Bangladesh’s national sport produced its finest local theatre at Satkhira District Stadium, as the two-day Zakir Smriti School Kabaddi Tournament concluded in a festival atmosphere on Wednesday, with Pallymangal Secondary School and Budhata Bhubon Mohan Collegiate School lifting the boys’ and girls’ trophies respectively, before Deputy Commissioner Afroza Akter and Police Superintendent Md. Arefin Jewel handed out the silverware in a ceremony that drew dignitaries from across the district.
Eight boys’ schools and six girls’ schools fought their way through the draw, and the tournament delivered exactly the drama that kabaddi, Bangladesh’s national sport since 1972, always promises. Raiders cross into enemy territory, hold their breath, chant the game’s name and attempt to tag as many defenders as possible before returning safely. In Satkhira, the youngsters played the ancient game with real hunger.
The boys’ final pitted Pallymangal Secondary School against Kadakatia Arar Secondary School. It was tight, physical and full of the raiding brilliance that makes kabaddi so compelling. Pallymangal edged it 42-38, four points the difference between glory and heartbreak.
The girls’ decider proved equally absorbing. Budhata Bhubon Mohan Collegiate School faced Satkhira Abdul Karim Secondary School, and the Budhata side dominated when it mattered most. They won 41-34, claiming the girls’ title with a seven-point cushion that flattered them only slightly.
Satkhira Stadium sits on Thana Road in the heart of Satkhira, and it provided the perfect backdrop for the prize ceremony that followed. SP Md. Arefin Jewel chaired the event as DC Afroza Akter took centre stage as chief guest, placing the trophies and medals into the hands of the winning players.
The Amateur Kabaddi Federation of Bangladesh was formed in 1973, and the sport has carried official national status for over five decades. Tournaments like this one, named in memory of Zakir, organised to honour both a person and a tradition, are exactly what keep the game alive at its roots.
