State Minister for Youth and Sports Md. Aminul Haque spoke at a press conference held at the Bangladesh Olympic Association (BOA) conference room in Dhaka. Photo : BSS

DHAKA, June 29, 2026 (BSS) - Online registration process for the second edition of "Notun Kuri Sports", a nationwide grassroots sports talent identification programme, will officially begin on July 1, aiming to discover promising young athletes and encourage greater participation in sports across the country.

The announcement was made by State Minister for Youth and Sports Md. Aminul Haque at a press conference held at the Bangladesh Olympic Association (BOA) conference room today (Monday).

The two-month registration campaign will continue until August 31. Boys and girls age 12 to 14, born between September 1, 2012 and August 31, 2014, will 
be eligible to participate. To ensure the participation of talented youngsters from remote areas, an extensive awareness campaign will be conducted through schools, sports clubs and district sports offices.

The second edition has significantly expanded its grassroots reach. While only upazila teams advanced to the district stage in the inaugural edition, 
this time competition will allow teams from every union and every ward of city corporations to compete directly at the upazila level.

The list of events has also been expanded. In addition to football, cricket, kabaddi, athletics, swimming, chess, badminton and martial arts featured in 
the first edition, table tennis and volleyball have been included this time, raising the total number of disciplines to 10.

Organisers believe the expanded programme will provide a broader platform for young athletes to showcase and develop their talent.

Meanwhile, the schedule for the national phase of the inaugural "Notun Kuri Sports" 2025-2026 has also been finalized. The competition will officially 
begin on July 18 with an opening ceremony at the National Stadium in Mirpur, Dhaka, and will continue until July 27, featuring the country's best young athletes selected through 10 regional competitions.

The closing ceremony and prize distribution will be held at 3 pm on July 27 at the Bangladesh Army Stadium in Dhaka with Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has given his consent to attend the programme as the chief guest.