Sabbir Hossain

Leveraging fairytale flame

After years of heartbreak and being dubbed "Neverkusen" for their string of runners-up finishes, Bayer Leverkusen finally broke through to claim their first-ever Bundesliga title. Their 5-0 victory over Werder Bremen last week secured the trophy, marking a watershed moment in the club's 119-year history. Although they have enjoyed intermittent cup success, this league title signifies a shift in their fortunes.

6d ago

From wheelchair to Paralympics: Jhuma’s inspiring journey

“So what if I’m a person with disabilities?” said Jhuma Akhter, with sparks of defiance and confidence in her eyes, to anyone who ever doubted her.

1m ago

Mauritania’s meteoric rise and lessons for Bangladesh

While Bangladesh remain in the backwaters of international football, Yahya and his federation has transformed Mauritania’s football

3m ago

Dorival Jr the answer to Brazil’s woes?

Following a string of disappointing performances after a quarterfinal exit from the 2022 World Cup, the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) on Wednesday confirmed the appointment of Dorival Junior as the new head coach.

3m ago

‘Neverkusen’ no more!

Initially seen as dark horses, Bayer Leverkusen under Xabi Alonso have stormed out of the blocks in the 2023-24 Bundesliga season, etching their name in the record books with some stellar displays so far.

4m ago

‘Clinical’ Shanto puts Tigers in command

Najmul Hossain Shanto oozed class during a record-breaking ton against New Zealand on the third day of the Sylhet Test yesterday, setting the platform for Bangladesh to grab a rare win in the red-ball format.

4m ago

‘We may aspire to win a medal at Asian Games’

Tuhin Tarafder has been representing the Bangladesh national kabaddi team for seven long years.

12m ago

Urmi’s trajectory verifies Youth Games’ importance

After grabbing the spotlight in the 2018 Youth Games, shuttler Urmi Akter went on to become the country’s number one-ranked female badminton star. In an exclusive interview with Sabbir Hossain of The Daily Star

1y ago
December 16, 2022
December 16, 2022

Desert Fest: Acid test awaits Lionel Scaloni

Lionel Messi has been the driving force behind Argentina’s march to the World Cup final in Qatar, putting in one eye-catching performance after another.

December 14, 2022
December 14, 2022

Morocco ‘miracle’ a long time in the making

Morocco may have defied extreme odds to get this far in the 2022 World Cup showdown, making history by becoming the first African nation to reach the semifinals, but is their gigantic feat a mere fluke? Well, it is far from it when we look back at how Achraf Hakimi and company operated so far.

May 28, 2022
May 28, 2022

Salah’s chance to dispel nightmares of Kyiv

Mohamed Salah has created quite a stir ahead of the Champions League final against Real Madrid in Paris. The Liverpool forward posted on social media that they have a ‘score to settle’ after the Spanish champions set up a rematch of their 2018 Champions League final earlier this month.

May 7, 2022
May 7, 2022

‘Don’t see a football culture here’

Andres Cruciani returned to Bangladesh after 14 years to take charge of Saif Sporting Club after a brief stint with the Bangladesh football team as the head coach, during which men in red and green finished as the runners-up in 2005 SAFF Championships.

April 30, 2022
April 30, 2022

Minds on duty, hearts left at home

More often than not, the professional commitment denies Bangladesh athletes the possibility to savour the festive occasions with their family or beloved ones.

February 11, 2022
February 11, 2022

The sorry tale of a Bangladeshi leggie

Jubair Hossain Likhon was quick to catch attention when he became Bangladesh’s first specialist leg-spinner to play a Test in October 2014.

December 31, 2021
December 31, 2021

Women carry light in a gloomy year

The overwhelming cheer that broke out at the Kamalapur stadium after Anai Mogini’s long-ranger beat India goalkeeper only reflected the sports-crazy nation’s year-long yearning for sporting excellence to boast about.

August 13, 2021
August 13, 2021

Fans return to a changed landscape

When football returned following its slumber owing to the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020, one of the beautiful game’s key elements eluded it. Fans, whose presence had been taken for granted for decades, were suddenly forced to stay away and watch the teams they love from home for an entire season.

June 26, 2021
June 26, 2021

Sohan’s time to break through

Nurul Hasan Sohan’s form this season in the Bangabandhu Premier Division League saw him earn a well-deserved call-up for the national team in all three formats for their upcoming tour of Zimbabwe, but given the lack of faith from the selectors in the past, question remains whether Sohan’s present form can make a difference this time.

May 31, 2021
May 31, 2021

Tuchel’s simplicity trumps Pep’s convoluted plans

In every encounter, there is a winner and a loser. And in the clash of two tactical masterminds, the pedagogue Pep Guardiola was overshadowed by

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