DHAKA, May 20, 2026 (BSS) - “Notun Kuri Sports”, a nationwide initiative aimed at identifying talented children and teenagers from the grassroots level and developing them into skilled athletes, has opened a new horizon for Bangladesh’s sports sector.
 
Officials of relevant organization said the programme has already generated widespread enthusiasm across the country by creating an organised platform to nurture hidden sporting talent from remote areas.
 
They said “Notun Kuri Sports” is being considered a powerful platform for producing future athletes, following the success of the widely popular talent-hunting programme “Notun Kuri” of the 1980s. 
 
The initiative is expected to become an important medium for showcasing the talents of grassroots-level children and adolescents.
 
The nationwide programme officially began on May 2. On the day, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman inaugurated the programme as the chief guest at Sylhet District Stadium, while thousands of participants joined virtually from district stadiums and other suitable venues across the country.
 
Organised under the supervision of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the programme is being implemented by the Directorate of Sports, while local sports offices at district and upazila levels are overseeing the activities.
 
The main objective of “Notun Kuri Sports” is to identify, select and create opportunities for the development of hidden sporting talent among children aged 12-14 alongside their academic education. 
 
Officials said sports play a crucial role in building a healthy, confident and patriotic future generation, while also promoting teamwork, leadership and discipline.
 
Sources concerned said the sports event includes eight disciplines — cricket, football, kabaddi, athletics, chess, badminton, swimming and martial arts.
 
From April 12 to 17, a total of 160,779 adolescents registered online nationwide, including 116,646 boys and 44,133 girls. 
 
Sylhet district recorded the highest number of applicants with 15,324 participants, followed by Chattogram with 9,305 and Dhaka with 8,896 registrations.
 
Mymensingh District Sports Officer Al Amin said the process of forming teams at the upazila level has already been completed. Regional and divisional-level competitions are being held from May 13 to 22.
 
According to the Ministry of Youth and Sports, each selected athlete will receive a jersey from the district level authorities, while certificates will also be awarded at every stage of the competition as recognition. 
 
Participants in “Notun Kuri Sports” will receive allowances at rates fixed by the ministry to encourage their participation.
 
The best athletes selected at the national level will have opportunities for long-term residential training camps and further professional development. Talented athletes will also get opportunities to enrol at the Bangladesh Krira Shikkha Protishtan (BKSP).
 
State Minister for Youth and Sports Aminul Haque said finalists would be admitted to BKSP and brought under special sports scholarship programmes. 
 
He said initiatives have been taken to modernise regional BKSP centres, including those in Chattogram, to reduce pressure on Dhaka.
 
He said measures have also been taken to ensure transparency in the selection process and prevent nepotism, while medical teams will remain deployed round-the-clock to ensure players’ safety.
 
Stakeholders believe “Notun Kuri Sports” is not merely a tournament, but a bold initiative to reform Bangladesh’s sporting culture. 
 
They said proper nurturing of these talents could help the country shine brighter on the global sporting stage in the future.
 
SM Abdullah Al Fuad, member of the Jamalpur District Sports Association and a sports organiser, said the initiative has created new enthusiasm in the country’s sports arena and would strengthen Bangladesh’s position internationally in the long run.
 
He also described the programme as a milestone for the future development of sports in the country.
 
A recent visit to the stadiums in Mymensingh and Jamalpur revealed that the competition is being conducted through a highly organised structure. 
 
Activities are also being carried out at union and city corporation ward levels to identify grassroots talent. 
 
Through successive stages at upazila, district and regional levels, the best talents are preparing to prove themselves at the national stage.
 
State Minister for Youth and Sports Md. Aminul Islam said the country has been divided into 10 regions to ensure smooth implementation of the programme. These are Dhaka, Faridpur, Chattogram, Cumilla, Rangpur, Khulna, Barishal, Sylhet, Rajshahi and Mymensingh.
 
Different districts have been included under these regions, while strong administrative and implementation committees are supervising every stage of the process to ensure no talent is overlooked.
 
Sources said football, cricket, kabaddi and badminton competitions are being held under knockout formats at every stage, while chess matches are being conducted under the Swiss league system according to international standards.
 
For individual events such as athletics, swimming and martial arts, results will be determined through preliminary selection rounds (heats/knockout) and final rounds.
 
Referring to the young grassroots athletes, local Member of Parliament Abu Wahab Akand Wahid said the competition would provide children and adolescents with opportunities to prove their talent and eventually emerge as global citizens who would lead Bangladesh to international success in sports.