Bangladesh is considering inviting French football star Kylian Mbappé to Dhaka for the closing ceremony of the nationwide Prime Minister’s Gold Cup, Local Government State Minister Mir Shahe Alam said. He also called on every educational institution to form a football team and said officials were considering suspending monthly pay-order benefits for institutions that failed to do so.
Alam spoke to reporters Monday after a steering committee meeting for the national competition at the Education Ministry’s conference room in the Secretariat. Education Minister Dr A.N.M. Ehsanul Haque Milon chaired the meeting, which discussed preparations for the nationwide tournament scheduled for September. Students in grades six through 12 from schools, colleges, madrasas and technical institutions will participate.
Prime Minister Tareque Rahman is expected to open the competition in September. Information Minister Zahir Uddin Swapan; Disaster Management and Relief Minister Asadul Habib Dulu; Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives State Minister Mir Shahe Alam; Youth and Sports State Minister Aminul Haque; Textiles and Jute State Minister Shariful Alam; Prime Minister’s Office spokesperson and adviser Mahdi Amin; and secretaries and officials from several ministries attended the meeting.
Officials said the competition was intended to promote sports among students, identify talented players and support enjoyable learning. Each educational institution will field a boys’ team, with separate participation opportunities for girls. Milon described the Prime Minister’s Gold Cup as one of the largest sporting events in Bangladesh’s history. He said it would help develop students’ talent, intellectual and leadership abilities, discipline and teamwork while giving those from remote areas an equal opportunity to display their skills nationally. He thanked the ministers and state ministers involved for their cooperation.
At a news conference after the meeting, Mahdi Amin said: “We want to create a festive atmosphere across the country. The prime minister has always said the future education system will allow our students to express their talent, intellect and creativity. To that end, the sports, culture and education ministries will jointly organize events and competitions nationwide throughout the year.”
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report