Government plans international standard sports villages in all 64 districts
Youth and Sports State Minister Aminul Haque has announced plans to establish international standard sports villages in all 64 districts, starting with 10 districts in the current fiscal year. The announcement adds to a series of sports initiatives launched since the BNP government took office, including Sports Cards and athlete allowances, the nationwide Notun Kuri Sports talent hunt and a stated goal of making sports a viable profession within five years.
In a Nutshell:
- On August 22, Youth and Sports State Minister Aminul Haque said the government would establish international standard sports villages in every district, starting with 10 districts this fiscal year, including Habiganj.
- Earlier, on August 9, Aminul had also said sports would be made a profession within five years, with grassroots talent identification and expanded facilities intended to bring more young people into organised sport.
- Since March, the government has launched Sports Cards and allowances for national athletes, with Tk100,000 transferred to each of the first 129 recipients and plans to cover 500 athletes.
- Notun Kuri Sports began nationwide on May 2, registering 168,622 young athletes across eight disciplines, with selected children receiving intensive training at BKSP.
- BNP had already described sports as a major policy priority before taking office, with Amir Khasru calling its plans ambitious at a “Future of Sports” event in Chattogram earlier this year in February.
Context
From the various initiatives proposed and launched in the last six months, it seems that the government is taking sports as a serious sector worth investing in. In March, while inaugurating sports cards, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman had told athletes to focus on sports and not get involved in political parties or groups. In short, he asked them to represent the country internationally through athletic excellence rather than through political avenues. This says something about what image the government wants Bangladeshi sports teams and players to have in the international eye: non-political athletes who play based on merit. Recently, Youth and Sports State Minister Aminul Haque also stated that the government is seeking to bring about a revolution in the sector to restore the country’s lost glory for which he blames the Hasina-led Awami league government.
Why it matters
Before coming into office, BNP had already described its sports plans as ambitious. So, Youth and Sports State Minister Aminul Haque's five year plan to make sports a profession within the government's term is not an unexpected announcement. With some programmes initiated and others in the planning stage, the next four and a half years will show whether sports can actually become a viable career path for more athletes and match international standards.
What we think
Zaima Rahman’s visit to BKSP, where she met trainees and joined women footballers for a session, and her appearance as a special guest at the British High Commission’s reception for Bangladesh’s Commonwealth Games contingent show that sports is becoming part of the first family’s public engagement as well. While initiatives such as the Notun Kuri Programme have been initiated successfully and many more remain in the planning stage, there is still scope for more improvement. If the government can ensure transparency and see their proposals through to the implementation stage, the next generation will be able to access many opportunities that they otherwise would not have, especially in rural areas. And, to go back to PM Tarique Rahman’s address to athletes on not participating in politics, the government must play their role too and ensure that there is no favoritism while forming sports committees or recruiting athletes. Another Shakib Al Hasan should not be the outcome from these initiatives.