Youth games at the expense of BD Games?
The Bangladesh Olympic Association (BOA) is planning to hold the maiden Youth Bangladesh Games, as part of the new committee's election pledge, disregarding the Bangladesh Games which was supposed to be held this year.
The BOA hosted the eighth edition of the Bangladesh Games in 2013, after an 11-year gap, bringing a much-needed boost to the country's sports. As it is a quadrennial event, the ninth edition was supposed to be held this year. But the national Olympic body is now busy chalking out plans for the Youth Games, a pledge which was made during the elections held in April this year.
The BOA secretary general Syed Shahed Reza had announced that they would hold the youth games this year after failing to hold it during the previous four-year term. The oganisation has already done some groundwork regarding the event.
“We promised that we would hold the Youth Games this year,” BOA's deputy secretary general Ashikur Rahman Miku said.
“We took the charge of the committee just two years ago which is why it's not possible for us to hold the senior meet this year. After organising the youth meet, we will certainly go for the senior meet,” Miku added.
The BOA spokesman said they wanted to start the Youth Games (U-18 age group) in November with a zonal round while the final round will be held at Dhaka in March next year.
The meet is supposed to start at district level with all upazilas covered, before the competition advances into the divisional level. The best athletes of the divisional level would compete in the final round.
“Before fixing the starting date we have to consider the final exams of schools and colleges because under-18 athletes will take part in the meet,” Miku said.
Last year the National Sports Council successfully organised a nationwide talent hunt programme from the grassroots level with 32 sports federations getting a group of talented under-16 athletes from this initiative. The BOA wants to cash in on that initiative by holding the youth games.
“The Youth Games would become a stage for those talented athletes to show their potential,” Miku said.
The BOA will also select the best athletes in every discipline for long-term training facilities under their respective federations.
The tentative budget for the games is around Tk 20 crore, and a spokesman said they will collect the fund from sponsors.
“We have already submitted a letter to the ministry of youth and sports for financial support, but we have to collect the major portion of the budget selling sponsorship rights,” another deputy secretary general of BOA, Asaduzzaman Kohinur, said.
“We hope we would arrange the sponsors for the meet,” he added.