the UAE managed to score only 74 runs for four wickets in 20 overs. They failed to offer any resistance to the Indian side.    The only positive that the UAE earned in this match was their batting the whole innings against the quality bowling attack of India.  Read: Bangladesh suffers big defeat to Pakistan in Women’s Asia Cup   In the other match of the day, Sri Lanka beat Thailand by 49 runs.    Opener Harshitha Samarawickrama posted 81 to help Sri Lanka to score 156 for five while batting first. In reply, Thailand tumbled for 107 for five in 20 overs.    With three wins in three matches, India are now at the top of the table with six points while Pakistan are right behind them with two wins in two matches so far. All other teams in the event have endured at least a defeat. 

The first-ever Saif Powertek Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Mayor Cup, powered by Runner and co-powered by Daraz, will begin here on November 15. DNCC Mayor Atiqul Islam made the official announcement of the meet at a press conference at a local hotel on Monday. Managing Director of the Mayor Cup’s title sponsor Saif Powertek Limited Tarafder Mohammad Ruhul Amin was also present on the occasion. READ: SAFF Championship: Bangladesh lose 0-2 to Maldives Three leading sports—Cricket, Football and Volleyball- are including in the first version of the DNCC Mayor Cup. Former captain of National Cricket team Khaled Mashud Pilot will act as technical director of cricket while former star footballer Sheikh Mohammad Aslam and joint secretary of Bangladesh Volleyball Federation Fazle Rabbi Babul will act as the technical directors of football and volleyball respectively. Former captains of national cricket team Mashrafe Bin Mortaza MP and Akram Khan, ODI captain Tamim Iqbal, captain of national football team Jamal Bhuiyan, volleyball player Horshit Biwas, film actor Ferdous and actress Purnima will feature in the Mayor Cup campaign. Fifty four ward councillors and 18 women’s ward councillors (for reserve seat) will form their teams to compete in the Mayor Cup, where every citizen under DNCC will be entitled to participate for their respective ward teams. READ: SAFF Champs: Bangladesh to play hosts Maldives Thursday night DNCC is organizing the Mayor Cup on the occasion of birth centenary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the golden jubilee of the Bangladesh independence.