It was a topsy-turvy sporting calendar as far as sports in Bangladesh was concerned. There were ecstatic celebrations, moments of hope but mostly, sighs of despair. Daily Star Sport's Hasan Masood tries to compile all the happenings of 2002 in a brief perspective:

JANUARY

January 1: Asian Football Confederation (AFC) gives an ultimatum to Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) to reinstate an elected committee, which the Government dissolved on December 20, by January 5 or face a FIFA ban.

Bangladesh Cricket team return home after suffering a 0-2 Test series loss against New Zealand in New Zealand.

January 2: Pakistan cricket team, led by Waqar Younis, arrive in Dhaka to play two Test matches and a three-match one-day series against Bangladesh.

January 10: Football's governing body FIFA bans Bangladesh. The Zurich based governing body of world football imposed the sanction after the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) violated the FIFA and Asian Football Confederation (AFC) law that only recognises a democratically elected committee to run a member's football authority. FIFA also gave a condition that the ban would only be lifted once the elected committee, which the BFF dissolved on December 20, was reinstated.

January 11: Pakistan beat Bangladesh by an innings and 174 runs in three days in the first Test at the Bangabandhu National Stadium.

January 18: Pakistan beat Bangladesh by an innings and 169 runs to clinch the Test series 2-0 at Chittagong.

January 22: Pakistan beat Bangladesh by 49 runs in the first one-day international at the MA Aziz Stadium in Chittagong.

January 24: Pakistan beat Bangladesh by 74 runs in the second one-day international at the Bangabandhu National Stadium in Dhaka.

January 25: Pakistan crushe Bangladesh by eight wickets in the third one-day international to win the ODI series 3-0.

FEBRUARY

February 4: The government reinstates the elected committee of Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF), a first step towards getting lthe FIFA ban on Bangladesh lifted.

February 7: AFC executive committee in Kuala Lumpur agrees to ask FIFA to lift the ban on Bangladesh.

February 11: FIFA lifted its ban on Bangladesh.

February 19: Mohammedan Sporting Club lifts the Janata Bank Club Cup hockey title with a 4-3 win over Usha Krira Chakra in the final at the Maulana Bhasani Stadium.

MARCH

March 2: Dhaka emerge as new National Cricket League champions after defeating Khulna by 138 runs at the Jessore Stadium.

March: 5: BCB announces Former Pakistan fast bowler Mohsin Kamal as the new national cricket coach in place Australian Trevor Chappell.

March 10: Grand Master Ziaur Rahman clinches the Professor Abdur Razzak 28th National Chess Championship.

March: 11: The 8-day long seventh Bangladesh games begins at the Bangabandhu National Stadium. Around 3,500 athletes are taking part in 25 disciplines for 251 golds.

March 18: Seventh Bangladesh Games concludes. Ansars and VDP bagged highest 65 golds.

APRIL

April 9: Grand Master Drazen Sermek of Slovenia wins the White Plus GM Chess tournament at the NSC chess room.

April 22: BKSP lifts the Standard Chartered Bank National School Cricket Championship with a sevenrun win over Comilla at the Shaheed Chandu Stadium in Bogra.

April 29: Bangladesh qualify for the Asian under-20 Football Championship final round with a 2-2 draw against hosts Pakistan in the last Group 5 qualifying match in Karachi.

MAY

May 6: New national cricket coach Mohsin Kamal arrives in Dhaka from Pakistan.

May 17: Victoria Sporting Club emerge as the new Premier Division Cricket League champions with a 93-run win over Biman at the BKSP ground.

May 24: Mohammedan Sporting Club lift the Nitol Tata National Football League title with a 6-5 victory in penalty shootout against arch rivals Abahani Krira Chakra at the Bangabandhu National Stadium.

JUNE

June 20: Former national cricketer ASM Faruque Ahmed appointed Bangladesh cricket team's manager up to World Cup 2003 in South Africa.

June 21: Abahani Krira Chakra win the Green Delta Premier Division hockey league title with a 3-2 win over Mariner Youngs Club at the Maulana Bhasani Stadium.

