The three -day  long 51st Aga  Khan  Gold  Cup  Golf Tournament concluded at the Kurmitola Golf Club, Dhaka Cantonment on Sunday. Brigadier General M Zahid Hasan (retd) became winner while Major Sheikh Md Yousuf Reza (retd) finished runner up in the tournament. Mrs. Shamim Ara Sadeque became winner  in the ladies’ event. Narail District emerged champions in Khulna Divisional Inter-District Youth Athletics Festival Chief  of  Bangladesh  Air  Force,  Air  Chief  Marshal  Hasan  Mahmood  Khan was the chief guest at the day’s closing function held at the Banquet Hall of Kurmitola Golf Club and later he distributed the prizes among the winners. Among others, Lieutenant General Mohammad Shaheenul  Haque, Commandant of  National Defence College and Vice President, of Kurmitola Golf Club, Madad Ali Virani, President of Prince Aga Khan Council for Bangladesh, Brigadier General Md Towhid  Hossain, Captain of Kurmitola  Golf  Club, Brigadier  General  Abidur Reza  Khan (Retd), Toumament  Director of Kurmitola  Golf  Club were present.

Narail District emerged champions in the Khulna Divisional Inter-District Youth Athletics Festival securing seven gold, four silver and three bronze medals that concluded on Sunday at the Sonadanga Divisional Women’s Sports Complex in Khulna. Khulna District Sports Association finished runners-up collecting four gold, seven silver and one bronze medal in the Youth Festival organized by Bangladesh Athletics Federation under the co-operation of the Khulna Divisional Sports Association.    Earlier, Additional Divisional Commissioner (Revenue) of Khulna Division Mohammad Firoz Shah inaugurated the day-long meet as the chief guest Sunday morning while Additional Divisional Commissioner (Development) of the division Abu Sayed Mohammad Manzur Alam presided over the inaugural function. Some 250 athletes from ten districts of the Khulna Division competed in the meet’s 18 events—ten for men’s and eight for the women’s.  

A gold medal from the 1904 St. Louis Olympics, awarded to the 110-meter hurdles champion, is being auctioned as part of a collection featuring hundreds of Olympic memorabilia spanning decades, reports AP. The medal, inscribed with “Olympiad, 1904,” depicts a victorious athlete holding a wreath on one side and Nike, the ancient Greek goddess of victory, alongside Zeus on the other, with an engraving specifying the hurdles event. Awarded to American athlete Fred Schule, it comes with its original ribbon and leather case. This marked the first Olympics where gold medals were introduced, with the U.S. dominating by winning 78 of 96 events. Unlike modern Olympic gold medals, which are primarily silver with gold plating, these were smaller and crafted entirely from gold. Billie Eilish, Snoop Dogg and Red Hot Chili Peppers to perform at Paris Olympics' closing ceremony Bobby Eaton, an Olympic memorabilia specialist at Boston-based RR Auction, highlighted the rarity of such medals, noting that few of the roughly 100 awarded in 1904 remain, as many have been lost or are held in private collections and museums. The 1904 Games, remembered for both achievements and controversies, were initially set for Chicago but were moved to St. Louis after disputes with the World’s Fair organizers, who threatened to hold their own competing athletic events. The marathon was marred by scandal when Fred Lorz, initially thought to be the winner, was found to have traveled part of the race by car. Additionally, “Anthropology Days” saw indigenous tribes competing without prior notice as part of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition. The event also introduced boxing and freestyle wrestling to the Olympics, alongside now-defunct events like croquet and tug-of-war. “These medals are more than symbols of competition; they represent the early days of the modern Olympics,” Eaton remarked, describing the auction as a rare opportunity for collectors. The auction also features other Olympic treasures, including a bronze medal from the 2024 Paris Olympics and gold medals from the 1932 Los Angeles, 1964 Tokyo, 1998 Nagano, and 2012 London Games. IOC president Thomas Bach plans to leave office next year. He says the Olympics needs a change Olympic memorabilia continues to attract high prices. In recent years, Luz Long’s 1936 Berlin Olympics silver medal sold for over $488,000, while a silver medal from the first modern Olympics in 1896 fetched $180,111 in 2021. More recently, Yuri Cheban of Ukraine sold his medals to support the war effort, and Ryan Lochte auctioned six of his medals for charity, retaining only his golds. Looking ahead, the Summer Olympics will return to Los Angeles in 2028, marking its third time hosting, after 1932 and 1984.

