Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has said that Bangladesh should aspire to qualify for and compete in the FIFA World Cup. He made the remarks while addressing the final round of the Primary School Gold Cup Football Tournament (Boys and Girls) as the chief guest at Dhaka Army Stadium on June 20.
The Prime Minister emphasized that students should strive for excellence not only in sports but also in academics and other areas of development. He said that building a strong and prosperous Bangladesh requires young people to be skilled in multiple fields.
“Our election pledge was to create more opportunities for children to participate in sports,” he said. “Bangladesh should be recognized not only for cricket but also for football and other sports. The government will continue taking all necessary measures to support the development of children’s talents.”
Addressing the young participants, Tarique Rahman said, “You are the future of Bangladesh. Alongside sports, you must excel in education and cultural activities. Only then can we build a beautiful and strong nation. Future stars like Messi, Ronaldo, and Mbappé can emerge from among you. We must also improve Bangladesh’s standing in the Olympic Games.”
The tournament featured students selected through multiple stages of competition from more than 65,000 government primary schools across the country. Four schools ultimately advanced to the finals of the Primary School Gold Cup Football Tournament.
In the boys’ final, Dari Rampur Government Model Primary School of Trishal Upazila in Mymensingh was defeated 1–0 by Dariyal Mia Government Primary School of Bakerganj Upazila in Barishal, which claimed the championship title.
In the girls’ final, Jorgacha United Government Primary School of Sathia Upazila in Pabna defeated Achargaon Government Primary School of Nandail in Mymensingh by 4–2 to become champions.
The event was attended by several distinguished guests, including Education and Primary and Mass Education Minister A.N.M. Ehsanul Haque Milon, State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Bobby Hajjaj, and the Prime Minister’s Adviser on Education and Primary and Mass Education, Mahdi Amin.
