Prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday said that the government was taking various measures to train players of different sports to elevate them to international standard and for this, BKSPs were being built in every division.
鈥業t is most important to make the players competent by giving proper training. So, we have been building BKSP in every division. We have been taking various measures to develop our players as an international standard,鈥� she said.聽
She was addressing as a chief guest at the concluding and prize distribution ceremony of the Sheikh Hasina Interbank Football Tournament-2024 at Bangladesh Army Stadium in Dhaka in the afternoon.
The tournament was arranged by the Bangladesh Association of Banks for the second time this year, under the overall supervision of the Bangladesh Army.
The prime minister said that they had taken up some sports to compete at the international level.
She said that her government was building BKSP in every division from where players of different sports such as football, cricket, hockey, athletics, shooting, chess, volleyball, weightlifting and swimming, could take appropriate training.
鈥榃e have been taking various measures so that our players can be of international standard,鈥� she said.
The prime minister said that both the male and female players under 19 were now doing good.
鈥榃e would be able to show our skill on the international stage when the players will come up gradually [from U-19],鈥� she said.
She said, 鈥榃e want Bangladesh to march ahead in all fields, including sports.鈥櫬�
The prime minister reiterated her hope that Bangladesh would win World Cup football in future.
She thanked all concerned, especially the Bangladesh Army and the BAB, for successfully arranging the tournament.
The tournament will introduce a new era in football, she said.
The prime minister asked the BAB to arrange such tournaments of other sports.
After witnessing the second half of the final match between Islami Bank PLC and Standard Bank PLC in the stadium, the prime minister distributed trophies, prizes and medals among the members of the champion and runner-up and third teams of the tournament.
The Islami Bank clinched the title defeating Standard Bank by 2-0 goal.
The 31 banks taking part in the tournament gave a salute to the prime minister one after another in a procession.
The prime minister earlier witnessed a colourful cultural programme.
An audio-visual documentary on the government measures for the overall development of football was screened at the programme.
Chief of army staff General Waker-Uz-Zaman and BAB chairman Md Nazrul Islam Mazumder also spoke on the occasion.
Minister for youth and sports Nazmul Hassan, PM鈥檚 private industry and investment adviser Salman Fazlur Rahman and Bangladesh Bank governor Abdur Rouf Talukder, among others, were present at the prize distribution ceremony.
Sheikh Hasina congratulated the winning team and other participants, saying 鈥榃in or lose is not important, but taking part in the competition. There will be wins or losses in sports. But, competitiveness and willingness in sports are the most important things.鈥�
The prime minister said that football was a very popular sport not in Bangladesh but also across the globe.
She said that her grandfather, father and brothers were football players, adding her grandchildren are now playing football.
Mentioning that Euro Cup Football and Copa Cup Football tournaments are now being held, she said she saw some matches of the tournaments managing time from her busy schedule.
The prime minister reiterated her vow of taking Bangladesh ahead towards development and prosperity at an indomitable pace.
She gave a brief description of the measures taken by her government for socio-economic advancement and for transforming Bangladesh into a developed, prosperous and smart country by 2041 that would be free from hunger and poverty.
The prime minister said that they built Digital Bangladesh, made economic development and reduced the poverty rate to 18.7 per cent and extreme poverty to 5.6 per cent.
鈥業nshaAllah, there will be no hardcore poor in Bangladesh,鈥� she said.
