Araihazar Mini Stadium opens to boost grassroots sports 

Narayanganj, Sept 17: The newly constructed Araihazar Upazila Mini Stadium was inaugurated on Wednesday, with the government pledging to use sports to discover and develop talent at the grassroots level.

Youth and Sports Minister Aminul Haque 
inaugurated the stadium at a ceremony attended by local political leaders, officials and sports 
organisers.

Speaking as the chief guest, Haque said the government was undertaking various initiatives to promote sports and had begun identifying talented youngsters from across the country through the new sports programme. He said the aim was to connect young people with sports and create opportunities for them to grow up in a healthy and positive environment.

Narayanganj-2 MP Nazrul Islam Azad, the principal speaker, said Araihazar has many talented athletes but many of them lack proper facilities to practise. He pledged his support for developing local sports and said he would work with the authorities to ensure greater opportunities for young players.

Rakibul Islam Rakib, chairman of the Mowfikdur Rahman Foundation, called for greater attention to neglected athletes in Araihazar. He said sports could play an important role in building a drug-free society, noting that a large section of the area's population lives in underdeveloped communities.

District Administrator Mohammad Rayhan Kabir chaired the programme. Among others, officials of the district administration and representatives of local organisations attended the event.

The mini stadium was constructed under the implementation of the National Sports Council and the Ministry of Youth and Sports. Organisers expressed hope that the facility would create new opportunities for local athletes and help strengthen sports activities in Araihazar.

They also expect the venue to provide young players with a proper platform for regular training and competitive events, contributing to the search for promising talent from the area.