United News of Bangladesh

The United States have recalled Christian Pulisic, Folarin Balogun and Weston McKennie for their CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal matches against Haiti, while coach Mauricio Pochettino has included two potential debutants as he looks to strengthen both the present squad and its future. The 25-member squad announced Wednesday features 19 players from the team's September and October friendly matches. Thirteen players who represented the United States at this year's World Cup are also included, among them 10 starters from their final match against Belgium. Six members of the squad are under 20. "We need to have more options and give more players the opportunity to challenge those who are already familiar with the team," Pochettino said during an online news conference from London. Pulisic returns after missing friendly victories over Peru, Chile, Mexico and Canada while recovering from a microfracture in his right tibia and fibula. He sustained the injury during the United States' 4-1 defeat to Belgium in the World Cup round of 16. Balogun, meanwhile, missed the recent friendlies after being left out of Monaco's squad for its first four Ligue 1 matches of the season. His potential move to Everton had fallen through. The striker has since featured in five matches, coming on as a second-half substitute each time. Balogun's red-card suspension at the World Cup had also attracted controversy after US President Donald Trump contacted FIFA President Gianni Infantino, following which the suspension was overturned. "It's a great opportunity to keep helping him develop after a difficult summer and the World Cup," Pochettino said. The squad's younger members are led by striker Cavan Sullivan, who made his international debut in September, two days before turning 17. He became the youngest American to score a goal for the national team a week later against Mexico. Other teenagers include 17-year-old midfielders Mathis Albert and Adri Mehmeti, 18-year-old forward Julian Hall, 19-year-old forward Justin Ellis and 19-year-old defender Neil Pierre. Right back Reed Baker-Whiting of Nashville and midfielder Santiago Castañeda of Paderborn, both 21, have also earned their first senior national team call-ups. Defender Bryan Reynolds, 25, has returned to the squad for the first time since the 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup. He made his international debut in 2021 at the age of 19. Pochettino said the selected players deserved an opportunity to join the team, demonstrate their abilities and understand how they could fit into the national setup. Among those omitted are goalkeeper Matt Turner, defenders Max Arfsten, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Mark McKenzie and Joe Scally, midfielder Aidan Morris and winger Tim Weah. The 16th-ranked United States will train in Georgia before facing 84th-ranked Haiti in Miami on Nov 14 and Cincinnati on Nov 17. The two-legged tie will be decided by aggregate goals, with the winner advancing to the Nations League semifinals, scheduled for March 22-30 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. Several players who featured in the September squad have also been dropped, including goalkeeper Chris Brady, defenders Miles Robinson and Frankie Westfield, midfielders Zavier Gozo and Yunus Musah, and forwards Cole Campbell and Damion Downs. Some players not selected for the senior team are expected to join the under-23 squad as it prepares for the 2028 Olympics. Its training camp roster is scheduled to be announced Thursday. Defender Miles Robinson, midfielder Johnny Cardoso and forwards Haji Wright and Alejandro Zendejas were unavailable because of injuries. Striker Ricardo Pepi was also left out after a leg muscle injury kept him sidelined from Sept 20 until last Saturday. Defender George Campbell was named in the squad but sustained an injury during West Bromwich Albion's match on Tuesday and could be replaced. The squad: Goalkeepers: Matt Freese (New York City), Diego Kochen (Lyngby), Brian Schwake (Nashville). Defenders: Reed Baker-Whiting (Nashville), George Campbell (West Bromwich Albion), Sergiño Dest (PSV Eindhoven), Alex Freeman (Villarreal), Neil Pierre (Philadelphia), Bryan Reynolds (Rennes), Chris Richards (Crystal Palace), Antonee Robinson (Fulham), Auston Trusty (Celtic). Midfielders: Tyler Adams (Bournemouth), Mathis Albert (Borussia Dortmund), Sebastian Berhalter (Middlesbrough), Santiago Castañeda (Paderborn), Weston McKennie (Juventus), Adri Mehmeti (New York Red Bulls), Gio Reyna (Strasbourg), Malik Tillman (Bayer Leverkusen). Forwards: Folarin Balogun (Monaco), Justin Ellis (Orlando), Julian Hall (New York Red Bulls), Christian Pulisic (AC Milan), Cavan Sullivan (Philadelphia).

