Festival atmosphere returns to taekwondo

Nearly 400 taekwondo practitioners were seen roaming around the National Sports Council premises, creating a vibrant atmosphere. As soon as visitors entered the gymnasium, they were greeted by colourful decorations, with the venue adorned with lights and filled with red and blue balloons. The athletes were accompanied by their parents, adding to the festive mood.

After a long break, taekwondo has regained a celebratory feel through the Federation Cup. Speaking at the opening ceremony of the three-day competition on Friday, National Sports Council (NSC) Executive Director (ED) Md Daulatuzzaman Khan (Joint Secretary) said they are keen to expand taekwondo through educational institutions.

“There is interest in spreading taekwondo among educational institutions. Besides promoting sports, it will help students develop self-defence skills, which can play an important role considering the current socio-economic realities of the country,” he said.

Bangladesh Taekwondo Federation general secretary Mahmudul Islam Rana and federation member, cultural personality and BNP Media Cell member Shairul Kabir Khan were also present at the event.

Daulatuzzaman further highlighted the importance of taekwondo, saying, “Taekwondo is an Olympic sport and it holds great significance. Those who gain experience in this sport at the international level also receive additional opportunities for higher education at universities abroad.”

He stressed the need to establish taekwondo not only as a sport but also as a potential career path for athletes in the future. The NSC official also emphasised the importance of developing infrastructure and training programmes in a planned manner.

He believes the existing facilities at the National Sports Council can be utilised effectively to conduct larger initiatives even on a smaller scale.

“If we can work in a planned way from a small space, we will still be able to achieve a lot,” he added.

Shairul Kabir Khan, a member of the ad hoc committee of the Taekwondo Federation, said media coverage would play a key role in increasing public interest in the sport.

“If this sport receives more media attention, people’s interest in taekwondo will grow, and it will get more opportunities to progress,” he said.

Regarding the tournament, general secretary Mahmudul Islam Rana said, “The boys and girls had been away from competition for a long time. The Federation Cup is a huge opportunity for them. Through this tournament, athletes will get the chance to showcase their talent, while we will be able to identify players capable of competing at the national level.”

He added that the best performers from the Federation Cup would get opportunities to represent Bangladesh in future events, including the SA Games and other international competitions.

A total of around 450 competitors from 17 districts and four service teams are participating in this year’s Federation Cup.