Youth Games get underway

The inaugural Bangladesh Youth Games got underway yesterday at different districts amid modest enthusiasm as athletes from different upazilas assembled at the headquarters of their respective districts to show their potential.

Out of the 64 districts, some started the games in full swing, some began on a small scale while a few are still waiting to start tomorrow due to the unavailability of grounds. However, all are committed to complete the competition within a seven-day time-frame that was been set by the Bangladesh Olympic Association (BOA).

“During the opening ceremony, athletes from 13 upazilas took part in a march-past with enthusiasm and band parties playing at the district stadium,” Sylhet District Sports Association (DSA) general secretary Mohiuddin Ahmed Selim said over phone. “I want to thank the BOA for taking such an initiative as sports festivity was felt on the opening day.”

Sylhet's programmes started with football with the participation of 13 Upazilas while other disciplines, namely kabaddi, volleyball, athletics and badminton, will start gradually and end within the stipulated time-frame.

“The BOA asked us to complete each discipline within one day, but how is it possible to hold a 13-team football event to be completed within a day! It could have been better had we got more time. However, we have been managing it in our own way,” said Selim, who is also a member of the Bangladesh Football Federation.

Barisal's DSA general secretary Alamgir Khan Alo informed that the opening ceremony took place at the Abdur Rob Serniabat Stadium, which will host seven disciplines -- football, archery, kabaddi, athletics, swimming, karate and chess. 

However, Khulna joined the party only symbolically as they just started only athletics without any opening ceremony due to the unavailability of the Khulna Stadium.

“We started athletics at the Crescent Ground due to unavailability of stadium and we will hold the opening ceremony on December 20 at the stadium but we will hold football at circuit house ground,” said Khulna's DSA general secretary Kazi Shamim Ahsan.

Replying to a query, Ahsan said, “We urged the upazilas several times, but they hardly responded about sending entries. It seems they realised the importance of the games late, hence we are facing problems to include them. Two upazilas are requesting us to include them in the football event although they initially did not send entries while a few upazilas are requesting us to include them in wrestling.”

While many districts are hosting the games at a single venue, Dhaka has chosen a few upazilas to host the disciplines. Athletics was held at Nawabganj upazila while Keraniganj will host badminton; Dhanmondi Basketball Gymnasium will stage basketball; BKSP will host hockey and Nawabganj will host football.

“Dhaka district does not have any stadium like other districts, so we don't have any option to host all the games at a single venue which is why we have chosen different upazilas to complete the games,” said Dhaka's DSA general secretary Golam Kuddus Nabi.

“At upazila level, there is less interest in sports but the Youth Games have created some enthusiasm. However, there is huge enthusiasm about football,” said Nabi adding that prominent organiser Mozaffar Hossain Poltu inaugurated athletics events as chief guest.

Rajshahi, meanwhile, will begin the games tomorrow.

“We will start the games on December 20 and complete it within the stipulated time-frame,” said Rajshahi's DSA general secretary Rofius Shams Paddy, adding that they are facing some technical issues.

“We are supposed to host seven disciplines but there is huge demand from the upazila level to include four more disciplines and we are considering including those disciplines with our fund,” said Paddy, adding that they would need an additional Tk 2.5 lakh to include those four disciplines and the sum would be provided by the DSA.