The 28th Abu Dhabi International Chess Festival began on Wednesday at 7 pm (Bangladesh time) UAE city of Abu Dhabi.   Bangladesh Grandmaster Ziaur Rahman, International Master Mohammad Fahad Rahman, FIDE Master Tahsin Tajwar Zia and FIDE Master Mehdi Hasan Parag are taking part in the Masters event of the meet.  Read: Chess Olympiad: Bangladesh Women's team beat Iraq 3.5-05 pts ; Men's team lost to Iceland 1.5-2.5 In the day's first round of matches, Grandmaster Zia playing against India's International Master Manish Anto Cristiano, International Master Fahad playing against Nigerian International Master Okeke Isaac Chukwudalu, Tahsin playing with Serbia's Grandmaster Indjic Alexander and FIDE Master Parag playing Uzbekistan's FIDE Master Madaminov Mukhiddin till last report received.  A total of 148 players including 43 Grand Masters, 7 Women Grand Masters, 34 International Masters, 3 Women International Masters, 36 FIDE Masters and Women FIDE Masters from 31 countries are participating in the event.

Bangladesh earned one silver and two bronze medals in archery competition of the ongoing 5th Islamic Solidarity Games in Turkish city Konya on Wednesday. Bangladesh archery team comprising Roxana Akter, Shymoli Roy and Puspita Zaman clinched the silver medal in the women's compound team event losing to hosts Turkey by 229-222 points in the event's final on Wednesday. This was the first silver medal for Bangladesh in the ongoing Islamic games that came easily from women's compound team event, participated by only two countries--Bangladesh and host Turkey. Read: Islamic Solidarity Games: Bangladesh's prospective event archery begins Monday Bangladesh men's and women's recurve teams also clinched two bronze medals on the day. Bangladesh men's team consisting of Hakim Ahmed Rubel, Ruman Shana and Sagar Islam won the bronze medal in the  men's recurve team event beating Saudi Arabia by 6-0 sets points in a bronze medal deciding match. Earlier, Bangladesh men's recurve team beat Sudan in the pre quarter final, beat Iran in the quarterfinal and lost to Indonesia in the semifinal.    In the women's recurve team event, Bangladesh team comprising Diya Siddiqui, Nasrin Akter and Beauty Roy won the bronze medal beating Uzbekistan by 6-2 sets points  Earlier, Bangladesh women's recurve team defeated Malaysia in pre quarter final, beat Iran in the quarter final and lost to Indonesia by tie breaker in the semifinal.          Besides, Bangladeshi swimmer Mahmudun Nabi Nahid reached the semifinals of the men's 50-meter butterfly with a timing of 26.22 seconds.  In Karate, Al Amin of Bangladesh advanced to the quarter final of the men's under-60 kgs Kumi competition beating his rival from Yemen .

Bangladeshi female weightlifter Sohayaba Rahman set a new national record in the ongoing Islamic Solidarity Games now being held in the Turkish city of Konya on Tuesday, lifting total 148 kgs in the women's 80+ Kg weight category.Sohayba lifted 64 KGs in the snatch to break the previous national record of lifting 62 Kgs. In Clean and Jerk, she lifted 84 Kgs to improve the previous national marks of 77 Kgs. In total, she lifted 148 Kgs - bettering the previous best 139 Kgs. But, her performance was not enough to earn a medal in the event as she finished eighth out of eight participants in the 80+ KG weight category.Archery is considered Bangladesh's most prospective event in the ongoing Islamic games. but country's two famed archers Ruman Shana and Diya Siddique did not fulfill their expectation and were eliminated from the quarterfinals of their favorite recurve singles events in the Islamic Solidarity Games. Read: Islamic Games: Imranur finishes 6th in 100-meter sprintIn the women's recurve singles, Diya lost to Yasemin Ecem of Turkey by 7-3 set points in the quarterfinals. Ecem won the first set by 28-25, the second set ended in a draw (29-29), third set Ecem won by 27-25. Diya won the fourth set by 28-26 and kept the game alive but in the next set, she lost by 28-24 points. In the men's recurve singles, Ruman Shana lost to Ungalov Ozodbek of Uzbekistan in the quarterfinals, he lost by 6-0 (29/27, 27/26, 29/25). Two other male recurve archers, Hakim Ahmed Rubel and Shagor Islam failed to reach the quarterfinals, they were eliminated in the pre-quarterfinals. In women's recurve, Nasrin Akter was eliminated in the pre-quarterfinals and Beauty Roy was eliminated in the second round. In the games swimming, Asif Reza of Bangladesh participated in the 100 meter freestyle in the third Heat and Asif finished sixth with a timing of 54.27 seconds.In fencing, Bangladeshi fencer  lost to Lebanon by 45-41 points in the second round of Men's individual foil.

