PM inaugurates final phase of Sheikh Kamal 2nd Bangladesh Youth Games 2023
News Desk
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has inaugurated the final phase of Sheikh Kamal 2nd Bangladesh Youth Games 2023 at Bangladesh Army Stadium in the capital on Sunday evening.
The Bangladesh Olympic Association (BOA) has been organising Bangladesh Games and Youth Games every four years since 2018. The motto of the games was to select future players for national teams in various disciplines and to groom up the latent talents of young athletes, according to BSS.
Nearly four thousand athletes will compete for 193 gold, 193 silver and 287 bronze medals in 193 events of twenty-four disciplines in the final phase of the second edition of the Youth Games named after Sheikh Kamal, the eldest son of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
Earlier, the inter-upazila first phase of the games was held from January 2-10 last, the inter-district second phase was held from January 16-22 January last. Eight divisions are participating in the final phase in Dhaka.
Meanwhile, both the men’s and women’s football competitions of the Sheikh Kamal 2nd Bangladesh Youth Games 2023 held on the opening day of the meet at two city separate venues in the capital.
In her speech at the inauguration ceremony, Sheikh Hasina greeted the authorities concerned, particularly the Bangladesh Olympic Association, for branding the second Bangladesh Youth Games 2023 after the name of Sheikh Kamal.
The prime minister said Sheikh Kamal was younger to her and was an accompanier of her childhood games, adding, “Had Kamal alive he could have served the country in many ways.”
Sheikh Hasina said her family was a sports-loving family as many members of her family were involved in sports while her grandfather was a footballer.
The premier said her younger brother Sheikh Kamal was a multi-talented person and he was involved in football, cricket, hockey and basketball.
Describing Sheikh Kamal as the founder of modern football, she said he (Sheikh Kamal) had founded the Abahani Club and took initiatives to involve youths to engage in sports.
The prime minister said Sheikh Kamal could play better, adding that he was even excellent in the cultural sector as he acted in different plays.
“Sheikh Kamal had expertise in every sector,” she said.
The prime minister said the more Bangladesh can engage its youths in sports the more it will be benefited in future.
“With taking part in the sports, the talents and capacity of the youths will flourish alongside creating a competitive mind among them which will help them to contribute more to the sports,” she said.
The premier said for this reason her government has given utmost importance to sports since assuming power, adding that they have restarted inter-school, inter-college and inter-university competitions to bring out latent talents.
Due to the measures taken by them, she said that the country’s sports have flourished much at local and international levels.
“We have built digital Bangladesh. Our next target is to transform the country into a Smart Bangladesh which will help generate smart players and thus we will achieve the quality of taking part in any international sports,” she said.
“I believe that the youth games will add a new dimension to the sports arena and work as a platform to generate star players,” she said.
Describing the athletes as the soldiers towards building Bangladesh into a developed and prosperous one by 2041, the prime minister wished their every success in the youth games.
State Minister for Youth and Sports Md. Zahid Ahsan Russel, BOA President and Chief of Army Staff General S M Shafiuddin Ahmed and Secretary General Syed Shahed Reza spoke at the function.
A video documentary on Sheikh Kamal 2nd Bangladesh Youth Games 2023 was screened at the function. At the outset of the programme, the national anthem was also played.
Later, the Prime Minister witnessed a colourful cultural programme marking the grand opening of the Sheikh Kamal 2nd Bangladesh Youth Games 2023.