Hamza inspires youngsters at Notun Kuri Sports

Despite the scorching morning sun, a unique fervour gripped the Mohammadpur Government Physical Education College ground.

The “Notun Kuri Sports” competition was in full swing, with 12- to 14-year-old schoolchildren revelling in cricket and football matches.

However, as the afternoon rolled in, a dramatic new dimension was added to the familiar canvas. 

Alongside the top brass of the nation’s sporting fraternity, a familiar face from international football stepped onto the pitch, instantly transforming the atmosphere of the entire ground.

At around four o'clock in the afternoon, Leicester City star Hamza Choudhury made his entrance, accompanied by the State Minister for Youth and Sports, Aminul Haque, alongside Bangladesh Football Federation president Tabith Awal and vice-president Fahad Karim.

The young students were visibly overwhelmed with emotion at having the midfielder, who is in Dhaka on a personal visit, in such close proximity.

A delightful scramble ensued as the youngsters clamoured for their favourite star's autograph on jerseys, cricket bats, caps, and even school uniforms.

Spending nearly 40 minutes on the ground, the footballer, who is set to depart for England on Saturday morning, fulfilled every request with a beaming smile.

The Leicester midfielder was effusive in his praise for this grassroots talent-hunt initiative.

"Notun Kuri will inspire the next generation of stars," Hamza remarked. "Future top players will emerge from here. I sincerely thank the honourable State Minister for inviting me and making me a part of this noble initiative. He has truly started something wonderful. Amazing work is being done here. Just as the State Minister said, major stars will be born from here in the future. They might become even bigger stars than our national team captain. If plans like these are realised, Bangladesh will reach unique heights across various branches of world sports."

Offering guidance to the young generation at this vibrant gathering, Aminul said, "You all know that on 2 May, our Prime Minister Tarique Rahman inaugurated Notun Kuri Sports from the Sylhet District Stadium. Following that, up until today, the 8th, regular games ranging from football, cricket, swimming, chess, and badminton, right through to martial arts, are ongoing across all 64 districts. The adolescents sitting before us today are the ones who will carry the mantle of Bangladesh sports in the future."

Reflecting on the presence of the international star on the ground, the State Minister further added: "Today, amid the current craze of Bangladesh football, Hamza is present among us. This is a massive achievement for Bangladesh. We hope that many famous footballers, cricketers, chess players, martial artists, and swimmers like him will be born in Bangladesh. In this way, we want to create a sports-friendly environment and build a robust sporting arena. Looking towards the future of Bangladesh's sports, together we will all say one thing - Bangladesh first."