ABG University Cup kicks off with 10 universities in cricket and football

The ABG University Cup 2026 got underway at Anvir Cricket Stadium on Sunday, bringing together students from 10 private universities for a sporting contest featuring cricket and football, as former Bangladesh stars Mohammad Rafique and Mohammad Ashraful urged young athletes to balance education with sport and uphold discipline.

The cricket competition opened at Anvir Bashundhara Group (ABG) Sports City, where Rafique hailed the initiative by ABG Chairman Sayem Sobhan Anvir as an opportunity to expand university-level sport and give students access to international-standard facilities.

“Ten teams have never been part of an event like this before. Anvir bhai of Bashundhara has started it, and I believe it will grow into something big,” Rafique said.

Highlighting the venue’s facilities, the former left-arm spinner said students could now experience day-night cricket and football, opportunities they might never have imagined before.

“It is a great initiative that you are coming to the field alongside your studies,” he said.

Rafique also stressed the importance of discipline, urging players to respect the decisions of umpires and match referees.

Ashraful welcomed the initiative, noting that 10 universities would compete in cricket, while another 10 would take part in football from Monday. He also pointed to the West Indies’ recent two-day match at Anvir Cricket Stadium as evidence of the venue’s growing role in the game.

“Bashundhara always tries to do something good and remains committed to sports. I hope this tournament will be a great success,” Ashraful said, thanking the organisers for providing the facilities.

The tournament was formally inaugurated with the release of balloons and pigeons. ABG Sports City Director Mohammad Imrul Hassan, adviser Bidyut Kumar Bhowmik, Liaquat Hossain, Nazmul Alam Bhuiyan, Mahbubur Rahman and Sonargaon University Pro-Vice-Chancellor Professor Bulbul Ahmed attended the ceremony.

Sonargaon University faced American International University-Bangladesh (AIUB) in the opening match, while Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB), were scheduled to meet Daffodil International University at 8pm.

The organisers hope the competition will help develop young talent, promote healthy competition and encourage students to combine academic studies with sporting pursuits.