Mahbub Sarkar
Sports heritage lost in Old Dhaka
Play and sports are crucial for a child’s mental development. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), every person requires at least 9 square meters of open space, whether it’s a park or a field. This means that for 1,000 people, about 2.5 acres of open land is necessary. However, in a city as densely populated as Dhaka, such proportional open space is almost unimaginable. Currently, only about 16% of Dhaka's residents have access to even the minimum sports facilities. This alarming statistic was revealed at a discussion titled “Urban Sports Field Planning and Management in Bangladesh: Challenges and Way Forward.”
Titles increasing in chess, not quality
Election manipulation is considered one of the primary prerequisites for securing a position in the country's sports federations. After winning elections, the responsibility falls on the National Sports Council (NSC) and the Bangladesh Olympic Association (BOA) to deal with accountability issues. In most cases, federations seek shortcuts to prove their eligibility, undermining the long-term planning for sports development, which becomes optional. This trend is prevalent in the majority of the over fifty sports federations in Bangladesh. The Bangladesh Judo Federation is no exception. Political influence seems to play a role in climbing the federation's ladder, further pushing sports into the background. An attempt has been made to highlight the details of Bangladesh chess through this report.
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