Bangladesh national kabaddi team, which won a bronze medal at the inaugural 2026 Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship in Ahmedabad, India, was felicitated at a ceremony in the capital recently. The event was organised by Yawar Khan, Chairman of the Asian Catering Federation and Founder and Chairman of the Asian Curry Awards, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, City Centre, in recognition of the team's achievement. Officials of the Bangladesh Kabaddi Federation, players from the national men's and women's teams, coaching staff and invited guests attended the ceremony. Bangladesh reached the semi-finals of the championship, where they competed against hosts India, before securing the bronze medal. The reception recognised the players' performance, discipline and collective efforts throughout the tournament. Addressing the event, Yawar Khan congratulated the team, saying the achievement reflected the players' determination, discipline and unity. He said their performance had brought pride to Bangladesh and would inspire future generations of athletes. Anisa Khan, a British-Bangladeshi and captain of the England kabaddi team, was also present at the event. She congratulated the Bangladesh team and highlighted the importance of international cooperation and knowledge-sharing in developing the sport. "Kabaddi is still a relatively new sport in England. We are at a stage where we are learning, developing our skills and working to take the game forward. Learning from countries like Bangladesh, which have a long-standing tradition and experience in kabaddi, is important for us," she said. Delwar Hossain, team manager of the Bangladesh Kabaddi Federation, thanked Yawar Khan and the Asian Catering Federation for organising the reception and extending their support to the delegation. He said the bronze medal was the result of the players' dedication and collective efforts throughout the championship, adding that such recognition would encourage the players and officials to strive for further success. Mohammad Zahid Iqbal Almas, treasurer of the Bangladesh Kabaddi Federation, also expressed gratitude to the organisers for recognising the team's achievement. He underscored the importance of international friendship and cooperation in strengthening Bangladesh's position in the global kabaddi arena. Players from both the men's and women's national teams, along with federation officials and coaching staff, were recognised at the ceremony.  

Three Japanese baseball players infielder Teruaki Sato and pitchers Kaima Taira and Hiromi Itoh have entered Major League Baseball's (MLB) posting system, allowing them to negotiate with MLB clubs from Monday through December 16. South Korean infielder Si-Hwan Roh of the Hanwha Eagles has also entered the system and will be eligible to sign with an MLB team until December 1. Sato, a 27-year-old left-handed batter who plays third base and occasionally the outfield for the Hanshin Tigers, enjoyed an outstanding season. He hit .306 with 39 home runs and 106 RBIs, securing the Central League's Triple Crown. He was also named the league's Most Valuable Player in 2025 after recording 40 home runs and 102 RBIs with a .277 batting average. Taira, who will turn 27 on November 15, returned to the starting rotation this season and posted a 12-5 record with a league-leading 1.36 ERA. He previously recorded 31 saves in 2025 while playing for the Saitama Seibu Lions. Itoh, 29, helped Japan secure Olympic gold in 2021, delivering five scoreless innings across three games. He also represented Japan in this year's World Baseball Classic. Playing for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, he finished the season with a 10-10 record, a 3.18 ERA and 159 strikeouts in 172 2/3 innings. He received Japan's prestigious Sawamura Award in 2025, which is equivalent to MLB's Cy Young Award. Meanwhile, 25-year-old Roh, a right-handed hitter, recorded a .283 batting average with 25 home runs and 96 RBIs for the Hanwha Eagles this season. Players from Japanese clubs have a 45-day posting window, while those from South Korean teams have 30 days to negotiate with MLB clubs. The deadline for signing contracts is 5pm EST on the final day of each period. MLB is expected to lock out the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) when the current collective bargaining agreement expires on December 1. During the previous lockout, which began on December 2, 2021, negotiations involving posted players were suspended. Their signing windows resumed after MLB and the players' union reached an agreement on March 10. Under MLB's posting agreements with Nippon Professional Baseball and the Korea Baseball Organization, Japanese and South Korean clubs will receive a posting fee based on the value of a player's major league contract. The fee is set at 20 percent of the first $25 million, including earned bonuses and options, 17.5 percent of the next $25 million and 15 percent of any amount exceeding $50 million. An additional 15 percent will be charged on earned bonuses, salary escalators and exercised contract options.

