Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday said her government has given priority to sports and games alongside education as it provides physical and mental strength for the children.
“Sports and games also help to groom the children as worthy citizens,” she said.
The Prime Minister was distributing trophies among the winners of the 4th Bangabandhu Gold Cup Primary School Tournament -2013 and the 4th Bangamata Begum Fazilatunnesa Mujib Gold Cup Primary School Football Tournament – 2013 at Bangabandhu National Stadium here last afternoon.
Primary and Mass Education Minister Mostafizur Rahman and secretary of the ministry Kazi Aktar Hossain spoke on the occasion.
Leader of the Opposition Begum Rawshan Ershad, Deputy Minister for Youth and Sports Arif Khan Joy and Bangladesh Football Federation President Kazi Salahuddin, among others, were present on the occasion.
Sheikh Hasina put emphasis on organising more football tournaments of the children at upazila and district levels side by side with school football tournaments, saying that it would help flourish their latent talents.
Expressing satisfaction over the sports quality of the children, the Prime Minister hoped that future players of the country would come out from them. “Through this there will be further development in the field of sports,” she said.
She also thanked the organisers for arranging such tournaments on regular basis and assured that the government would continue its support to this end.
Earlier, the Prime Minister witnessed the second half of the final match of the Bangamata Begum Fazilatunnesa Mujib Gold Cup Primary School Football Tournament-2013.
In the final, Kalasindur Government Primary School of
Dhobaura upazila in Mymensingh thrashed Moghachhari Government Primary School of Kaukhali upazila in Rangamati by 4-1.
Earlier in the final of the Bangabandhu Gold Cup Primary School Tournament- 2013, Beradanga Chhotapir Government Primary School of Nilphamari Sadar upazila defeated No 3 Uttar Karapur Government Primary School of Barisal Sadar upazila by 4-2 in the tiebreak. The regulation time of the match ended 1-1.
Tohura Begum of Kalasindur Government Primary School of Dhobaura upazila in Mymensingh and Shaheen of Beradanga Chhotapir Government Primary School of Nilphamari Sadar upazila were adjudged best players of the tournaments.
A record number of 62,207 teams took part in the Bangabandhu Gold Cup Primary School Tournament-2013, while 62,261 teams participated in the Bangamata Begum Fazilatunnesa Mujib Gold Cup Primary School Football Tournament-2013 that began in June last year.
The Ministry of Primary and Mass Education has been organising the tournaments since 2010.
