PM's Gold Cup football tournament to engage 50,000 institutions: Mahdi

The Prime Minister's Gold Cup, a nationwide football tournament for educational institutions, is set to bring together students from around 50,000 schools, colleges, madrasahs and technical and vocational institutions across Bangladesh.

The tournament is expected to begin by September 10 and conclude on October 30, according to a preliminary schedule. A detailed fixture will be announced later.

Participation will be mandatory for boys and optional for girls. Students from Class VI to Class XII enrolled in schools, colleges, madrasahs and technical and vocational institutions will be eligible to compete, Prime Minister's Office (PMO) Spokesperson Mahdi Amin told reporters at the Secretariat on Monday.

The briefing followed a meeting of the steering committee overseeing the tournament, chaired by Education Minister Dr ANM Ehsanul Hoque Milon.

Mahdi, who also serves as the Prime Minister's Adviser on Education, said the government would provide all necessary support to ensure the successful organisation of the tournament.

He said the initiative aims to create a festive atmosphere nationwide while promoting students' creativity, leadership and overall development through sports.

"The Prime Minister envisions an education system where students can fully demonstrate their talent, creativity and intellectual potential," he said.

To achieve that goal, the ministries of education, youth and sports, and cultural affairs will jointly organise year-round sports and cultural programmes and competitions across the country, he added.

Mahdi said the tournament is designed to provide equal opportunities for students regardless of whether they study in urban or rural areas.

"We want every educational institution in Bangladesh to have the opportunity to participate. We believe the tournament will help nurture leadership, talent and creativity among students," he said.

As part of the preparations, the Cabinet Secretary will meet divisional commissioners and deputy commissioners on Tuesday to coordinate arrangements through the local administration.

The chairman of the Inter-Education Board Coordination Committee will also visit education boards across the country to discuss implementation with local education officials and educational institutions, while the Ministry of Education will coordinate the overall process.

Mahdi said the competition will follow the format of the Primary School Gold Cup Football Tournament, which previously attracted around 2.2 million participants.

The tournament will begin with matches at the upazila level before progressing through district and divisional rounds to the national final.

He expressed hope that the Prime Minister would attend both the opening and closing ceremonies, noting that the tournament is being organised under his direct patronage.

"That is why it has been named the Prime Minister's Gold Cup Football Tournament," he said.

Mahdi also urged media organisations to highlight the achievements of participating students, saying recognition and encouragement would inspire them and contribute to their future success.

He said the government is committed to bringing about "a three-dimensional revolution" in education by integrating sports, culture and academic activities through coordinated policies and implementation.

Several ministries, including Disaster Management and Relief, Textiles and Jute, Youth and Sports, Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives, and Information and Broadcasting, will jointly organise the nationwide event.

Education Minister Dr ANM Ehsanul Hoque Milon, Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapon, Disaster Management and Relief Minister Asadul Habib Dulu, State Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives Mir Shahe Alam, State Minister for Textiles and Jute Shariful Alam, and State Minister for Youth and Sports Md Aminul Haque, among others, attended the press briefing.