Critics had warned that the match risked trivialising the women's game.

The much-awaited Bangladesh Women's Football League kicks off on Monday with 11 teams, but serious doubts persist over whether the competition will provide any meaningful sporting value amid uneven team formation, logistical shortcomings and the absence of commercial backing.

It would be easy to begin with cliches: underdogs, fairy tales, David and Goliath. However, the story of Bangladesh women’s football in 2025 refuses the comfort of familiar labels.

Nick Kyrgios beat women's world number one Aryna Sabalenka in the "Battle of the Sexes" on Sunday, in a highly-publicised showdown with modified rules that divided tennis fans.

Sunday's showdown between four-times Grand Slam champion Sabalenka and former world number 13 Kyrgios is seen by many as entertainment, but critics believe it risks undermining women's tennis by trivialising decades of progress toward equality.

Two other Spaniards also cracked the top 10.

The sight of the glittering inaugural SAFF Women’s Club Championship trophy sparked dreams of lifting it for Sanjida Akhter, but reality soon set in when the Nasrin SC forward led an inexperienced side into the five-team tournament.

The committee had initially been expected to submit its report on Saturday, December 20.

Bangladesh badminton scaled a historic height on Friday night as Al-Amin Jumar and Urmi Akter stormed into the mixed doubles final of the Yonex-Sunrise Bangladesh International Challenge, becoming the first Bangladeshi pair to reach the final of any event in the tournament’s history.

Bangladesh Krira Shikkha Protishtan (BKSP) and Bangladesh Women Sports Federation (BWSF) on Tuesday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to jointly conduct foundation-level sports training programmes for girls.

Former Bangladesh national women’s football team captain Sabina Khatun tries to skip past a teammate during a futsal training session at an indoor facility in Dhaka on Monday. Sabina, along with 17 other football stars who have been ignored for the football team in recent times, were taken through the paces by the national futsal team coach Saeid Khodarahmi during the half-hour training session. The team will be taking part in the inaugural SAFF Women’s Futsal Championship, scheduled to take place in Bangkok from January 3 to 25 next year.

Of the total amount, the BHF will provide Tk 40 lakh, while the Bangladesh Air Force will contribute Tk 20 lakh.

The Women's Bangladesh Cricket League T20 tournament (WBCL) is set to begin on Monday, with national team skipper Nigar Sultana Joty and pacer Marufa Akter returning to the domestic fold after sitting out the Women's National Cricket League.

The quota for foreign players has been increased to four from two -- featured in the last edition held in March–April last year -- although only three can feature in a single match.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) is again relying on domestic tournaments and a short preparation camp instead of international fixtures to prepare the women's team for the upcoming ICC Women's T20 World Cup Qualifiers – repeating the approach taken before this year's Women's World Cup in India, which it later admitted was a mistake.

Pacer Habiba Islam Pinky delivered a standout performance as the Bangladesh Women’s U-19 team defeated Pakistan by three wickets in the second match of the ongoing five-match T20 series at the Cox’s Bazar Academy Ground on Friday.

Nasrin Sports Academy made a dreadful start to their SAFF Women's Club Championship campaign, suffering a 4-0 defeat to Nepal's APF Football Club in the second match of the opening day at the Dasharath Rangasala Stadium in Kathmandu on Friday

When athletes must worry more about online attacks than their on-field performance, it signals a deeper issue, something that has silently been undermining women’s sports in the country.

National forward Sanjida Akter leads the youthful Nasrin squad, which includes players such as Sauravi Akanda Prity, Shanti Mardi, Trishna Rani.

Coach Peter Butler has used the window to test his full squad and maximise game-time, keeping in mind the quality of opponents in Australia early next year.