News Flash
DHAKA, Apr 29, 2026 (BSS) - The Ministry of Youth and Sports is set to launch a nationwide talent hunt programme titled ‘Notun Kuri Sports’, aimed at discovering sporting talent among children and adolescents across the country. The program will begin on May 2 at Sylhet District Stadium.
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is expected to inaugurate the mega competition as the chief guest.
The opening ceremony will be broadcast live on LED screens across all sixty four district stadiums.
The initiative will feature competitions in eight disciplines—football, cricket, chess, martial arts, badminton, athletics and kabaddi—bringing together young talent participants from across country.
A total of 160,779 adolescents have registered online between April 12 and 27, including 116,646 boys and 44,133 girls. Following team formation at the upazila level, the final list is expected to be published tomorrow (Thursday). Regional and divisional phase competitions will run from May 13 to 22, while the national phase schedule will be held in Dhaka will be announced later.
Speaking at a press conference held at the National Sports Council on Wednesday, State Minister for Youth and Sports Md Aminul Haque said the ‘Notun Kuri Sports’ programme aims to promote both mental development and a healthy lifestyle among new generation.
Aminul said: “Sports is powerful tools to build a drug-free society and keep the youth on the right path. “Notun Kuti Sports” will be an integral part of the dream of prosperous Bangladesh that we are dreaming of under the leadership of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman.”
He added that the programme will be conducted in a structured manner, starting from word-level competitions in unions and city corporations. Participants will progress through upazila, district and regional stages before competing at the national level.
“There will be no favoritism in selecting talent. I will oversee this not just as a minister, but as a former athlete. A dedicated medical team will be in place to ensure full support and treatment for participants,” he said.
The State Minister further said that, in addition to financial support, the government will bear the educational and training expenses of selected talented participants. He also emphasized that one of the aim of the programme is to establish sports as a respectable profession.
Originally launched in 1976, ‘Notun Kuri’ was a popular initiative to nurture young talent in independent Bangladesh. Though it remained off-air for years on Bangladesh Television, the programme has now been revived in a new sporting format.