Japan's Mao Shimada claimed the top position in the women's short program at Skate Canada International on Saturday, narrowly finishing ahead of American skater Isabeau Levito. Shimada earned 82.11 points, while Levito secured second place with 78.50. Estonia's Niina Petrokina finished third with 77.24 points. In the men's competition, France's Kevin Aymoz captured the title with a total score of 258.43 points. Japan's Rio Nakata finished second with 249.25, followed by Estonia's Mihhail Selevko with 248.66. Canada's Lia Pereira and Trennt Michaud won the pairs event with 202.17 points after delivering the highest scores in both the short and free skating programmes. Americans Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov took second place with 191.90 points, while Switzerland's Oxana Vouillamoz and Tom Bouvart finished third with 183.12. In the ice dance event, Britain's Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson led the rhythm dance with 81.37 points. France's Evgeniia Lopareva and Geoffrey Brissaud placed second with 77.90 points, while American pair Caroline Green and Michael Parsons finished third with 74.24.

Thailand's Fifa Laopakdee staged another impressive final-round comeback on Sunday to become only the second golfer to win consecutive Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship titles, securing places at next year's Masters and the British Open. The 21-year-old finished with a 1-under-par 70 for a three-shot victory at Te Arai Links, recording a four-round total of 6-under 278 on the wind-swept coastal course north of Auckland. His victory earned him another appearance at Augusta National for the Masters in April, as well as a place at the British Open next summer at St Andrews. Laopakdee said he had exchanged phone numbers with Justin Rose during this year's Masters, and the English golfer had promised to play a practice round with him if he qualified again. "Rosey, see you at a practice round for the Masters," Laopakdee said with a smile. The Thai golfer was three shots behind with 10 holes remaining when a dramatic turnaround on the 11th hole changed the contest. Laopakdee hit his approach shot to within seven feet and converted the birdie, while New Zealand's Zack Swanwick suffered a costly triple bogey. The four-shot swing transformed Laopakdee's two-shot deficit into a two-shot lead. The Arizona State senior maintained control and strengthened his advantage with another birdie on the 17th, where he placed his wedge shot within four feet of the hole. Swanwick, who began the final round two shots ahead of Laopakdee and Cooper Moore, struggled to recover and finished with a 75. He managed his first birdie of the day on the final hole. The New Zealander had been hoping to become the first home golfer to win the Asia-Pacific Amateur in front of local supporters. His hopes suffered a major setback on the 11th after his approach shot landed in a bunker. A series of difficult recovery shots and a missed eight-foot putt resulted in a triple bogey. "Middle of the green, make par and get out of there," Swanwick said, reflecting on the costly hole. He added that several mistakes had affected his performance. Laopakdee said the strong winds made the conditions difficult but praised his approach shot on the 11th for creating the momentum that helped him secure the victory. With the win, Laopakdee joined Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama as the only players to claim consecutive titles since the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship was introduced in 2009. Australia's Kayun Mudadana finished third at 2-under 282 after carding a 67, while Moore took fourth place, one shot further behind. Only four golfers finished the tournament under par. Laopakdee had also produced a remarkable comeback last year in Dubai, overcoming a six-shot final-round deficit before winning in a playoff on the third extra hole. Currently ranked 31st in the world amateur rankings, he won the Desimone Invitational in San Francisco in early March but described much of the remaining season as disappointing. "This is one of the last events of the year, and I wanted to prove to myself that I've still got it," he said. "To pull it off, it means the whole world to me."

