United News of Bangladesh

The inauguration, including foundation-laying, of 11 sports facilities across 10 districts under the National Sports Council was completed virtually on Thursday by Youth and Sports Adviser Asif Mahmud Sajeeb Bhuiyan. The virtual events were conducted from the Secretariat. Four facilities were inaugurated, including three mini stadiums and a swimming pool, at an estimated cost of Tk 115 crore. Foundation stones were laid for six new mini stadiums at an estimated cost of Tk 131 crore, and implementation work for a mini stadium costing Tk 12.7 crore was also launched during the event. The facilities inaugurated include Ghaznavi Stadium and Bhola District Swimming Pool in Bhola, Char Fashion Upazila Mini Stadium in Bhola, and Juri Upazila Mini Stadium in Moulvibazar. Foundation stones were laid for Narail Bir Shrestha Noor Mohammad Stadium and Table Tennis Building, as well as mini stadiums in Pirganj (Rangpur), Charbhadrasan (Faridpur), Daulatpur (Manikganj), Indurkani (Pirojpur), and Bagatipara (Natore). Implementation work also began for Shaheed Md. Asif Hasan Mini Stadium in Debhata Upazila, Satkhira. Speaking on the occasion, the Youth and Sports Adviser said, “By creating mini stadiums at the upazila level, we are decentralizing sports and providing hubs for sports and cultural activities. These stadiums are being built to fairly modern standards.” Highlighting further initiatives, he added, “We are planning an international standard sports institute and a regional branch of BKSP in Rangamati, with feasibility studies underway.” Regarding gender equality in sports, Asif Mahmud said authorities have instructed federations to reduce salary disparities between men and women. The Bangladesh Cricket Board has equalized allowances and tour fees for women cricketers and increased their salaries by 35 percent. “We have also advised the BFF to at least double the salaries of women footballers, with financial assistance from our side,” he added.

Luciano Spalletti returns to Napoli on Sunday for the first time since guiding the club to its first Serie A title in more than three decades — an occasion he admits will be highly emotional. This time, he returns as Juventus coach. “There will be burning emotion for me because I have so many friends waiting for me there,” Spalletti said. “It won’t matter how I am welcomed, but the feeling I have toward them is that of someone who loves them.” Spalletti left Napoli in 2023 after leading the team to its first league crown in 33 years, saying he needed a year-long break. Just three months later, he replaced Roberto Mancini as Italy’s coach following Mancini’s unexpected resignation. Spalletti was dismissed from the Italy job in June, and Juventus appointed him in October after firing Igor Tudor following a poor start to the season. Juventus currently sits seventh in Serie A, but only five points behind joint leaders Napoli and AC Milan. The Bianconeri have not won the league since 2020, when they capped a run of nine consecutive titles—an era launched under Antonio Conte, now the Napoli coach. Conte, who also spent 13 years as a Juventus player, acknowledged the emotional weight of this weekend’s encounter but sought to keep the focus on the competition. “At the end of the day it’s a match and there are three points at stake,” Conte said. “I have great respect for them, but on the field everyone will try to take the three points home.” Key matchups The top four in Serie A are separated by just one point in an exciting title race. Co-leader Milan visits Torino on Monday with the host on a five-match winless run. However, Torino has proved tricky for the top sides. It has managed draws against Bologna and Juventus and beat Napoli and Roma. Inter and Roma are a point behind the top two. Inter hosts Como in a regional derby on Saturday with the visitor just three points below the Nerazzurri. Roma visits relegation-threatened Cagliari on Sunday. Sixth-placed Bologna is also just three points below the top four and travels to Lazio. Players to watch Pio Esposito has come from Serie B to scoring in every competition for Inter this season, as well as netting three for Italy. The 20-year-old scored in the Italian Cup on Wednesday and is already being touted as Italy’s next great center forward. Juventus is lamenting a serious injury to Dusan Vlahovic but hoping that can give an opportunity to Canada forward Jonathan David. David joined Juve in the offseason and has mainly been used as a substitute. He has scored in the Champions League and Serie A, but that was back in his debut in August. Out of action Juventus’ Federico Gatti and Vlahovic were set to undergo surgery on Thursday, the defender in Lyon and the forward in London. Gatti is expected to be back in around a month but Vlahovic will unlikely return before March. Napoli’s injury list keeps growing with Stanislav Lobotka out again. The midfielder missed most of October with an adductor injury and had a new muscle injury before Wednesday’s Italian Cup match. Off the field Italy will play its crucial World Cup qualifying playoff in Bergamo, Atalanta’s home stadium. Four-time World Cup winner Italy will host Northern Ireland on March 26 with the winner having to travel to face Wales or Bosnia-Herzegovina. Italy is trying to end a remarkable 12-year wait to play on soccer’s biggest stage. The Azzurri are unbeaten in Bergamo with two draws and two 5-0 victories, including on coach Gennaro Gattuso’s debut in September.  