Bangladesh will start their campaign in their most prospective event of the 5th Islamic Solidarity Games Archery on Monday in the Turkish city of Konya The qualifying round of the games archery will begin at 1 pm Bangladesh time on Monday.Twelve archers will represent Bangladesh in all the ten events of the 5th Islamic Solidarity GamesBangladeshi archers are -Ruman Shana, Hakim Ahmed Rubel, Sagar Islam (recurve men's), Diya Siddiqui, Nasrin Akhter, Beauty Roy (recurve women's) , Mithu Rahman, Mohammad Ashiquzzaman, Sohel Rana (compound men's), Shymoly Rai, Pushpita Zaman and Roxana Akhter (compound women's). Also read: Islamic Games: Imranur finishes 6th in 100-meter sprintMeanwhile, Bangladeshi athletes took part in the day's fencing and shooting competitions of the games. Kamrul Islam of Bangladesh lost to Asranov Yousuf of Uzbekistan 1-15 in the fencing table of sixteen while another Bangladeshi Monir Hossain lost to Elias Molinar. Also read: Islamic Games: Bangladeshi sprinter Imranur Rahman advances to 100-meter semifinalIn the day's shooting competition, two Bangladeshi shooters scored 25 and 23 points in the first round while the shooters of Oman and Kuwait scored 27 and 28 points respectively.

Bangladesh's fastest man Imranur Rahman finished 6th in the men's 100-meter sprint of the 5th Islamic Solidarity Games held in Turkish city Konya on Wednesday. He was placed 6th in the eight-men finals with a timing of 10.02 seconds. He was deprived of a medal narrowly for just three seconds for losing concentration several times in the finals and semifinals due to repeated false start by other competitors. Among the eight sprinters, only six athletes completed the finals successfully. Arthur Cisse of Ivory Coast emerged as the fastest man of the games by clinching men's 100-meter sprint gold medal with a timing of 9.89 seconds. Read: Islamic Solidarity Games: 64 athletes will represent Bangladesh in 11 disciplines of sports Mohammed Abdullah Akbar of Saudi Arabia won the event's silver clocking 9.95 seconds while Emre Zafer Barnes of hosts Turkey and Barakat Al Harthy of Oman took the bronze jointly with a timing of 9.99 seconds each. Earlier, Imranur advanced to the semifinal of the men's 100-meter sprint finishing 2nd in heats number 4 with his and new national record timing of 10.01 seconds and later qualified for the final as the first Bangladeshi clocking 10.06 seconds. An 84-member contingent are representing Bangladesh in the Islamic Solidarity Games Konya' 2022 in eleven disciplines of sports--Athletics, Archery, Fencing, Gymnastics, Handball, Karate, Shooting, swimming, Table Tennis, Wrestling, and Weight-lifting. 

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.”

Bangladesh's fastest man Imranur Rahman advanced to the semifinal of the men's 100-meter sprint with his new record timing in the 5th Islamic Solidarity Games held in the Turkish city of Konya on Monday.He was placed 2nd in his respective heats of the men's 100 meters sprint, participated by eight sprinters, with a timing of 10.01 seconds.Imranur will compete in the semifinal on Tuesday at 4:30 pm local time. Also read: National Ranking Open Archery Tournament in Tongi on ThursdayImranur, who set the event's new national record in the just concluded Birmingham Commonwealth Games 2022, with a timing of 10;47 seconds, today (Monday) further improved the event's national marks. An 84-member contingent are representing Bangladesh in the Islamic Solidarity Games Konya' 2022 in eleven disciplines of sports--Athletics, Archery, Fencing, Gymnastics, Handball, Karate, Shooting, Swimming, Table Tennis, Wrestling, and Weight-lifting.Although the formal opening of the Islamic Solidarity Games 2022 will be held on Tuesday (Aug 9), a good number of the competitions have already started and some medals were also decided in Konya.

