State Minister for Youth and Sports Aminul Haque on Monday said the government will provide free admission to Bangladesh Krira Shikkha Protishtan (BKSP) for promising athletes emerging from the first edition of the ‘Notun Kuri’ sports programme and bear the costs of their sports training and education.

“We will select the extraordinary athletes who perform exceptionally well at the national level of the first edition of ‘Notun Kuri’ through training sessions and provide them free admission to BKSP at government expense,” he said.

The State Minister made these remarks while addressing a prize-giving ceremony of the Dhaka porters Unity (DRU) sports festival in Dhaka, reports UNB.

Aminul said the government has started the athlete development programme from zero and plans to keep selected athletes under year-round training so they can progress from national to international competitions.

“We do not want to stop, whatever our results may be. We want to move forward,” he said.

He said the government’s goal is to prepare athletes to compete for medals at future Olympic Games, Asian Games and Commonwealth Games rather than merely participate.

He also said around 13 to 14 sporting events have been targeted following the Asian Games 2026, with athletes to remain under year-round training programmes.

“These athletes will compete at the national level and participate in international competitions while remaining within the training programme,” he said.

The State Minister said, “Regarding the release of funds to the Olympic Association for the Asian Games, an amount of approximately 10 crore taka has already been disbursed.”

“Later, as the Olympic Association returns from the Games and submits the relevant bills, all their bills will be settled in due course,” he added.

“This is the government’s policy. We have to carry out all our activities within this policy,” the State Minister said.

He also called for greater involvement of corporate houses in the development of sports, saying the government alone cannot ensure the overall development of the sector.

“We want them to work for sports and invest in sports. The government is ready to provide the necessary facilities and support to them,” he said.