ABG Cup’s grand unveiling sparks campus fever

The trophies are unveiled, the team colours are revealed, and the stage is set for a battle for campus sporting supremacy as the ABG University Cup 2026 prepares to bring cricket and football teams from 10 private universities together from 25 October.
The tournament’s trophy and jerseys were unveiled at the Captains’ Meet at Zulcan Indoor Arena, ABG Sports City, in Bashundhara Residential Area on Thursday. The ceremony also featured the official draw, jersey distribution and discussions on the competition’s rules and schedule.
Organised under the initiative and patronage of Anvir Bashundhara Group (ABG) Chairman Sayem Sobhan Anvir, the tournament will offer Tk10 lakh to the champions and Tk5 lakh to the runners-up in each discipline.
Matches in both cricket and football will be played under floodlights.
The 10 universities have been divided into groups for the two disciplines, setting up a competitive contest among some of the country’s leading private universities.
In football, Group A comprises Daffodil International University (DIU), North South University (NSU), Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB), University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB) and Fareast International University. Group B features University of Scholars, ULAB, American International University-Bangladesh (AIUB), United International University (UIU) and Sonargaon University.
In cricket, Group A consists of University of Scholars, BRAC University, ULAB, IUB and DIU, while Group B includes NSU, Sonargaon University, Fareast International University, AIUB and UIU.
ABG Sports City Director Imrul Hassan said the competition would help strengthen university-level sports, nurture emerging talent and create opportunities for young athletes to represent Bangladesh at higher levels.
“We wholeheartedly believe that through this event, sports practice at the university level will be further enriched, new talents will emerge, and one day, the youth from this platform will represent us at national and international levels,” Imrul said.
He also highlighted the group’s sporting infrastructure, including Bashundhara Kings Arena and the under-construction Anvir Cricket Stadium, which is expected to become operational by 2027.
T Sports Senior Executive Director Tasvir ul Islam said sport offered lessons that extended beyond results, teaching participants the value of teamwork, competition and resilience.
“Sports teach you competitiveness, togetherness and teamwork. They teach you how to win, and they also teach you that when you lose, you must learn from that defeat,” Tasvir said.
He added that T Sports would cover the tournament on television and digital platforms, enabling families and friends to follow the teams throughout the competition.
ABG Sports City Adviser Bidyut Kumar Bhowmik, ABG Sports City executives Liakat Hossain, Nazmul Alam Bhuiyan and Mahbubur Rahman, Football Operations Manager Salman Hasan, and Cricket Operations Manager Ikram Hossain Rafi also attended the event.
With the trophy and jerseys unveiled, the universities will now look to turn their preparations into performances, with campus pride and sporting honours at stake when the competition begins on 25 October.