PM for promoting domestic sports

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today asked the authorities concerned to promote the domestic sports of the country side by side with other games.

“Through domestic sports, children will get the opportunity to flourish more,” she said.

The premier was addressing the prize distribution ceremony for the Bangabandhu Gold Cup Primary School Football Tournament 2023 and the Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib Gold Cup Primary School Football Tournament 2023 at the Army Stadium in the capital.

Sheikh Hasina said that whenever she came into power, she tried to encourage children to participate more in sports. “Because sports provide physical and mental strength to human beings as well as teach discipline, obedience, and patriotism,” she added.

The Prime Minister said sports teach patriotism and loyalty as well as inspire patriotism.

Sheikh Hasina said that she wants the country’s children to develop themselves as worthy citizens through sports, physical exercise, and cultural activities alongside studies.

“I want our children to groom themselves as worthy citizens of the country by participating in sports, exercise, and cultural events apart from studies,” she said. 

Through sports, Sheikh Hasina said, the country can be advanced and made known to the whole world.

“We see that our boys and girls are showing their expertise in sports in the world arena,” she added.

In this connection, the premier mentioned that the women's football team of Bangladesh became the champion in the SAFF Women's Championship 2022.

She said that five players on that team came from the Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib Gold Cup Primary School Football Tournament.

Sheikh Hasina said that the government is building one mini stadium in every upazila, aiming to create space for sports throughout the year.

“We’re also creating scopes for the challenged and autistic children to do practice,” she said.

Earlier, the premier enjoyed the second half of the grand final held between Bancharampur Model Government Primary School, Brahmanbaria, and Patgram Tepurgari BK Government Primary School, Lalmonirhat.

In the final of the Bangabandhu Gold Cup Primary School Football Tournament, Chargolabari Government Primary School of Jamalpur's Madarganj beat Talimganj Government Primary School of Rangpur's Mithapukur. 

Besides, in the final of the Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib Gold Cup Primary School Football Tournament, Patgram Tepurgari BK Government Primary School, Lalmonirhat, beat Bancharampur Model Government Primary School, Brahmanbaria.

The Prime Minister distributed prizes and medals among the members of the champion and runner-up teams of the two tournaments.

State Minister of Primary and Mass Education Rumana Ali, MP, and Primary and Mass Education Secretary Farid Ahmed also spoke.  

The Ministry of Primary and Mass Education organised the tournaments, in which a total of 65,354 primary schools took part from the union level to the national level. A total of 22,22,026 students, both male and female, participated in the tournaments.

In the Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib Gold Cup Primary School Football Tournament, Mahmuda Akter won the golden boot for highest scoring, while Risha Akter bagged the golden ball as the best player. Both of them are from Patgram Tepurgari BK Government Primary School, Lalmonirhat.

Besides, in the Bangabandhu Gold Cup Primary School Football Tournament, Mohammad Akash won the golden ball as the best player of the tournament, while Md Sajjad Hossain bagged the golden boot as the highest scorer. Both of them are from Chargolabari Government Primary School of Jamalpur's Madarganj upazila.