Prime Minister's Adviser Mahdi Amin informed journalists of this information after a steering committee meeting held in the conference room of the Ministry of Education at the Secretariat on Monday (August 3), chaired by Education Minister A N M Ehsanul Haque Milon.
He said the competition will be held at the national level, passing through upazila, district and divisional levels, with students from classes six to twelve. Around 1 crore 73 lakh 77 thousand 706 students from 49,589 schools, colleges, madrasas and technical education institutions across the country will be covered under this initiative.
Mahdi Amin said the Prime Minister herself has determined the name of the tournament. The government is working with the aim of turning it into one of the country's largest sports and education festivals.
He informed that the Prime Minister's presence is expected at the opening match. In addition, like the Primary School Gold Cup, her presence is also desired in the final.
The meeting was informed that participating institutions include 19,117 secondary schools, 15,014 schools and colleges, 3,362 colleges, 9,269 madrasas and 2,827 technical education institutions.
The Prime Minister's adviser said the Ministry of Education, education boards, field administration and concerned ministries will work in a coordinated manner to implement the competition. Deputy Commissioners, Divisional Commissioners and education boards will be instructed to take necessary preparations. Local playgrounds will also be prepared suitable for the competition.
He further informed that there is a plan to arrange the tournament's opening ceremony this time in the style of the World Cup. It will include theme songs, cultural performances by students, creative exhibitions and various other programs. A nationwide campaign will be conducted from a few weeks before the competition begins.
Mahdi Amin said various ministries including Information and Broadcasting, Youth and Sports, Local Government, Disaster Management and Relief will work in an integrated manner. The government expects that talented footballers will emerge from the grassroots through this initiative, and a new momentum will be created in the development of sports, creativity and leadership among students.
Regarding the competition's budget, he informed that no specific budget has been fixed centrally. The country's nine education boards will determine expenditures according to their respective needs, and necessary assistance will be ensured through coordination among the concerned ministries and local administration.
