& çâÌæÚUæð´ ·¤è ¥ôÚU Îð¹Ùæ ÁæÚUè ÚU¹ð´ ¥ÍæüÌ ¥ÂÙð ÜÿØ ÂÚU ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´Ð ãæÚU Ù ×æÙð´, €UØô´ç·¤ ·¤æ× ·¤ÚUÙð âð ¥æÂ·¤ô ©gðàØ ·¤è Âýæç# ãôÌè ãñ ¥õÚU ÁèßÙ ·¤æ ¹æÜèÂÙ ÎêÚU ãôÌæ ãñÐ ÖÜð ãè ÁèßÙ ×ð´ ç·¤ÌÙè Öè ·¤çÆÙæ§ü €UØô´ Ù ¥æ°, çÁ™ææâæ ¥õÚU ©ˆâæã ÕÙæ° ÚU¹ð´Ð ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´, ÜÿØ ã×ðàææ ¥æÂ·Ô¤ Âæâ ãôÌð ãñ´ çÁ‹ãð´ ÂæÙð ·Ô¤ çÜ° ÂýØæâ ¥æÂ ·¤Öè Öè àæéM¤ ·¤ÚU â·¤Ìð ãñ´Ð

Games starts with hope for future

Sports Reporter
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina called up on youths to engage / in sporting activities so that they can have a disciplined and responsible life. She hoped that the young athletes of today will represent Bangladesh in platforms like the Olympics one day. She also informed that the government is trying everything to improve the infrastructure of sports in the country.
"Sport teaches the youth to be disciplined, diligent and responsible. You need to have the practice of sports and culture apart from study. There are many athletes who have come to Dhaka for the first time to take part in the games and I believe someday you will take Bangladesh to the Olympics through these Youth Games," Sheikh Hasina said while officially opening the final phase of the Bangladesh Youth Games at the Bangabandhu National Stadium
yesterday.
"The government is trying to expand the horizon of sports as we are improving the infrastructure and paying heed to local sports," the Prime Minister added in her speech.
She also emphasised on her government's efforts to curb militancy and drug abuse through sports.
Following the Prime Minister’s speech, a one-and-a-half hour-long opening ceremony was held, the highlight of which was an elaborate fireworks display. Earlier, Commonwealth Games gold medallist shooter Asif Hossin Khan lit the games' torch as athletes from eight divisions marched through the athletics track in front of a sparse audience.
The final phase of these games, coming through the district and divisional level, will be held over the next six days in Dhaka, with around 2660 athletes competing in 21 disciplines.
While there was a touch of an informal school-games-like atmo-
sphere at district phase, the final phase is expected to be a much stiffer test, with the athletes dreaming of representing the country at an international level one day.
Though it is not yet time to count how many medals were won or lost as it is in the inaugural edition, it is inspiring to see the physical attributes of the of participating athletes, who possess the good physique and height required to become ideal athletes in the future.
The Khulna division kabaddi team, which comprises of players from Khulna, Satkhira and Narail districts, looks like a well-built unit, perfect for the demands of a physical game such as this. The average height of the Rajshahi division team, consisting of 11 players from Bogra, is expected to be above 6 feet.
They informed that they play kabaddi and volleyball regularly in their respective districts and they have to come Dhaka to win titles.
"We have some players who have experience of playing in Dhaka leagues, so we want to return home with the kabaddi title," said Imran Islam of the Khulna division team.
"In Bogra, the volleyball league is held regularly and all players have experience of playing competitive matches. Besides, Bogra is also the divisional champions in Youth Volleyball Championship, so we can expect something big," said Rajshahi's volleyball team manager Tushar Imran, who is also a player of the Dhaka Premier Division Volleyball League.
Apart from Khulna and Rajshahi, there have been a lot of well-built athletes in other disciplines who are excited to be a part of the games as they were enjoying the moments and introducing themselves to other divisional athletes before the start of the opening ceremony.
However, it may be mentioned here that the preparation of the divisional teams has not been good as most of the teams that came to the capital with a short preparation.
"We have had only four days of preparation and we don't expect anything in table tennis," said Mymensigh division's table tennis coach Sarwar Hasan. "However, we will fight well in boxing, kabaddi, volleyball and football."