On Wednesday, February 7th, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina stressed the importance of regularly organizing sports tournaments at the inter-school, college, and university levels. Inaugurating the final round of the 52nd National Winter Sports Competition for schools, madrasas, and technical institutes, the Prime Minister virtually joined the event from her official residence, Ganabhaban. The competition, organized jointly by the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISE), Rajshahi, and Bangladesh National School, Madrasha, and Technical Institutions Sports Association, is set to take place from February 7 to 12 at Muktijuddho Smriti Stadium in Rajshahi.
Prime Minister Hasina highlighted the significance of creating an environment for regular inter-school, college, and university sports tournaments, including those at the upazila and district levels. She expressed the belief that organizing various tournaments throughout the year would contribute to the physical and mental strength of young people, fostering creativity, love for society and country, and bringing honor to their families.
Emphasizing the importance of local games, Prime Minister Hasina urged authorities to make them more attractive. She acknowledged the positive impact of sports on creating unity, fostering friendship, instilling a competitive spirit, and enhancing psychological strength through the development of sportsmanship.
The Prime Minister underscored her government’s commitment to sports development, mentioning initiatives such as football tournaments for primary school students. Responding to the education minister’s suggestion, she supported the introduction of secondary school-level tournaments for various sports. Prime Minister Hasina outlined plans for intensive training and the establishment of sports training centers in every division to enhance children’s skills in competitive tournaments.
She disclosed the government’s construction of mini stadiums in each upazila for year-round sports competitions. Present at the Rajshahi end were Rajshahi City Corporation Mayor AHM Khairuzzaman Liton and Education Minister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury.
The National Winter Sports Competition, initiated by the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1972, involves 824 students participating in 13 different sports events in the final round. The competition, which commenced on January 11, 2024, faced interruptions in 1998 due to floods and in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