Mitchell Starc etched his name into Test cricket history on the opening day of the Brisbane Test, overtaking Pakistan great Wasim Akram to become the highest wicket-taker among left-arm fast bowlers in the format. Starc reached the landmark when he dismissed Harry Brook in the second session, drawing a slip catch from an attempted drive. The wicket was his 415th in Tests, taking him past Akram’s long-standing record of 414. Akram had achieved his tally in 104 Tests and 181 innings, while Starc crossed the mark in his 102nd Test and 195th innings. England, after a shaky start under lights at the Gabba, recovered to reach 196 for four at the end of the second session. They were reduced to two for five inside three overs, but Joe Root and Zak Crawley steadied the innings with a brisk counter-attack. Crawley struck 76 from 93 deliveries before falling in the second session, while Root grew in authority after an uncertain beginning to remain unbeaten on 68. Starc finished the day as the standout performer with the ball, returning figures of three for 36. His breakthrough against Brook also broke a threatening fourth-wicket stand of 54. Brook had scored 31 from 33 balls in an aggressive cameo marked by cuts, pulls, and ramps before Starc cut his innings short. The record moment carried added weight given Akram’s towering legacy as the archetype of the modern left-arm fast bowler. Starc’s new mark places him alone at the summit of that elite list. Root continued in classic Test tempo alongside captain Ben Stokes, who was unbeaten on 14 at the close. Australia missed a late chance when Stokes was dropped in the slips off Scott Boland near the end of the session.

Bayern Munich remains unbeaten in 15 league and cup games against German opposition this season as Vincent Kompany's team prepares to face Stuttgart in the Bundesliga on Saturday. Key matchups Stuttgart could hope to take advantage of Bayern's tough schedule after Bayern struggled to match Union Berlin's physical intensity at times in its 3-2 win over Union in the German Cup on Wednesday. Bayern prevailed in part thanks to two own goals by Union players and was under pressure late in the game. Already eight points adrift of Bayern in second, Leipzig needs to avoid dropping further back when Ole Werner's team hosts Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday. Frankfurt is under pressure in seventh and risks failing to qualify for the Champions League knockout stages, too. Hoffenheim is riding high in fifth and faces third-placed Borussia Dortmund on Sunday knowing that a win would see it overtake Dortmund in the standings. Players to watch Harry Kane's header against Union in the cup on Wednesday took the England captain to 25 goals from 21 games for Bayern this season. Five more goals for England take his tally to 30 for club and country. Ibrahim Maza has three goals and two assists in his last five games in all competitions at Bayer Leverkusen in an attacking midfield role once filled by Florian Wirtz. Scoring the winning goal against Dortmund in the cup on Tuesday was another step forward. Leverkusen visits Augsburg on Saturday. Who's out? Bayern midfielder Aleksandar Pavlovic is doubtful after he limped off against Union in the cup on Wednesday. Frankfurt's top scorer Jonathan Burkardt will reportedly be out until the new year with a muscle injury. His eight goals in 10 Bundesliga games mean that's a heavy blow. Off the field Mainz and Augsburg both go into the weekend's games with interim coaches. Last-placed Mainz parted company with Bo Henriksen, who led the team to sixth last season but has overseen a dismal run this campaign, punctuated by poor discipline. Benjamin Hoffman is in temporary charge ahead of Friday's game against Borussia Moenchengladbach. Augsburg fired ex-Germany striker Sandro Wagner on Monday after the team lost eight of its 12 Bundesliga games with him in charge. Manuel Baum returns as coach until the winter break.