JULY

July 7: Veteran female table tennis player Jobera Rahman Linu enters into the Guinness Book of World Records for winning the national table tennis singles titles for 16 times.

July 23: Sri Lanka beat Bangladesh by an innings and 196 runs in the First Test at the P Sara Stadium in Colombo.

July 28: Five Bangladeshi athletes desert the 17th Commonwealth Games village in Manchester, England.

The second Test between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka starts at the SSC ground in Colombo.

July 31: Asif Hossain of Bangladesh clinches gold in the 10Metre air rifle shooting in the 17th Commonwealth games in Manchester, England.

Sri Lanka defeat Bangladesh by 288 runs in the second Test at the SSC and take the series 2-0.

AUGUST

August 4: Bangladesh lose to Sri Lanka by five wickets in the first ODI at the SSC ground in Colombo.

August 5: Sri Lanka win the second ODI by eight wickets at the SSC ground.

August 7: Sri Lanka lift the ODI series against Bangladesh 3-0 with a 58-run win in the third one-day international at the Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.

August 11: The High Court suspends the activities of the Bangladesh Cricket Board's (BCB) Board of Directors following a writ petition from one of the councilors Rafiqul Islam.

SEPTEMBER

September 4: An emergency general meeting of Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) okays the new constitution prescribed by Asian Football Confederation (AFC). The new constitution will reduce the number of executive committee members to 21 from 31.

September 8: Bangladesh cricket team leaves the Sri Lanka to take part in the 12-nation ICC Champions Trophy that begins from September 12.

September 13: Bangladesh win their first ICC Champions Trophy warm up match against Holland by four wickets at the NCC ground in Colombo.

September 16: Bangladesh lose their second warm up match against England by 77 runs.

September 19: Australia trounce Bangladesh by nine wickets in their opening ICC Champions Trophy match at the SSC ground in Colombo.

Mohammedan Sporting Club win the Premier Division Football League title with a solitary goal win over arch rivals Abahani in the last

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match at the Bangabandhu National Stadium.

September 23: Bangladesh suffer a huge 167-run defeat to New Zealand in their second and last ICC Champions Trophy match in Colombo.

September 24: Bangladesh cricket team leave Colombo for South Africa for their maiden Test tour to that country.

September 26: An 83-member Bangladesh contingent for the 14th Asian Games leaves for Busan, South Korea. Bangladesh will take part in nine disciplines.

OCTOBER

October 3: Bangladesh complete their disastrous Asian Games football campaign with a 0-3 defeat against Turkmenistan. Bangladesh also lost their previous two first round matches against India and China by the same margin.

South Africa beat Bangladesh by 168 runs in the first ODI at North West Cricket Stadium

October 6: South Africa beat Bangladesh by ten wickets in the second ODI at Willowmoore Park.

October 9: Bangladesh suffer a seven-wicket defeat to South Africa in the third ODI in Kimberly

October 21: Bangladesh lose the

first Test by an innings and 107 runs against South Africa at Buffalo Park.

October 28: South Africa beat Bangladesh by an innings and 160 runs in the second and last Test in Potchefstroom.

NOVEMBER

November 3: Mohammedan Sporting Club completes a rare treble with a 1-0 win over Muktijoddha Sangsad Krira Chakra in the Federation Cup football tournament final at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium.

November 26: West Indies cricket team, led by Ridley Jacobs, reach Bangladesh to play two Tests and three ODIs.

November 29: The first ODI between Bangladesh and West Indies abandoned at the MA Aziz Stadium in Chittagong due to heavy afternoon shower.

DECEMBER

December 2: Bangladesh lose the second ODI against West Indies by 84 runs at the Bangabandhu National Stadium.

December 3: West Indies take the ODI series 2-0 with an 86-run win over Bangladesh in the second ODI at the Bangabandhu National Stadium.

December 10: Bangladesh suffer their biggest ever Test defeat by an

innings and 310 runs to West Indies in the first Test at the Bangabandhu National Stadium.

December 18: West Indies clinch a 2-0 series win against Bangladesh with a seven-wicket win in the second Test in Chittagong.

December 31: Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) announce a 15-member squad for the 2003 World Cup in South Africa.