Prime Minister's Gold Cup tournament will be a major tool of passive education: Swapon

Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapon has said the Prime Minister's Gold Cup Football Tournament is not merely a sporting event for entertainment but will serve as a significant means of passive education for the country's youth.

"Sports must be established as an integral part of education. Although it has not yet been fully incorporated into the national curriculum, initiatives like this can help instill discipline, leadership, teamwork, and a healthy competitive spirit among young people," he said.

The minister made these remarks while addressing a preparatory meeting of Prime Minister's Gold Cup committee today (3 August).

The tournament will be held under the arrangement of Secondary and Higher Education Division of the Education Ministry.

"We often consider sports merely as a form of entertainment. In reality it is an important component of our passive education. Sports play a vital role in shaping the mindset and character of young people," said Swapon.

He suggested developing the gold cup event into a major national festival to encourage school and college students to participate in sports.
Participation from students of all schools and colleges at grassroots should be ensured with competitions progressing through district-level rounds before reaching the national stage, he added.

"When competitions begin in every school in an upazila, move to the district level, and ultimately culminate into a national final, the entire process can be regularly highlighted in the media. This will generate nationwide interest and foster a positive attitude toward sports among young people," said Swapon.

He said the true success of the initiative would come when sports are firmly established as an essential part of school and college life. 

Students should not be confined solely to textbooks but should also be given opportunities for physical and mental development, he suggested.
The minister said Youth and Sports Ministry and other relevant agencies have an important role to play in implementing such a large-scale initiative at the field level while other government institutions would also provide the necessary support.

He said the entire event should be widely promoted through the media so that it evolves into an inspiring national initiative.

Officials from the relevant ministries and members of the organizing committee attended the meeting. They discussed various aspects of successfully organizing the Prime Minister's Gold Cup Football Tournament 2026.