Promotion of rural sports

Sports and physical education occupy an important role in human development at all levels. The lessons that children learn in sports are priceless. It enhances confidence and an ability to lead, teach persistence, team-spirit and how to manage essential steps in life such as victory or defeat, and encourages participation, inclusion, and sense of belonging.

In most developing countries, particularly Bangladesh, the rural children (boys and girls) have no access to proper sports facilities and training. They lack the opportunities to regularly play, compete and evolve as inclusive members of a team with confidence, determination and above all winning spirit– the spirit of sports.

They play in muddy open yards as and when they can, without any organization, supervision and guidance. They play barefoot and with make-shift equipment. There are also no facilities for medical care should they get hurt or injured.

In order to improve the situation and in particular to give the poor rural children opportunities for human development through sports, Pollibir Unnayan Sangstha assisted in the establishment of the Pollibir Sports Center, a charitable organization, on 6 hectares of land, in Rahimanpur Village, Thakurgaon, Bangladesh.

Sports related activities
Pollibir Sports Center provides training to the rural children in all kinds of sports. The trainers are qualified coaches. It also organizes four tournaments each year. These include two football tournaments – one is the Pollibir Cup and the other is the Shamsul Haque Cup, funded by the Syed Welfare Trust (SWT), Thakurgaon; one handball tournament for the girls, funded by Mme Francoise Janicaud, St. Etienne, France, and one cricket tournament, funded by the SWT. It also organizes athletic competitions each year on 16 December for the school children to celebrate the independence day of the country.

The Center’s facilities are open to all the rural children. Currently, 350 boys and girls participate regularly in playing football, handball, volleyball and cricket under the supervision of the coach, his assistants and the volunteers. Pollibir also provides sports equipment to the children, including football shirts, boots, shorts and tracksuits. The Romebased Diplomatic and International Golf Association (DIGA) have been helping in this regard for several years. It encourages the rural boys and girls to form teams and organizes tournaments for these teams to participate and compete in on a regular basis. The Center provides

1st, 2nd and 3rd Prizes to the winners and covers participating costs, equipment and training for all teams.