Former national cricket team captain Tamim Iqbal on Saturday said it is important to acknowledge past mistakes and identify areas for improvement to enable better representation from Chattogram in national sports.
Speaking at BNP’s youth rally at the historic Polo Ground in Chattogram, Tamim said, “We must first accept what went wrong and where we can improve. Only then can we think about how we can represent the national team better.”
He said that he is not a politician, he is a sportsman, a Chittagong native and a true Bangladeshi.
BNP’s acting chairman Tarique Rahman joined the rally virtually from London.
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal President Rakibul Islam Rakib were also present on stage.
Tamim recalled that in the past, Chattogram used to produce six to seven players who represented the country in cricket, football, or other sports.
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“But over the last 10 to 15 years, we’ve seen only one or two players from Chattogram making it to national teams. It is crucial for us to figure out the reasons behind this decline,” he said.
“If we can identify those flaws, InshaAllah, you’ll see — just as 10, 15, or 20 years ago, many athletes from Chattogram represented Bangladesh in various sports — we will get back to that position,” he added.