Existing district stadiums to be upgraded into full-fledged sports facilities: Aminul

Existing district stadiums across Bangladesh will be modernised and upgraded into full-fledged sports facilities, Youth and Sports State Minister Aminul Haque said on Tuesday.

Speaking after inaugurating a cricket academy in Sreemangal, Haque said the government was prioritising the effective use of existing grounds and stadiums before embarking on the construction of new infrastructure.

"We are working to establish an integrated sports structure from the grassroots to the national level," he said, adding that the Sreemangal Cricket Academy would be complemented by improvements to its playing field, dressing rooms and other necessary facilities.

He said district stadiums would be developed to host a wider range of sports, including football, cricket, swimming, volleyball, table tennis, chess, archery, shooting and hockey.

A project has been taken up to modernise district stadiums nationwide, with the Development Project Proposal (DPP) and other preparatory work currently under way. The plan includes upgrading galleries, dressing rooms, press boxes and other facilities to make the stadiums self-sufficient, he said.

The State Minister said initiatives were also being taken to develop playing fields down to union level, while plans were in place for futsal and small playing grounds at ward level in cities.

He said the government had instructed district and upazila administrations to reclaim illegally occupied playgrounds and restore them for sporting activities.

"Participation is not enough. We want Bangladesh to compete for medals at international level," he said, adding that year-round training and talent development programmes were being planned to build a competitive presence at the Olympics, Asian Games and Commonwealth Games over the next five years.

Aminul later inspected a proposed site for a mini-stadium in Sreemangal.