Bangladesh’s weightlifting community has been hit by a major setback as Asian Games gold medalist Mabia Akter Shimanta has been banned for two years after testing positive for a prohibited substance. The Bangladesh Olympic Association confirmed the suspension, which bars her from all competitive weightlifting events. The sample that led to the sanction was collected in Riyadh after the Islamic Solidarity Games last year, where traces of banned diuretics were detected. The South Asia Regional Anti-Doping Organization’s Result Management Committee imposed the penalty under World Anti-Doping Agency regulations.

Officials said the process followed all required procedures, and Mabia has been formally notified of the decision. Under international anti-doping rules, she retains the right to appeal. Experts noted that banned substances can sometimes appear in the body due to unintentional use of medication or contaminated supplements.

At 26, Mabia faces a major career setback but could seek reconsideration through appeal. She began her weightlifting career in 2010 and has been a dominant national athlete since 2013, winning gold medals for Bangladesh in the 2016 and 2019 South Asian Games.

Inter Miami’s search for a home victory continued as they were held to a 2-2 draw by the New York Red Bulls in a Major League Soccer match on April 12, 2026. The defending champions drew for the second consecutive time at their new stadium, with Lionel Messi at the center of attention for missed chances and a disallowed goal. Miami started aggressively but fell behind in the 14th minute to a Jorge Ruvalcaba strike before Mateo Silvetti equalized just before halftime.

In the second half, Miami took control and went ahead through German Barterame in the 54th minute, assisted indirectly by Messi. However, New York leveled again in the 76th minute through Adrie Mehmeti. Late in the game, Messi’s goal was ruled offside, and his stoppage-time free kick was saved by goalkeeper Ethan Horvath. The result left Miami still unbeaten in six matches but without a home win.

After seven matches, Inter Miami stand third in the league table with three wins, three draws, and 12 points, maintaining their unbeaten streak despite back-to-back home draws.

Bayern Munich continued their dominant Bundesliga campaign with a 5-0 victory over relegation-threatened St. Pauli, setting a new single-season scoring record. Despite missing key players Harry Kane and Aleksandar Pavlović, Vincent Kompany’s side reached 105 goals for the season. Leon Goretzka’s strike marked Bayern’s record-breaking 102nd goal, surpassing the 101-goal mark set by Franz Beckenbauer and Gerd Müller’s 1971–72 team. Michael Olise, Nicolas Jackson, and Raphaël Guerreiro added further goals to complete the rout.

With five matches remaining, Bayern now hold a 12-point lead over Borussia Dortmund, putting them within reach of another Bundesliga title. The team’s attacking form has also placed them close to surpassing European scoring records held by Manchester City and Real Madrid. Although the Bundesliga has fewer matches, Bayern remain optimistic about chasing those milestones.

Next, Bayern face Real Madrid in the Champions League quarterfinal second leg at the Allianz Arena, holding a 2-1 advantage, followed by a German Cup semifinal against Bayer Leverkusen.

Liverpool returned to winning form after three consecutive defeats across all competitions. Playing at their home ground Anfield, coach Arne Slot’s side defeated visiting Fulham 2-0. The goals came from Rio Ngumoha and Mohamed Salah, marking a crucial turnaround for the Reds after a difficult run.

Before this match, Liverpool had suffered three straight losses: 2-1 to Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League, 4-0 to Manchester City in the FA Cup quarterfinals, and 2-0 to defending champions Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals.

In another Premier League development, Arsenal stumbled in their title race after a 2-1 home defeat to Bournemouth. With 32 matches played, Arsenal remain on 70 points, while second-placed Manchester City trail by nine points but have two games in hand. City’s upcoming match against Chelsea could further narrow the gap.

Barcelona recovered from their Champions League quarter-final first-leg defeat with a commanding 4-1 victory over Espanyol in La Liga. The match, held at the Nou Camp, saw Ferran Torres score twice, while Lamine Yamal and Marcus Rashford added one goal each. Paul Lozano netted Espanyol’s only goal. The win strengthened Barcelona’s position at the top of the league table with 79 points from 31 matches, including 26 wins, one draw, and four losses, placing them nine points ahead of Real Madrid.

Real Madrid, meanwhile, continued to struggle in April after a strong March. The team has failed to win any of their three matches this month, dropping points in all. On Friday night, they were held to a 1-1 draw by Girona at the Santiago Bernabéu. Earlier, they lost to Mallorca in La Liga and to Bayern Munich 2-1 in the Champions League quarter-final first leg.