New Zealand stretched its advantage over the West Indies to 164 runs by lunch on Day 3, though the hosts lost Kane Williamson and one other wicket in the morning session of the first test on Thursday. Devon Conway was the first to fall, caught at third man by substitute fielder Kavem Hodge off Ojay Shields for 37. Williamson departed to the final ball before lunch, edging Kemar Roach to wicketkeeper Tevin Imlach for 9. Conway’s 84-run opening stand with Tom Latham steadied New Zealand as they reached 100-2 at the interval, with Latham unbeaten on 40. The home side had resumed on 32 without loss, already 96 runs ahead after bowling out the West Indies for 167 in response to their 231. Improved overhead conditions and a settling surface at Hagley Oval eased batting compared to the seam-friendly first two days, when 20 wickets tumbled. Latham accumulated his runs patiently from 91 balls. Williamson, returning to test cricket after a year, had appeared composed until Roach delivered a sharp, angled delivery that induced the edge. Roach impressed throughout the session, bowling three straight maidens and closing with figures of 1-19. New Zealand reaches 17–1 at lunch after rain disrupts opening day of first Test against West Indies New Zealand’s lineup remains hit by injuries, with Tom Blundell sidelined by a hamstring issue and allrounder Nathan Smith nursing a side strain. The Black Caps have yet to complete a match in the ongoing World Test Championship cycle, having played only one earlier series this year — a 2-0 win over Zimbabwe in August. Source: AP 

Mohamed Salah was again absent from Liverpool’s starting lineup on Wednesday, marking the second straight Premier League match in which manager Arne Slot opted to leave out the Egyptian star — a move that may hint at a shifting role for the veteran forward in his ninth season at Anfield. Salah began on the bench against Sunderland and entered only at halftime, failing to find the net in a 1-1 draw. He did not feature at all in Sunday’s 2-0 win over West Ham, the first time Slot had left him out of a league lineup since taking charge in 2024 — a title-winning season powered largely by Salah’s 29 league goals. Liverpool win raises questions over Salah’s future role Slot admitted Salah was frustrated after being dropped but praised his professionalism. Still, the manager retained Dominic Szoboszlai on the right flank, citing defensive balance. Liverpool faces three more matches — two league fixtures and a Champions League tie — before Salah departs for the Africa Cup of Nations. Slot declined to confirm whether he will start against Leeds on Saturday. Salah has scored four league goals so far this season. Source: AP 

Robin Smith, the former England batter renowned for his fearless stroke play during an era of frequent test defeats, has died at age 62. His family announced through the England and Wales Cricket Board that Smith passed away unexpectedly at his home in Perth, Australia, on Monday. No cause of death was released. Smith represented England in 62 test matches between 1988 and 1996, scoring 4,236 runs at an impressive average of 43.67 and registering nine centuries. Famous for his trademark square cut, he also featured in 71 ODIs and was part of the squad that reached the 1992 World Cup final. His unbeaten 167 against Australia in 1993 stood as England’s highest ODI score until 2016. The family emphasized that his past struggles with alcohol and mental health following his retirement in 2004 “should not form the basis of speculation about the cause of death.” Born in Durban, South Africa, to British parents, Robin Arnold Smith — affectionately known as “The Judge” — moved to England as a teenager, following his elder brother Chris, who also played at the international level. Smith made an impactful test debut in 1988 against the West Indies at Headingley, scoring 38 in a century partnership against the fearsome pace attack of Malcolm Marshall, Curtly Ambrose, Winston Benjamin and Courtney Walsh. He produced two Ashes centuries and three against the West Indies, including his career-best 175 at St. John’s, Antigua, in 1994. Tributes poured in from former teammates and cricket figures. Michael Vaughan wrote on X: “RIP Judge ... My hero.”ECB chairman Richard Thompson said Smith “stood up to some of the fastest bowlers in the world with a smile and remarkable resilience,” giving England fans both pride and entertainment. Nasser Hussain told Sky Sports: “He had no fear against the quicks. No grille, no visor — just that helmet. I’ve rarely seen anyone cut the ball better. England fans adored him.”Former captain Michael Atherton added that while Smith appeared tough and unshakable on the field, he was shy off it but immensely popular: “He was someone who would do anything for you.” Smith played over 300 first-class games for Hampshire, where he became a club legend. The county hailed him as a “true titan,” with chairman Rod Bransgrove calling him “one of the greatest, if not the greatest, Hampshire heroes,” deeply cherished by supporters and teammates alike. Source: AP 