Bangladesh Women's team beat Iraq by 3.5-05 points in the 9th round Women's Division matches of the 44th FIDE Chess Olympiad being held at Mahabalipuram in Chennai, India on Sunday night. In the 9th round matches of Women's category,  Woman International Master Sharmin Sultana Shirin (rating-1995), Woman FIDE Master Noshin Anjum (rating-2027) and Woman FIDE Master Nazrana Khan Eva (Rating-1829) of Bangladesh beat  Al-Fayyadh Zainab Asif Abdulah (rating-1149), Sara Masood Abdullah (rating-1677) and Tiba Mahdi Attiyah (Rating-1759) of Iraq respectively. In the other 9th round match, Woman Candidate Master Jannatul Ferdous (rating-1815) of Bangladesh drew with Woman FIDE Master A–Ali Sali Abbas Abdulzahra (Rating-1864) of Iraq.  After the 9th round matches, Bangladesh Women's team is now in the 55th place with 10 points from 9 matches.  In the Open Division, Bangladesh Men's team lost to Iceland by 1.5 -2.5 points in the 9th round match of the Chess Olympiad also on Sunday night. Read: Chess Olympiad: Bangladesh beat New Zealand in Open Division In the 9th round matches, Bangladeshi Grandmaster Enamul Hossain Razib (Rating-2377), Grand Master Ziaur Rahman (Rating-2424) and FIDE Master Mehdi Hasan Parag (Rating-2227) drew with Grandmaster Gretarsson, Hjorvar Steinn (Rating-2563), Grandmaster Stefansson Hannes (Rating-2541) and Grandmaster Gretarsson Helgi Ass (Rating-2472) of Iceland respectively.  Grand Master Niaz Murshed (Rating-2413) of Bangladesh  lost to Grandmaster Kjartansson Gudmundur (Rating-2448) of Iceland In the other open category match.  Bangladesh team is now in the 65th position securing 10 points from nine matches.  The 10th and penultimate round matches due to be held Monday evening. In the 10th round, the Bangladesh team will play Thailand in the open category and Bangladesh women's team will play Egypt in the women's category.

Sadia Islam Mou of Bangladesh made a good start in women's singles Table Tennis of the 5th Islamic Solidarity Games beating her rival from Djibouti by 3-0 straight sets held in the Turkish city of Konya on Sunday.She will play the next match against her Pakistani rival.Another Bangladeshi paddler Sonam Sultana Soma, who got walkover against Guyana in the day's other match. will play next match against her rival from Cameroon.In the men's singles, Mohtasin Ahmed Hridoy of Bangladesh lost to his Iranian rival by 2-3 sets while another Bangladeshi Ramhim Leam Boom lost to his Tajik rival by straight 0-3 sets.In the women's handball, Bangladesh team conceded 10-51 goals defeat against hosts Turkey. Read: Chess Olympiad: Bangladesh beat New Zealand in Open DivisionAlthough the formal opening of the Islamic Solidarity Games will be held on Tuesday (Aug 9), but a good number of the competitions have already started and some medals were also decided in Konya.Fencer Fatema Mujib, who won gold medal in the last SAFF Games, will carry the red and green flag in opening ceremony the Islamic Solidarity Games Konya, 2022 on Tuesday..An 84-member contingent are representing Bangladesh in the Islamic Solidarity Games Konya' 2022 in eleven disciplines of sports--Athletics, Archery, Fencing, Gymnastics, Handball, Karate, Shooting, swimming, Table Tennis, Wrestling, and Weight-lifting.    

Bangladesh beat New Zealand by 2.5-1.5 points in the 8th round open division match of the 44th FIDE Chess Olympiad held at Mahabalipuram in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India Saturday night. In Saturday's 8th round match, Bangladeshi FIDE Master Mehdi Hasan Parag (Rating-2227) won against Stark John (Rating-2028) of New zealand while Grandmaster Enamul Hossain Razib (Rating-2377), Grand Master Ziaur Rahman (Rating-2424) and Grand Master Niaz Murshed (Rating-2413) drew with Kiwis FIDE Master Gong Daniel Hanwen (Rating-2296), Croa, Nicolas (Rating-2289) and Candidate Master Xie Felix (Rating-2224) respectively. In the open category, Bangladesh team is now in the 48th position with 10 points from eight matches. But, Bangladesh team lost to Turkey by 1-3 points in the women's division 8th round match of the Olympiad on the same day. In the women's category, only Bangladeshi Woman FIDE Master Nazrana Khan Eva (Rating-1829) won against Kocyigit, Buse Naz (rating-1991) of Turkey while Woman International Master Sharmin Sultana Shirin (rating-1995), Woman FIDE Master Noshin Anjum (rating-2027) and Woman Candidate Master Jannatul Ferdous (rating-1815) of Bangladesh lost to Turkish international Master Atalik Ekaterina (rating-2422), Woman FIDE Master Okuyaz Duru (Rating-2090) and Woman Candidate Master Onur Cigdem (Rating-2000) respectively. Bangladesh Women's team is now in the 71st place with 8 points from 8 matches.