Education Minister Dr. A N M Ehsanul Haque Milon chairs meeting, announces September 10 Prime Minister's Gold Cup launch. Photo : PID

DHAKA, Aug. 3, 2026 (BSS) – The National Steering Committee meeting for the Prime Minister's Gold Cup National Football Tournament was held today with Education Minister Dr. A N M Ehsanul Haque Molin in the chair.

The meeting decided to launch the nationwide football tournament by September 10.

The competition, to be held for students from grades six to twelve, will involve around 50,000 educational institutions including schools, colleges, madrasas, technical and vocational institutes across the country.

The meeting was held at the education ministry that was attended by ministers, state ministers, secretaries and senior officials from different ministries.

Among others, Information Minister Zahir Uddin SwapOn, Disaster Management and Relief Minister Asadul Habib Dulu, State Minister for LGRD and Cooperatives Mir Shahe Alam, State Minister for Youth and Sports Aminul Haque, State Minister for Textiles and Jute Shariful Alam, Prime Minister's Office Spokesperson and Adviser Mahdi Amin, along with secretaries and senior officials from various ministries, attended the meeting.

The meeting was informed that the tournament would be held in phases at the upazila, district, divisional and national levels to find out talented footballers from the grassroots. Each educational institution will be allowed to field one boys' team and one girls' team in the tournament.

Addressing the meeting, Education Minister Dr. Ehsanul Haque Molin said the Prime Minister's Gold Cup Football Tournament is not merely a football competition but a major platform for developing students' intellect, leadership qualities, creativity and overall potential.

He said the initiative aims to ensure equal opportunities for students from remote areas of the country so that they can display their talent at the national level.

The minister also said integrating sports and culture with education is one of the government's key priorities. 

Sporting activities play an important role in the physical and mental development of students and the tournament will help to reduce disparities in opportunities between urban and rural students while fostering a healthy competitive environment.

Information Minister Zahir Uddin Swapon said the mass media would play a vital role in ensuring the successful implementation of such a nationwide initiative.

He said the achievements and talents of participating students, particularly those from remote areas, should be highlighted before the nation.

"The Prime Minister's Gold Cup is not just a sporting event; it is a platform for national unity, positive competition and the creative development of students," he said.

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting would provide all out support to promote the event and enhance public engagement.

Prime Minister's Adviser Mahdi Amin said efforts are underway to establish the Prime Minister's Gold Cup as a prestigious national event.

He said extensive nationwide publicity, effective coordination and full cooperation from all relevant ministries would be ensured from the beginning to the end of the tournament.

Referring to the success of the primary-level Gold Cup Football Tournament, in which nearly 2.2 million students had participated, he said the experience would be utilized to organize this secondary-level tournament on a much larger scale with a stronger management framework.

Mahdi Amin said the objective of the Prime Minister's Gold Cup is not only to produce talented footballers but also to nurture a generation equipped with leadership qualities. To achieve that goal, all ministries have been asked to discharge their respective duties in a coordinated manner.

The meeting was informed that the opening ceremony of the tournament would also be organized on a grand scale. Like the FIFA World Cup opening ceremony, it will feature creative performances by students, an official tournament theme song and cultural programmes.

The meeting also expressed the expectation that the Prime Minister would attend the opening match, while the national final is also planned to be held in the Prime Minister's presence.

Discussions also focused on ground preparation, security arrangements, publicity and administrative coordination. The ministries concerned were instructed to take the necessary measures in line with their respective responsibilities.

The meeting further decided that the secretaries of the Secondary and Higher Education Division and the Technical and Madrasa Education Division would coordinate with field-level administration, divisional commissioners, deputy commissioners and other relevant officials. 

Chairmen of the education boards will visit different parts of the country to hold discussions with educational institutions and local authorities regarding the preparations for the tournament.