The Max Group 33rd National Swimming, Diving and Waterpolo Championship’2024 , organized by Bangladesh Swimming Federation (BSF) and sponsored by Max Group, begins on Saturday (November 9) at the Syed Nazmul Islam National Swimming Complex in Mirpur. BSF Senior Vice President and Chairman of the Max Group Engineer Golam Mohammad Alamgir will inaugurate the four-day meet on Saturday afternoon. Tournament’s sponsor Max Group will bear the entire expenses of the meet. Some 550 athletes and 185 officials from 52 teams including, different divisions, district, Army, Navy, Air Force, BKSP, BGB, Police, Ansar and swimming clubs will participate in 38 swimming (19 each for the male and female), three diving and one waterpolo event of the meet. The details of the meet disclosed by acting general secretary of the Swimming Federation M. Salim Miah at a press conference at the Dutch Bangla auditorium of the Bangladesh Olympic Association here on Thursday. Representative of the Max Group Ibrahim Khalil Palash was also present of the occasion. BSF president and Chief of Bangladesh Navy Admiral M Nazmul Hasan will be the chief guest at the closing and prize distribution ceremony on Tuesday (November 12). The champions, runners-up teams, the best male and female athletes of the meet will be awarded with trophies.

Alexander Zverev advanced to the semifinals of the Paris Masters by beating Stefanos Tsitsipas 7-5, 6-4 on Friday and knocking the Greek player out of contention for the ATP Finals. The third-seeded German saved the only break point he faced. Zverev, the French Open runner-up, next faces 2022 champion Holger Rune for a shot at the title. He's into his third Paris semifinals in the past four years, though he's never won the hard-court tournament. The first break point opportunity came in the 11th game as Tsitsipas struggled with his first serve. Zverev got the break for 6-5 on an unforced error. Tsitsipas then saved two set points but squandered his only break point chance with his 17th unforced error before Zverev closed out the set. Zverev broke again in the third game of the second set to take full control. He rattled off 12 straight points in his final three service games. With the victory, Zverev became the first player born in the 1990s to record 100 wins over top-20 players. Daniil Medvedev is on 99. The 10th-seeded Tsitsipas, who reached the ATP Finals for five consecutive years, had 28 unforced errors to 18 winners. Rune outlasted Alex de Minaur 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 in a 2 1/2-hour baseline fight. Rune improved to 3-2 against the Australian. Later Friday, home favorite Ugo Humbert will face Australia's Jordan Thompson, a day after the Frenchman stunned Carlos Alcaraz. The nightcap pits eighth-seeded Grigor Dimitrov against 2018 champion Karen Khachanov. Top-ranked Jannik Sinner pulled out of the Paris Masters, as did the record seven-time champion Novak Djokovic. The ATP Finals in Turin start on Nov. 10.

Top-ranked Jannik Sinner beat Novak Djokovic in straight sets to win the Shanghai Masters on Sunday. The Italian bettered the 24-time Grand Slam champion 7-6 (4), 6-3. Sinner hit eight aces and 22 winners to four and 12, respectively, for Djokovic. Sinner never faced a break point. 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal will retire from tennis after next month's Davis Cup finals Djokovic was aiming for his 100th tour-level title. Only Jimmy Connors with 109 titles and Roger Federer with 103 have hit the century mark in men’s tennis. Wuhan Open Second-ranked Aryna Sabalenka rallied from a slow start to beat an in-form Coco Gauff 1-6, 6-4, 6-4 in the semifinals to advance to her third straight Wuhan final and preserve her perfect record at the tournament. Sabalenka will face seventh-ranked Zheng Qinwen in the final. The Paris Olympics champion beat No. 51-ranked Wang Xinyu 6-3, 6-4. Sabalenka will be bidding for her fourth title of the season, which includes the Australian Open and U.S. Open. The Belarussian's 16th straight victory at Wuhan ended Gauff's own recent win streak at nine, including the China Open title last week. But it looked anything but certain for Sabalenka as she crashed 6-1 in the opening set. "In the first set she was just crushing it,” Sabalenka said. “Whatever she was doing, everything was flying in. Everything was so aggressive. I didn’t have much opportunities.” In a fight between the last two U.S. Open champions, Gauff led by a break early in the second but Sabalenka responded to pull level at 4-4 and saved a break point on serve to take a 5-4 lead. Serving to stay in the set, Gauff was broken as Sabalenka hit a lunging forehand volley to force a deciding set. Chess Star Rani Hamid: The Pride of Bangladesh The Belarussian carried her momentum into the third, extending her streak to seven games for a 3-0 lead. Gauff fought back to level at 4-4, but Sabalenka held strong to halt Gauff’s run. Sabalenka broke once more after Gauff hit her season-worst 21st double fault on match point, ending the 2 1/2-hour match. “I know what she’s going through. This is really difficult,” said Sabalenka, who had issues on her serve in the past. "But I know that if she’ll be able to overcome this serve situation, I’m pretty sure she’s going to be one of the greatest players.”