The results have tightened Barcelona’s grip on the title race while Real Madrid’s recent slump threatens their championship hopes.

Bangladesh will face New Zealand in a three-match One Day International series beginning on April 17, 2026, with the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) confirming that no changes have been made to the squad that recently defeated Pakistan 2–1. The new selection panel announced the team on Saturday for the first two matches, keeping faith in the same group of players.

The selectors decided to retain the previous lineup as several players from the Pakistan series did not get a chance to play. Afif Hossain Dhruvo and Mahidul Islam Ankon, who were part of the earlier squad, have been included again, with the panel considering giving them more opportunities. The remaining two ODIs will be played on April 20 and 23.

The unchanged squad includes Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Soumya Sarkar, Saif Hasan, Tanzid Hasan, Najmul Hossain, Towhid Hridoy, Liton Das, Afif Hossain, Mahidul Islam, Rishad Hossain, Tanvir Islam, Mustafizur Rahman, Taskin Ahmed, Shariful Islam, and Nahid Rana.

Bangladesh has made a strong start at the South Asian Youth Table Tennis Championship, winning a total of eight medals within the first three days of the tournament. The team has so far earned one gold, one silver, and six bronze medals. On Friday alone, Bangladesh collected one silver and five bronze medals. Earlier, the under-19 boys’ team won gold in the team event, while the under-19 girls’ team finished third in their group to claim bronze.

In individual events, top Bangladeshi player Khoy Khoy Sai Marma advanced to the quarterfinals after finishing as group runner-up in the under-19 girls’ singles. In the under-19 boys’ singles, Nafiz Iqbal and Abul Hashem Hasib also reached the quarterfinals. The under-15 boys’ singles player Md. Midul Rahman advanced to the pre-quarterfinals. Bangladesh also secured medals in doubles and mixed doubles across multiple age categories.

The early medal haul highlights Bangladesh’s growing strength in youth table tennis, with players aiming to maintain momentum and achieve further success in the remaining matches.

Bangladeshi fast bowler Nahid Rana delivered a standout performance in his second Pakistan Super League (PSL) match on Thursday, helping Peshawar Zalmi secure a record-breaking victory over Karachi Kings in Karachi. After a forgettable debut where he conceded 30 runs in three overs, Nahid bounced back impressively, taking three wickets for just seven runs in four overs, including one maiden over.

Peshawar Zalmi, batting first after losing the toss, posted a massive total of 246 for three wickets, powered by a century from Sri Lankan batsman Kusal Mendis (109) and an 87-run innings from captain Babar Azam. In reply, Karachi Kings were bowled out for only 87 runs, with Nahid Rana and spinners Iftikhar Ahmed and Sufiyan Muqim leading the attack. The 159-run margin marked the largest victory by runs in PSL history.

The result highlighted Nahid Rana’s rapid improvement and reinforced Peshawar Zalmi’s strong position in the tournament after a dominant all-round display.

Dhaka Premier League (DPL) is set to resume on May 5 under the leadership of newly appointed ad-hoc committee president Tamim Iqbal. Within two days of assuming office, Tamim confirmed the league’s restart after discussions with club representatives. Due to time constraints, this year’s competition will be held in a single-league format without a Super League phase. Player transfers are scheduled for next week, and preparations are also underway to resume the third division league soon.

The previous board, led by Aminul Islam Bulbul, had organized the first and second division leagues, but not all teams participated, leading to frustration among players. The uncertainty over the DPL’s start had caused concern, particularly as the league represents the main income source for players outside the national team. The new board’s swift action has brought relief and optimism among cricketers.

Players such as pacer Robiul Islam and former national cricketer Dollar Mahmud expressed satisfaction over the league’s return, emphasizing its importance for both players’ livelihoods and the overall development of Bangladesh cricket.

Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman has reached a major milestone in Twenty20 cricket by becoming one of the top five bowlers with the most dot balls in the format’s history. During a Pakistan Super League match against Lahore Qalandars, the left-arm pacer bowled his 3,000th dot ball, joining an elite group of bowlers. Despite his team’s defeat, his achievement drew significant attention.

Mustafizur bowled two overs in the match, delivering three dot balls, which brought his career total to 3,002. This performance placed him fifth on the all-time list. The ranking is led by Dwayne Bravo with 3,681 dot balls, followed by Mohammad Amir with 3,348, Andre Russell with 3,213, and Sohail Tanvir with 3,046.