South Africa has selected the coastal city of Durban as its preferred candidate to host the 2036 or 2040 Summer Olympics and Paralympics, potentially bringing the first Olympic Games to Africa. The decision was announced Thursday by Lwandile Simelane, acting president of the South African Olympic committee. Simelane said Durban, the country's third-largest city, would lead South Africa's bid, which is expected to involve multiple cities, with some events potentially held elsewhere. Johannesburg, the country's economic hub, and Cape Town were also considered as possible host cities. Durban emerged as a potential Olympic host more than a decade ago after South Africa staged the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the first to be held in Africa. However, the country did not submit an official bid at the time, largely because of concerns about the cost of hosting the Games. South African officials said Thursday that they could not yet provide an estimate of the potential cost of staging the Olympics if the country's bid succeeds. South Africa is among seven countries seeking to host the 2036 Summer Olympics. The other contenders are India, Qatar, South Korea, Germany, Hungary and Turkey. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is expected to select the host city for the 2036 Games in mid-2029. The IOC has set Oct 31 as the deadline for national Olympic committees to formally express their interest in bidding for the 2036 Olympics.

French football star Kylian Mbappé has apologised for remarks apparently referring to China’s founding leader Mao Zedong as a dictator after facing a backlash and losing endorsement deals with three Chinese companies. “My comment was ill-judged, and I now understand that it hurt many people in China and in Chinese communities around the world,” Mbappé said in a statement on Tuesday. “I apologise to everyone my words have upset. This was absolutely not my intention. I have deep respect for the Chinese people and their history, and I am sincerely sorry,” he added. Chinese beverage maker Dongpeng, dairy giant Mengniu and cheese producer Milkground announced on Tuesday that they were ending their agreements with the footballer, saying they opposed “any words and actions that hurt national sentiment.” The companies did not specify the reason for their decisions, but their announcements came after a video clip of Mbappé discussing his favourite meme circulated on social media. In the clip, Mbappé refers to a video featuring a man he believes was a Chinese dictator. The video then shows an edited image of the footballer's face on the body of Mao Zedong wearing a blue suit. Football fans frequently use dictator-themed memes to joke about Mbappé's influence over his teammates and the teams he plays for. Images depicting him as Mao and other authoritarian leaders have circulated widely online. Mao led the Chinese Communist Party during its early years, won the civil war against the Nationalist Party and founded the People's Republic of China. While he remains revered by many in the country, his legacy also includes authoritarian rule and policies such as the Great Leap Forward, which contributed to a famine that killed an estimated 30 million people. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said that remarks and actions hurting the feelings of the Chinese people would naturally face opposition across Chinese society. Social media platform RedNote also criticised the remarks, saying its content partnership with Mbappé had ended on December 31, 2024, and that it would remove related promotional materials. His account on the platform was barred from accepting new followers on Tuesday. Mbappé has appeared in numerous Chinese advertising campaigns for products ranging from electrolyte drinks to dairy products. In one Dongpeng advertisement, he delivers a slogan in Chinese, while a Mengniu commercial features him alongside Argentine football star Lionel Messi. The controversy also gained traction on Chinese social media, where hashtags related to the termination of the brand partnerships topped Weibo's trending list. Calls to boycott Mbappé also trended, with some users criticising his remarks and urging him not to visit China.

The Bangladesh Sports Press Association (BSPA) on Sunday honoured Mustafa Kamal, veteran journalist who led sports coverage at private news agency United News of Bangladesh (UNB) for close to four decades, for his lifetime contribution to sports journalism. Another veteran sports writer, Major (retd) Shahabuddin Chakladar, was also honoured at the programme, held at a city hotel to mark World Sports Journalists Day, alongside the Max-BSPA Journalist Awards 2025. Aminul Haque, former national football team goalkeeper and current State Minister for Youth and Sports, presented the honours and awards. "Kamal bhai is an inspiration for our generation," BSPA President Rejwan uz Zaman told UNB. "UNB was one of the main sources of news when we started our careers, and Kamal bhai worked for UNB for a long time. He is one of the pioneers of sports journalism." Kamal joined UNB in 1988, the year of its birth, and worked there for 37 years straight, till October 2025. During his time at UNB, he covered the Mini World Cup cricket tournament held in Bangladesh in 1998, which was later renamed the ICC Champions Trophy, and the 2000 Sydney Olympics.  

