SAO PAULO, June 2: Brazilian football legend Pele called Wednesday for Russian President Vladimir Putin to end his army’s invasion of Ukraine, as the war-torn country’s national team was set to vie for a World Cup spot.
“Today Ukraine tries to forget, at least for 90 minutes, the tragedy that still engulfs their country,” Pele wrote in an open letter to Putin, posted on Instagram just before the Ukrainian men’s football team faced Scotland in a World Cup playoff semi-final.
“I want to use today’s match as an opportunity to make a request: stop the invasion. There is absolutely no justification for this continued violence,” added the three-time World Cup champion.
“This conflict is wicked, unjustifiable and brings nothing but pain, fear, terror and anguish... Wars only exist to separate nations, and there’s no ideology that justifies projectile missiles burying the dreams of children, ruining families and killing the innocent.”
Pele recalled meeting Putin in the past and exchanging “smiles accompanied by a long handshake.”
“The power to stop this conflict is in your hands. The same ones I shook in Moscow, at our last meeting in 2017,” he wrote.
Considered by many the greatest footballer of all time, Pele had one of the most storied careers in sport, scoring more than 1,000 goals before retiring in 1977.
He has been in poor health recently, undergoing surgery last September for a colon tumor, followed by ongoing chemotherapy.
His message comes as the Ukraine conflict nears its 100th day, with fierce fighting ongoing in the nation’s east, after the Russian army failed in its bid to overtake Kyiv.
The match in Glasgow is the first for the Ukrainian national team since the invasion began.
The winners will face Wales on Sunday to decide who will be the final member of Group B—alongside England, the United States and Iran.
It was a impressive performance by Bangladesh national football team as they forced host Indonesia to play a goalless draw in the lone FIFA Tier-1 Int’l match held on Wednesday at Si Jalak Harapur Stadium, Bandung, in Indonesia.
The day’s creditable result will definitely boost up the Jamal Bhuyan and co. ahead of their Asian Cup qualifiers in Malaysia where the boys in red and green will meet three big teams.
In the day’s match, both the teams got several scoring chances but failed to break the deadlock in the whole proceeding.
The host side however were desperate to break the stalemate producing some real scoring chances in the dying moment, but the Bangladesh team’s defenders were remained firm and could not allow any damage by keeping the net unhurt till the final whistle.
After playing the FIFA friendly match against Indonesia, Bangladesh will move to Malaysia to take part in the AFC Asian Cup 2023 Qualifiers scheduled to be held from June 8-14.
Bangladesh which placed at group E along with Bahrain Turkmenistan and Malaysia in the AFC Asian Cup, will take on Bahrain on June 8 before facing Turkmenistan on June 11 in their second group match.
The boys in red and green will play their third and last group match against host Malaysia on June 14.
Bangladesh team:
Anisur Rahman, Bishwanath Ghosh, Rimon Hossain, Tutul Hossain Badshah, Yasin Arafat, Biplu Ahmed, Jamal Bhuyan, Atiqur Rahman Fahad, Rakib Hossain, Mohammad Ibrahim and Sazzad Hossain.
Coca Cola is going to organize the FIFA World Cup™ trophy tour for the fifth occasions. The trophy will arrive in the city on June 8, giving Bangladeshi fans the chance to experience football’s most coveted prize, a press release said on Wednesday.
“This year, we’re excited to bring the iconic original FIFA World CupTM Trophy to 51 football nations giving fans the chance to experience real magic through a collective belief and passion for the game,” said Ta Duy Tung, Managing Director of Coca-Cola Bangladesh.
Kazi Salahuddin, president Bangladesh Football Federation said, “FIFA World Cup TM holds a sentimental value to every citizen of the country and to be able to host the trophy tour in Bangladesh, It’s a matter of great pride for us. I would like to extend my gratitude to the FIFA authority and Coca-Cola Bangladesh for bringing the trophy in our country. We experienced an extremely positive response the last time the trophy was here in 2013. There is no doubt this time the reception will be tenfold,” he added.
DHAKA, March 30, 2022 (BSS) - “Bangabandhu Corner” has been set up at the Chandigarh University, India on the occasion of the Birth Centenary of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Bangladesh’s golden jubilee of the independence, and the 50th year of diplomatic relations with India. The High Commissioner of Bangladesh to India Muhammad Imran today inaugurated the “Bangabandhu Corner” at the Chandigarh University in the state of Punjab of India, said a press release. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the establishment of the “Bangabandhu Corner” and collaboration in the academic exchanges has also been signed between the Chandigarh University and the Bangladesh High commission.