Just weeks after hosting the Olympics, the summer of sports in Paris begins its final chapter Wednesday with the opening ceremony of the Paralympic Games. More than 4,000 athletes with physical, visual and intellectual impairments will compete in 22 sports over the next 11 days. Organizers are promising a spectacular show to open the Games. Once again it's being held outside the confines of a stadium, but unlike the Olympic opening ceremony, which featured a boat parade on the Seine River, the Paralympic ceremony is happening exclusively on land, with athletes parading down the famous Champs-Elysées to the ceremony at the Place de la Concorde. Artistic director Thomas Jolly, who also led the opening ceremony for the Olympics, said the event will “showcase the Paralympic athletes and the values that they embody", and promised “performances that have never been seen before." Organizers say more than 2 million tickets have been sold for the Paris Paralympics. Competition begins Thursday with the first medals handed out in taekwondo, table tennis and track cycling. Athletes are grouped by impairment levels to ensure as level a playing field as possible. Only two sports on the program, goalball and boccia, don't have an Olympic equivalent. International Paralympic Committee President Andrew Parsons said that the big crowds expected in Paris will mean a lot to the athletes, many of whom competed in front of empty stands at the Tokyo Paralympics three years ago due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “As our ambition is to be perceived and understood as the most transformational sport event on the planet, by having this atmosphere, it’s important," he told The Associated Press on the eve of the opening ceremony.

Five-time Olympic medalist Tom Daley announced his retirement from diving on Monday. Daley told British Vogue magazine he had decided to call time on his career. The 30-year-old British diver competed at five Games, making his debut at Beijing 2008 and winning gold and bronze in Tokyo, silver in Paris and bronzes at London 2012 and Rio 2016. Daley, who claimed his fifth Olympic medal in the 10m synchronised event in Paris last month, said in the interview: “It feels very, very surreal. I felt so incredibly nervous going into this, knowing it was my last Olympics.” “There was a lot of pressure and expectations. I was eager for it to be done. But when I walked out and saw my husband (Lance) and kids (Robbie and Phoenix) and my friends and family in the audience, I was like, you know what? This is exactly why I did this. “It was emotional at the end, up there on the platform, knowing it was going to be my last competitive dive. “But I have to make the decision at some point, and it feels like the right time. It’s the right time to call it a day.” Daley's gold came in the 10m synchronised event in Tokyo in 2021 alongside Matty Lee. He was back to defend his title in Paris after being convinced by his son Robbie to return to the sport. Daley won silver in the French capital alongside Noah Williams. China took gold.  

Refugee breaker Manizha Talash, or “b-girl Talash,” was disqualified from the first-ever Olympic breaking competition on Friday, after she wore a cape that said “Free Afghan Women" during her pre-qualifier battle against India Sardjoe — known as “b-girl India." The 21-year-old, originally from Afghanistan and representing the Olympic Refugee, team lost in the pre-qualifier battle against Sardjoe, and would not have advanced even if she hadn't been disqualified. Political statements and slogans are banned on the field of play and on podiums at the Olympics. World DanceSport Federation, the governing body for breaking at the Olympics, issued a statement afterward that said she "was disqualified for displaying a political slogan on her attire during the Pre-Qualifier battle.” Talash sought asylum in Spain after fleeing Taliban rule in her home country in 2021. “I’m here because I want to reach my dream. Not because I’m scared,” she told The Associated Press before the Olympics from Spain, where she was granted asylum. The one-off pre-qualifier battle between Talash and Sardjoe was added in May, when Talash was included in the Olympic roster after the b-girl from Afghanistan missed registration for qualifying events. The International Olympic Committee’s executive board invited her to participate after learning of her efforts to defy the strict rule of the Taliban in her home country.

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo awarded Ukrainian athletes on Thursday with the Grand Vermeil Medal, the French capital’s highest distinction, as a move of solidarity during the 2024 Olympics. “I can imagine today both your sadness and your pride,” Hidalgo said. “The sadness of knowing that your country is still being attacked and is at war, that many of your friends, your relatives are on the front lines and fighting.” Ukrainian rower Anastasiia Kozhenkova and diver Oleksii Sereda received the medal on behalf of all Ukrainian athletes, and both already have finished their Olympic competitions. They led a group of other Ukrainian athletes who attended the reception at Paris' imposing City Hall. The athletes who won two of the country’s Olympic medals so far – bronze in women’s individual saber fencing and silver in men’s 50-meter rifle – were not at the event. The reception started with a minute of silence to honor those killed in Russia's war. Ukrainian Olympians stood still, mostly looking down. A screen hung above the stage showing photos of coaches and athletes who were killed over the past two years. It was dubbed “heaven’s team.” Ukrainian acting sports minister Matvii Bidnyi thanked Hidalgo for the support France has provided to Ukrainian athletes. Recently, the first-ever Ukrainian house opened, made possible thanks to French support. Many of the athletes at the event had finished their Olympic competitions. Another Ukrainian rower, Kateryna Dudchenko said she hoped to perform better at her first Games. The women's team placed fifth in quadruple sculls Wednesday. “Unfortunately, something went wrong, and we didn’t have enough strength at the finish because our competitors turned out to be stronger and they overtook us,” she said. “But I think that right now, for the country, the fact that we are here, that the team is participating, that we are representing our country, is already a victory.” Hidalgo, during her last visit to Ukraine, said the athletes would be welcomed as heroes in Paris. “And it’s very, very nice and very emotional for me to see that in France and the Parisian people during the opening ceremony celebrating the Ukrainian athletes as heroes,” the mayor said.