Second New Kuri to Feature 1.6 Million Participants, PM to Inaugurate in Khulna
The second edition of New Kuri Sports is set to begin on a larger scale, aiming to identify and nurture sporting talent from grassroots level. A total of 1,623,968 children and adolescents are taking part in the competition, which will be held across 4,599 unions nationwide. Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will inaugurate the event tomorrow at Khulna District Stadium. The inaugural ceremony will also be broadcast online to 503 upazilas across the country. Youth and Sports State Minister Md Aminul Haque outlined the details at a press conference held yesterday at the National Sports Council (NSC) conference room.
He said 40 talented athletes selected from the first edition would be permanently admitted to the Bangladesh Krira Shikkha Protishtan (BKSP) next January, with the government assuming full responsibility for their education and sports training. Of the 1,623,968 registered participants in the second edition, 944,833 are boys and 679,135 are girls. While the first edition featured eight events, volleyball and table tennis have been added this time, taking the total to 10 sports disciplines. Around 168,000 children and adolescents participated in the inaugural edition, from whom 306 were selected for training at BKSP. Subsequently, 40 athletes were chosen for permanent admission following their training, including 28 girls and 12 boys.
Aminul Haque said, “The government does not want talented athletes to be lost. The aim of this initiative is to build a strong pipeline for future national teams by ensuring access to proper training and education.” He said the government planned to make BKSP facilities at divisional and district levels fully operational by December to expand training opportunities for talents emerging from the second edition. This would allow selected athletes to receive training while remaining in their respective divisions and districts. Following competitions at union, upazila, district and divisional levels, the government aims to complete the national-level event in Dhaka by May-June. Preparations for the third edition are expected to begin immediately after the second edition concludes.
