Youth Games begin today

The Sheikh Kamal 2nd Youth Games are all set to roll out today across the country after the inaugural edition of the country's biggest-ever multi-sports extravaganza took place in 2018.

This edition, around sixty-thousand athletes from upazila level – an increment of ten thousand than last time -- will fight it out for their places in their respective district teams before representing the divisional teams in the final phase in Dhaka.

The first phase is slated for January 02 to 10 with the participation of 495 upazilas, and most districts have taken their final preparation to host the inter-upazila competition at respective district headquarters.

The first edition of Youth Games was seen to be held without any preparation as evidenced by barefooted female athletes clad in salwar kameez participating.

"We are going to inaugurate the meet with a colourful opening ceremony. We have taken every preparation to make the event a success," Joypurhat District Sports Association (DSA) general secretary Mahbub Morshed Alam Lebu told The Daily Star yesterday.

Each upazila is allowed to take part in eight disciplines out of 24 – two team and six individual disciplines. Lebu further informed that 670 athletes from five Joypurhat's upazilas are taking part in the inter-upazila competition, eyeing 118 gold medals in eight disciplines --football, kabaddi, badminton, chess, karate, table tennis, swimming, and athletics.

"Ahead of the Youth Games, the athletes have been preparing for one-and-a-half months as the upazila sports associations arranged training for better performances," Narsingdi DSA general secretary Shahinul Islam Bhuiya told The Daily Star, adding the local administration, police and other wings are involved with the district-level competitions.

Six Narsingdi upazilas will be participating in as many disciplines --athletics, chess, karate, taekwondo, football and volleyball.

"In the competition's last edition, we grabbed 10 gold medals in karate and taekwondo. We are hopeful of producing good results in the final phase this time," said Shahinul.

Ashikur Rahman Miku, the joint secretary general of Bangladesh Olympics Association (BOA), informed the champion and runner-up in each of the events will be awarded 1500 and 1000 takas, respectively, with BOA, the federations and divisional bodies to monitor the inter-upazila competitions.