There is no alternative to sports for building a healthy, humane and promising Bangladesh, said LGRD Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Sunday.

"The youth should be kept away from drugs and all kinds of negative activities and encouraged to engage in sports, culture and creative pursuits. There is no alternative to sports in achieving this goal," he said.

The minister made the remarks while addressing the ‘Valerion World Cup Night 2026’, a sports and entertainment event organised in the capital to mark the ongoing World Cup football season.

The day-long festival began on Sunday morning at Shaheed Farhan Faiyaz Playground, located on the western side of the National Parliament Building, featuring football, entertainment and social inclusion activities.

The main attraction of the event, jointly organised by Valerion ARC Limited and socio-cultural organisation ‘Ahban’, was a special football tournament featuring participation from people with disabilities and special needs.

Appreciating the organisers for arranging the event, Fakhrul said the initiative to bring people with special needs into mainstream sports would send a positive message to society and encourage equal participation.

Among private universities, American International University-Bangladesh (AIUB) emerged as champions, while Far East International University finished as runners-up.

Congratulating the winning teams of both the private university tournament and the special needs category, the minister announced a prize of Tk 1 lakh for each team from his personal fund. The announcement drew applause from players, students and spectators.

According to the organisers, the ‘Valerion World Cup Night 2026’ was arranged to promote social harmony, inclusion and youth engagement in positive activities through sports. The participation of players with special needs added further significance to the event.