Mohammad Moynul Islam Munna, a Bangladeshi coach who has carved out a career in Malaysia, hardly had a moment to spare as he shuffled from court to court, giving instructions to his Malaysian students who are taking part in ongoing Yonex-Sunrise Bangladesh International Challenge at Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmed Indoor Stadium in Paltan.
For Polina, ranked 69th in the world, the emotional toll of the war remains immense.
As the Yonex-Sunrise Bangladesh International Challenge (YBIC) 2024 begins today, participants from 13 nations converge at Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmed Indoor Stadium in Dhaka. However, the country’s shuttlers are surprisingly entering the ranking tournament without optimum preparation.
Farashganj SC and Uttara FC, teams that were relegated from the country’s second tier football competition the Bangladesh Championship League (BCL) last season, have been greenlit to compete in the upcoming season as well by the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) – a development that highlights the absence of a proper structure at that level.
Samin also urged the authorities to arrange an open-top bus to celebrate their “truly memorable” achievement upon their arrival on Friday.
With a month and a half left to Javier Cabrera’s extended contract, the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) is yet to take any decision whether to extend with the Spaniard or look for a replacement.
Mohammad Dipu has been a standout in the country’s wrestling, holding his ground not only in local village wrestling since a young age but also on the artificial mats at national championships for over a decade.
The Bangladesh Navy and Bangladesh Army dominated the recent national swimming championships, securing all 42 gold medals and leaving district and club teams, apart from BKSP and the Bangladesh Air Force, without any podium finishes.
The Daily Star (DS): What was your first impression of Bangladesh?
Before the departure of the national football team for Jakarta on Friday for their FIFA friendly against Indonesia and the ensuing Asian Cup Qualifiers in Malaysia, the national team’s head coach Javier Cabrera remained optimistic about their chances despite the absence of experienced forwards in his squad.
Bangladeshis are more familiar with amateur boxing, which they have competed in during different games like Olympics, Asian Games, South Asian Games and Commonwealth Games.
Bangladesh Premier League champions Bashundhara Kings’ 4-0 capitulation against Indian Super League outfit ATK Mohun Bagan in the AFC Cup -- which came just a month after Abahani lost 3-1 to the same side -- may have shocked spectators, but both matches highlighted the gulf in quality between players of Bangladesh and India at the international level.
“Because my father, who was a farmer, did a lot to empower me to pursue my dreams, I asked him to stop working and rely on me since I am earning handsome amounts by playing football,” Chittagong Abahani midfielder Sohel Rana said as he spoke of his father.
This particular story begins from around 2018, even though the protagonist's story was set into motion much earlier. It was around four years ago when Abu Saied, son of an average farmer, had refused to succumb to his father's demands at a pivotal juncture of his life and, instead, chose the more risky road, one that is less traversed by, a route which is all but forbidden to most as the long and arduous trek through the forest of dreams happens to be filled with thorny uncertainties.
Bangladesh’s reliable centre-back Tapu Barman boasts the experience of playing under a number of foreign coaches at the club level and the national team.
“Having offered prayer at the mosque in the morning, I could not have sweetmeats like semai, payes or firni. Instead, I had usual breakfast at the hotel,” Bangladesh national football team striker Nabib Newaj Jibon recalled with anguish the memories of the Eid that he had to spend away from home while on tour to Laos for the first leg of the 2022 FIFA World Cup and 2023 AFC Asian Cup Preliminary Joint Qualification in June 2019.
Oscar Bruzon, who has coached in Spain, India, Maldives and Bangladesh, has reached a milestone of guiding Bashundhara Kings in 100 games as they played against Swadhinata Krira Sangha on Sunday. The Spaniard, apart from working as the head coach of Bangladesh national football team, had already steered Kings to two Bangladesh Premier League, two Federation Cup and one Independence Cup since he took over in 2018. The 44-year-old coach talked to The Daily Star's Anisur Rahman and expressed his views on different aspects of the game. The excerpts of the interview are as follows:
39-year-old Afusi shared his past experiences and goals for the second phase of the league with The Daily Star’s Anisur Rahman. The excerpts are below:
