Primary students battle to reach Gold Cup final in Dhaka

The national round of the 2026 Primary School Gold Cup Football Tournament kicked off on Friday, bringing together champion boys' and girls' teams from across Bangladesh after an extensive two-month grassroots competition that engaged over 2.2 million students.

Touted by organisers as the world's largest primary school-based sporting event, the tournament is part of the government's ongoing drive to make primary education more dynamic and engaging, linking sport with learning.

The Directorate of Primary Education is organising the tournament under the supervision of the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education.

Bangladesh has 65,569 government primary schools, enrolling nearly ten million students—4.69 million boys and 5.26 million girls—providing the scale behind the tournament.

This year, 65,342 teams and 1,110,814 players competed in the boys' category, while 65,321 teams and 1,103,291 players took part in the girls' category, bringing total participation to more than 2.2 million young players.

The tournament commenced at the union and municipality levels on 6 April, before advancing through the upazila, district, and divisional tiers to reach the national finals.

As play continued for nearly two months, the event fostered a festive atmosphere nationwide, energising communities from remote villages to urban centres.

Education and Primary and Mass Education Minister Dr A N M Ehsanul Haque Milan inaugurated the national round at National Bangla High School in Mirpur on Friday as the chief guest, marking the start of the final stage.

He was joined by Primary and Mass Education State Minister Bobby Hajjaj and Prime Minister's Education Adviser Dr Mahdi Amin, who attended as special guests.

Addressing the inauguration, the education minister emphasised that children are the future of the nation.

"This tournament will play a vital role in fostering growth through sports and developing football skills," he said.

Sixteen champion teams—eight boys' and eight girls' squads—from eight divisions are contesting the national round.

In addition, organisers said the tournament demonstrates the government's commitment to gender equality in the country's sports sector.

The final match and closing ceremony are scheduled for 20 June at Bangladesh Army Stadium in Dhaka.

Prime Minister Tarek Rahman is expected to attend the closing ceremony and present prizes to the winners.

By facilitating large-scale student participation, equal opportunities for both genders, and a structured pathway from grassroots to national level, the tournament has set a new benchmark in Bangladesh's sports and education sectors, reinforcing its broader significance.

Organisers expressed hope that the event will nurture future national and international athletes and, in turn, help build a healthy, creative, and confident generation.