Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has urged athletes to represent the country through sporting excellence rather than aligning with any political party or group.
He said, “With patriotism, determination, and team spirit, I believe nothing can stand in the way of your successful journey. My appeal to you is that in your professional sporting careers, you should not be representatives of any political party or faction but rather represent the nation through your sporting skills.”
He added, “Bring home victories at home and abroad, and keep Bangladesh at a higher place in the global sports arena.”
Tarique made the call on Monday morning at Shapla Hall of the Prime Minister’s Office in Tejgaon, while inaugurating the programme for distributing sports cards and allowances.
He said, “Those who received awards today had opponents. But it is the presence of opponents that makes victory joyful. In sports, defeat does not mean failure—it is part of achieving victory. As Albert Einstein said, a person who has never lost has never achieved anything.”
He further said, “The present government has begun implementing short, medium, and long‑term goals and plans to establish sports as a profession. To ensure that boys and girls interested in sports have opportunities from childhood alongside their studies, the government plans to make sports compulsory in the curriculum from grade four. The Education Ministry has already started revising the curriculum to include sports.”
The prime minister noted that the government is providing integrated sponsorship for cricket, football, and many other sports including archery, boxing, yoga, gymnastics, weightlifting, swimming, athletics, karate, kabaddi, volleyball, wheelchair basketball, and badminton.
In addition, a programme called “Notun Kuri Sports” is being launched to nurture interest and talent in sports among children and adolescents.
On the occasion, 129 athletes who brought glory to Bangladesh on the international stage by winning gold, silver, and bronze medals were awarded financial prizes on behalf of the prime minister. Gold medalists at the individual level received Tk300,000, silver medalists Tk200,000, and bronze medalists Tk100,000.
