Khaled Mahmud hails ABG University Cup, urges universities to back sports

Former Bangladesh captain Khaled Mahmud Sujon has hailed the ABG University Cup as a remarkable initiative to revive university-level sports in the country, while urging universities to do more to support their student-athletes.

Impressed by the facilities and atmosphere at the Anvir Cricket Stadium, ABG Sports City, on Friday, Khaled Mahmud described the competition as an unprecedented opportunity for young cricketers to showcase their talent.

“At the university level, this is a brilliant event. There couldn't be a bigger event than this. I haven't seen anything like it before. The university students playing here are definitely privileged to have a tournament in such an environment with facilities like these,” he told reporters.

The former national captain was particularly pleased to see students turning up in large numbers to support their respective universities, saying the lively atmosphere added to the appeal of the competition.

He also believes the tournament could serve as a pathway for emerging cricketers, pointing out that many participants are already involved in professional cricket alongside their studies.

“Definitely, players can emerge from here. Many of them play professional cricket alongside their studies. Boys nowadays study as well as play sports, so there is no reason why they cannot come through. This is a great opportunity for them,” he said.

Khaled Mahmud also showered praise on the organisers for arranging a tournament on such a scale, expressing hope that the initiative would continue to grow.

“Very much so. It is immensely commendable because nobody has ever taken such a wonderful initiative before. I hope they will organise more of these events and even better things will come of it,” he added.

However, he believes universities themselves must play a more active role in developing their sporting programmes. 

He pointed out that many players are currently preparing for the competition through individual training without sufficient institutional support.

“The universities also need to step forward towards their sports. If they provide the boys with facilities for practice, these players will have an even greater advantage. They are representing their universities, so I think the institutions should also step up,” he said.

He also suggested that the growing infrastructure at ABG Sports City could create opportunities for more universities to participate in future editions.