Erling Haaland hit his 100th Premier League goal on Tuesday as Manchester City survived a fierce late surge from Fulham to secure a 5-4 victory and move within two points of the league summit. Haaland opened the scoring in the 17th minute at Craven Cottage, becoming the fastest player to reach the milestone, doing so in just 111 matches — surpassing Alan Shearer’s previous mark of 124 games. Despite cruising to a 5-1 lead, City were pushed to the brink as Fulham rallied and nearly equalized in stoppage time when Josh King’s shot was cleared off the line. “It’s not good enough, and we all know that. We have to improve,” Haaland told Sky Sports after the match. Tijani Reijnders and Phil Foden added first-half goals for City, while Emile Smith-Rowe pulled one back for Fulham before the break. Foden struck again early in the second half, and a Sander Berge own goal appeared to put the game beyond doubt — until Fulham stormed back. Alex Iwobi curled in a second, and Samuel Chukwueze netted twice in six minutes, setting up a tense finish. Josko Gvardiol’s last-ditch clearance ultimately preserved the three points. Manager Pep Guardiola said he had no explanation for his team’s defensive lapses. “It’s the Premier League — what can I say?” Romero rescues SpursCristian Romero delivered for Tottenham with a spectacular overhead kick five minutes into stoppage time to earn a 2-2 draw at Newcastle. Bruno Guimaraes put Newcastle ahead in the 71st minute after a dominant first half, but Romero equalized shortly after with a near-post header. Anthony Gordon restored Newcastle’s lead from the penalty spot in the 86th minute, only for Romero’s late acrobatics to deny the hosts all three points and halt Spurs’ run of three straight losses. Newcastle manager Eddie Howe called the late goal “heartbreaking,” noting his team’s repeated struggles to protect leads. Liverpool win raises questions over Salah’s future role ElsewhereEverton rebounded from their loss to Newcastle at the weekend with a 1-0 win over Bournemouth, sealed by Jack Grealish’s 78th-minute strike — his second of the season while on loan from Manchester City. Source: AP 

Bangladesh sealed the three-match T20I series against Ireland with a big eight-wicket victory in the final game in Chattogram. It came riding on a composed fifty from opener Tanzid Hasan and a disciplined all-round bowling effort. Set a modest target of 118, Bangladesh reached the finish line in 13.4 overs, losing only two wickets along the way. Tanzid, who struggled in the first two matches of the series, found fluency at last, compiling a brisk half-century off 35 balls—his 11th in T20 cricket. Parvez Hossain finished unbeaten on 33, guiding the chase calmly after the early departures of Saif Hassan and Litton Das. Bangladesh were 79 for two after 10 overs, well ahead of the rate, and required just 39 runs from the final 60 deliveries. Ireland’s innings never fully recovered after early breakthroughs. Opting to bat first, the visitors were bowled out for 117. Bangladesh hold their nerve to beat Ireland, level T20I series Captain Paul Stirling top-scored with 38, but the batting line-up struggled for momentum, going long stretches without boundaries. Bangladesh’s bowlers controlled the innings throughout: Mustafizur Rahman and leg-spinner Rishad Hossain took three wickets each, while left-armer Shoriful Islam added two. Rishad’s spell was the standout, picking up his wickets with flight and variation, including a well-disguised googly to remove Curtis Campher. Tanzid also made history in the field, taking five catches—the most by any fielder from a full-member nation in a single T20I. The win gave Bangladesh the series 2–1 after dropping the opening match. It also offered the hosts a measure of stability ahead of a busy period, with the T20 World Cup looming and several players competing for roles.

The West Indies removed New Zealand opener Devon Conway during a heavily rain-shortened first session Tuesday on day one of the opening Test. Only 10.3 overs were completed before lunch following a long weather delay. New Zealand went to the break at 17–1 when rain returned, with Kane Williamson unbeaten on 13 in his first Test of the year and Tom Latham on 1 after facing 31 deliveries. Conway fell on the third ball of the match, edging a full delivery from 37-year-old Kemar Roach to Justin Greaves at second slip. The ball straightened as Conway stepped toward it, taking the outside edge. West Indies captain Roston Chase opted to bowl first under cloudy skies and on a green Hagley Oval pitch. Roach and Jayden Seales generated movement whenever they pitched the ball up. The touring attack also features Ojay Shield, making his Test debut at age 29. This match marks the first Test between the sides since 2020 and is part of a rare three-match series for both teams. New Zealand is the only Test nation yet to begin its new World Test Championship campaign. Their only other Test series in 2025 was a 2–0 win over Zimbabwe in August. Williamson, who skipped that series to play in England, is appearing in his first Test since December 2024, the longest break of his career from the format.