Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Monday joined the closing ceremony of Notun Kuri Sports 2025-26, reaffirming the government's commitment to nurturing young sporting talent and encouraging children to embrace sports over screen addiction.

He arrived at the Bangladesh Army Stadium around 4:00pm, where thousands of children and young sports enthusiasts in the packed galleries greeted him with loud applause.

Upon entering the stadium, the Prime Minister greeted the young athletes before walking around the ground and waving to the spectators, many of whom responded enthusiastically.

Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed and State Minister for Youth and Sports Md Aminul Haque accompanied Tarique Rahman.

Launched on May 2 at the Sylhet District Stadium by the Prime Minister, Notun Kuri Sports is a nationwide grassroots initiative of the Ministry of Youth and Sports aimed at identifying sporting talent among boys and girls aged 12 to 14 and encouraging regular participation in sports.

According to the organisers, around 170,000 young athletes from districts and upazilas across the country took part in the regional competitions in eight disciplines before the best performers advanced to the national phase in Dhaka.

The disciplines included football, cricket, kabaddi, athletics, badminton, chess, swimming and martial arts.

On the final day at the Army Stadium, the Prime Minister watched the girls' football finals between Rajshahi and Rangpur regions.

He will also watch a documentary presentation on the tournament and a cultural performance by child artistes featuring the official theme song of Notun Kuri Sports.

Later, Tarique Rahman will distribute trophies and prizes among the winners and join them for an official photo session.

The organisers said talented athletes identified through the competition have already been included in a selection pool and will be considered for advanced training at various centres of the Bangladesh Krira Shikkha Protisthan (BKSP) to develop them into international-standard athletes.

They said one of the key objectives of the initiative is to steer children away from excessive gadget use and encourage them to spend more time on playing in fields.

Organisers said the maiden edition has created a new milestone in Bangladesh's sporting landscape by engaging a large number of young participants from across the country.

After competitions at the upazila, district and regional levels, the national finals in Dhaka will mark the successful conclusion of the country's largest sports initiative.