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Ekramuzzaman

  • Sports Analyst

Columnist and sports analyst. Former senior vice-president, AIPS Asia. Life-member, Bangladesh Sports Press Association
The biggest challenge for women in sports is discrimination
Ekramuzzaman

The biggest challenge for women in sports is discrimination

Last week, I had the opportunity to attend a discussion titled “Gender Discrimination in Sports.” I also had to speak during the event. What emerged from the discussion is that injustice, discrimination, and neglect towards female athletes and organisers in the sports arena have not decreased; rather, they are continuously increasing. Opportunities and rights for women are becoming more limited. Women are still subjected to social scorn when engaging in sports. In most cases, society fails to realise that, like men, women also have equal rights to participate in sports. They have the right to represent the country through sports. In Bangladesh’s sports landscape, men have always had dominance in various sports, and individualism has prevailed.

Youths can bring positive change in sports; but they lack opportunities
Youths can bring positive change in sports; but they lack opportunities

Youths can bring positive change in sports; but they lack opportunities

Those who work with trends in the country’s sports arena regularly observe that in age-based international tournaments, our boys and girls compete in various sports in South Asia, and even further in Asian-level competitions, with equal emotion, courage, and confidence. This reflects that, just like in other fields, the youth of our country are not lagging behind those of other countries in sports either. This is significant. There is no alternative to ability and creativity.

Practice of existing sports more needed than reforms
Ekramuzzaman

Practice of existing sports more needed than reforms

People are now vocal in favour of change in the sports arena—because awareness has increased to some extent. People are realising that the sports sector has not progressed the way it should have over the past five decades. That is why the nation’s dream of a thriving sports sector has remained unfulfilled. After independence, the journey of sports in the new country began with aspirations and commitments. But the sports arena is still plagued with a crisis of trust and confidence. It keeps stumbling in various ways. The sector has not been freed from a kind of uncertainty and instability. Beautiful words, promises, and so-called publicised initiatives cannot lead sports in the right direction. What is needed is a realistic, collective effort. The united sincerity of people, coordination among them, and a shared determination.

Dawn of female leadership in Olympics
Dawn of female leadership in Olympics

Dawn of female leadership in Olympics

The Olympic Games are a magical spectacle of five interlocked rings—an enchanting four-letter word that draws humanity like a magnet. The Olympics are a celebration of life itself, one of the greatest legacies of Greek civilization. They represent the harmony of tradition and modernity. From its inception, the modern Olympic movement declared that it would embrace beauty without discrimination—rejecting inequality, gender bias, and racial division. The philosophy of the Olympics champions human dignity and the triumph of humanity.

Social festivals are fading away
Social festival

Social festivals are fading away

The culture of entertainment in the lives of Bengalis is gradually changing, and this has started to become distinctly noticeable. In the past, during social festivals like Eid, Durga Puja, Bengali New Year, Christmas, and Buddha Purnima, various games, cultural programmes, theatre, circus, poetry competitions, Baul songs, and musical duels were organized in different parts of rural Bengal. People would travel from the cities to the villages to celebrate the festivals, reconnecting with family members and loved ones, enjoying the festivities together. The villagers and city dwellers would share the joy of the celebration. However, today, the excitement of those days seems to be waning.

Goal setting and positive mindset
Ikramujjaman

Goal setting and positive mindset

The increasing tendency to stir emotions regarding sports, athletes, and organizers is alarming. This is detrimental to the sports arena. Division, conflicts, and controversies at various levels weaken unity in sports. A diverse yet unified sporting community is not only aesthetically pleasing but also essential. Rushing into sports-related initiatives and decisions without understanding them fosters a negative mindset. Anticipating incidents that may hinder progress towards goals and becoming overly concerned about them is the definition of anxiety.