Mallory Swanson scored her first goal since the 2024 Olympic gold medal match to help the United States earn a 2-2 draw against Spain in a women's international friendly on Tuesday night. Swanson scored in the 86th minute after Ashley Sanchez had pulled one goal back early in the second half. Spain had taken a 2-0 lead through first-half goals from Alexia Putellas and Salma Paralluelo. “The mentality of this team has always been that you stay with it. That's what this crest means,” Swanson said after coming on as a substitute in the second half. The match was the second of two friendlies between the teams. Spain, the 2023 Women's World Cup champions and the world's top-ranked team, won the first match 2-0 in Washington, DC, on Saturday. Spain has already qualified for next summer's Women's World Cup in Brazil, while the United States used the matches to prepare for World Cup qualifying later this year. Putellas, a two-time Ballon d'Or winner, marked her 150th appearance for Spain by opening the scoring in the 27th minute. She tapped in a pass from Clara Pinedo at the far post to score her 43rd international goal. Five minutes later, US goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce misplayed a ball forward, allowing Spain to attack. Putellas set up Paralluelo, whose powerful shot struck the crossbar before going into the net to make it 2-0. It was the first time since 2011 that the United States had conceded two first-half goals in consecutive matches. Sanchez reduced the deficit early in the second half with a shot into the far corner. It was her first start for the United States since a match against Argentina on Oct. 30, 2024. Sanchez has been in strong form for North Carolina Courage in the National Women's Soccer League, scoring a league-leading 20 goals in 27 matches. Swanson completed the comeback attempt when Michelle Cooper collected a long pass from Kate Del Fava and sent the ball across for Swanson to volley home. Swanson's previous goal for the United States came in the 1-0 victory over Brazil in the gold medal match at the Paris Olympics. She spent 2025 on maternity leave after giving birth to her daughter. “One of our big things in the game plan was finding those spaces in the box and being clinical in the box, and you could see that,” Swanson said. Lily Yohannes nearly scored a late winner for the United States in stoppage time, but Spain goalkeeper Misa Rodríguez made a diving save. “We always want to win. That's the type of team that we are, and I think if we had 20 more minutes, we definitely probably would have won,” Sanchez said. “But it was good just to get a tie against a team like that and come back from 2-0 down.” Spain controlled much of the match despite missing several key players. Aitana Bonmati was still recovering from a broken leg, while Vicky Lopez, Mariona Caldentey and goalkeeper Cata Coll were also unavailable because of injuries. Chicago Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson, Mallory Swanson's husband, and tennis player Ben Shelton, who is dating US player Trinity Rodman, were among the spectators at Subaru Park.  

Chinese tennis star Zheng Qinwen withdrew from the Wuhan Open on Monday due to a shoulder injury, a day after winning her first WTA title in two years at the China Open and celebrating with a karaoke performance for fans. Olympic gold medallist Zheng and French Open champion Mirra Andreeva, who lost to Zheng 7-5, 6-4 in Sunday's China Open final, both pulled out of the WTA 1000 tournament in Wuhan. Zheng said she had been feeling exhausted after a demanding schedule over the past six weeks, which included the US Open, the Billie Jean King Cup and the China Open. “Since returning from injury ... I have played a demanding stretch of tennis over the past month and a half, competing at the U.S. Open, the Billie Jean King Cup, and the China Open. My body is feeling very fatigued after this intense run of matches,” Zheng said in a statement released by the WTA. “I look forward to returning to the Wuhan Open next year and stepping onto the court in my best possible form!” she added. Andreeva, who has climbed to No. 3 in the world rankings, cited a change in her schedule as the reason for withdrawing from the Wuhan tournament. Zheng's victory in Beijing marked a major step in her comeback after a difficult year. An elbow injury caused her ranking to drop from a career-high fourth last year to 160th this season. She entered the China Open last week ranked 54th after receiving a wildcard entry. Following her title-winning performance, she is set to return to the world's top 30, according to the WTA. “I've been through a very tough year,” Zheng said in English during the trophy presentation. She also sang a pop song, drawing loud cheers from the crowd. Both players were replaced in the Wuhan Open draw by lucky losers — players who lost in qualifying but entered the main draw after withdrawals. Anna Bondar took Andreeva's place, while Camila Osorio replaced Zheng. The singles main draw began on Monday.