Tangail clinch Inter-Div U-16 Girls Football title

Tangail emerged champions in the Inter-Divisional Under-16 Girls Football Competition, beating Rangamati 5-1 in the final at the Shaheed Ria Gop Sports Complex in Dhanmondi on Sunday.

Tangail produced a dominant first-half display, scoring all five of their goals before the break. Rangamati fought back after the interval and managed to score once, but the deficit proved too large to overcome as Tangail secured the title with a comfortable five-goal haul.

Organised by the Bangladesh Mohila Krira Songstha, the three-day competition was held from Friday to Sunday, bringing together around 300 young footballers representing 16 teams from 16 districts across the country's eight divisions.

The participating districts were Tangail, Kishoreganj and Narayanganj from Dhaka Division; Rangamati, Khagrachari and Chattogram from Chattogram Division; Mymensingh and Netrokona from Mymensingh Division; Satkhira and Khulna from Khulna Division; Joypurhat and Rajshahi from Rajshahi Division; Moulvibazar and Sylhet from Sylhet Division; Pirojpur from Barisal Division; and Rangpur.

State Minister for Sports Aminul Haque and Bangladesh Mohila Krira Songstha president Barrister Sarwat Siraj Shukla handed over the trophies and prizes to the champions and runners-up at the closing ceremony. Officials from different sports federations and organisations were also present.

Speaking at the ceremony, Aminul Haque said Bangladesh has talented young athletes scattered across the country and stressed the need to identify and develop them. He also expressed his determination to take more female athletes to the international stage, noting that Bangladeshi girls have achieved considerable success in sports.

Shukla said the tournament was organised as part of the continuing efforts behind competitions such as the Prime Minister's Cup and Notun Kudi. She thanked the participating players as well as their parents and guardians for supporting their daughters' involvement in sport.

As a gesture of appreciation, Shukla, who hails from Tangail, personally presented Tk 50,000 to the champions as a special prize.