Nat'l-level footballers to emerge from primary stage tournament: Div Commissioner

Rajshahi Divisional Commissioner Dr. A.N.M. Bazlur Rashid today said the Primary School Gold Cup Football Tournament would help produce talented footballers for the national level. "Football is the game of people's hearts and the most popular sport in the country. Good players for the national level will emerge from tournaments organized at the primary stage," he said.

The divisional commissioner was addressing the inauguration ceremony of the three-day divisional round of the Primary School Gold Cup Football Tournament at the Rajshahi Divisional Women's Sports Complex ground as the chief guest. A total of 16 boys' and girls' teams from eight districts of the Rajshahi division are taking part in the tournament, divided into two groups.

Greeting the participating footballers, Bazlur Rashid said teachers and education officials had worked hard to bring the best teams from union, upazila and district levels to the divisional competition. "Today we will witness the best teams competing against each other. It should be treated purely as a game. It is not a clash or rivalry; the game is about skill," he added.

"We hope many promising boy and girl footballers will emerge from this tournament," he said, expressing optimism that the Rajshahi division would become champion at the national level. Additional Divisional Commissioner Md. Rezaul Alam Sarkar chaired the function. District Council Administrator Advocate Ershad Ali Isha, Additional Police Commissioner of Rajshahi Metropolitan Police Al Mamun, Additional Superintendent of Police Helena Akhter and Divisional Deputy Director of Primary Education Nur Akhter Jannatul Ferdous, among others, addressed the event. Education officials, teachers, students, dignitaries and media personnel were also present.