The milestone underscores Mustafizur’s consistency and control in the T20 format, further strengthening his reputation as one of the most effective bowlers in limited-overs cricket.

Aminul Islam Bulbul, who had declared himself the legitimate president of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), sent a letter to the International Cricket Council (ICC) on the day an ad hoc committee was formed. It remains unclear whether the ICC has responded or what the nature of any response might be. Although there were earlier reports that Bulbul might pursue legal action, indications now suggest he has decided not to proceed down that path.

Following the resignation of seven directors, 18 directors, including Bulbul, remained in the BCB until their removal. These former directors are currently focused on maintaining unity among themselves and avoiding internal divisions. Initially, they considered legal measures but have since stepped back from that idea.

Unnamed former directors told the newspaper that pursuing legal action would not benefit cricket and could create unnecessary complications. While Bulbul and the other ousted directors have not made a final decision about future legal steps, they stated that any such decision will be made collectively later.

Bangladesh defeated Chinese Taipei 3-2 in a tense placement match at the Asian Games hockey qualifying tournament held in Bangkok, Thailand. The victory ensured a fifth-place finish for the team, following their earlier win over Hong Kong that had already confirmed their qualification for the Asian Games. Bangladesh took the lead early through a penalty corner goal by Ashraful, but Taipei equalized soon after. Ashraful scored again in the second quarter, and though Taipei leveled once more after halftime, Mehrab Hossain Samin restored Bangladesh’s lead.

In the final quarter, Chinese Taipei dominated possession and earned several penalty corners, including three in the dying moments, but Bangladesh’s defense held firm to preserve the win. The result marked a strong finish for Bangladesh, who had also opened the tournament with a victory over the same opponent.

While Bangladesh once regularly reached the finals in such tournaments, this year’s fifth-place finish came after a series of hard-fought matches, reflecting both resilience and progress under pressure.

Argentina will play two final warm-up matches before the 2026 FIFA World Cup following a last-minute schedule change. The Argentine Football Association announced that Lionel Scaloni’s team will face Honduras on June 6 in College Station, Texas, and Iceland on June 9 in Auburn, Alabama. Both matches will be held in the United States, giving Argentina a chance to face at least one European opponent before the tournament begins.

The decision comes after Argentina had not played any European team since winning the 2022 Qatar World Cup. A planned match against Spain in the Finalissima was canceled, raising concerns about the team’s preparation. In March, Argentina played two friendlies at home, defeating Mauritania 2–1 and Zambia 5–0, but faced criticism for choosing weaker opponents. Coach Lionel Scaloni said the final World Cup squad would be selected based on performances in these matches.

The 2026 World Cup will start on June 11 across the United States, Mexico, and Canada. Argentina, placed in Group J, will open their campaign against Algeria on June 16, followed by matches against Austria and Jordan.

The New Zealand national cricket team is scheduled to arrive in Bangladesh on April 13 for an upcoming series. To ensure the smooth completion of the matches between Bangladesh and New Zealand, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) has announced an integrated and comprehensive security plan. Acting DMP Commissioner Md. Sarwar made the announcement during a coordination meeting on security and traffic management held at the DMP headquarters on Thursday.

According to the acting commissioner, security will be ensured at all venues, practice grounds, accommodations, and travel routes for players, officials, and all related personnel. Both uniformed and plainclothes police will be deployed, while SWAT, bomb disposal, dog squad, and crime scene teams will remain on standby. Representatives from the armed forces, intelligence agencies, specialized police units, the Bangladesh Cricket Board, and various service organizations attended the meeting.

The meeting began with a presentation by Joint Police Commissioner (Operations) Mohammad Shahidullah outlining the overall security plan, followed by open discussions where participants shared their views and suggestions.

The New Zealand national cricket team is scheduled to arrive in Bangladesh on April 13 for a series against the host nation. To ensure the smooth completion of the matches, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) has announced a coordinated and comprehensive security plan. Acting DMP Commissioner Md. Sarwar made the announcement during a coordination meeting on April 9 at the DMP headquarters, focusing on security and traffic management for the visiting team.

According to the DMP, security measures will cover all venues, practice grounds, accommodations, and travel routes. Both uniformed and plainclothes police will be deployed, supported by standby SWAT, bomb disposal, dog squad, and crime scene teams. Representatives from the armed forces, intelligence agencies, specialized police units, the Bangladesh Cricket Board, and various civic and emergency services attended the meeting to discuss and refine the security arrangements.

The DMP expressed optimism that with collective cooperation, the international tournament will proceed smoothly and safely.