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.

On the path of growing up from the grassroots level in sports, there are various obstacles, challenges, dilemmas, and conflicts. Alongside awareness, there is a lack of leadership in taking necessary initiatives. The organisational strength in the country’s sports arena is weak. In some cases, there is incapacity and division. Moreover, there is a sense of frustration and non-cooperation. As a result, the realisation of big dreams in sports is being delayed. Talent and potential are being wasted. This potential and resource will not remain after a few years. There is no policy in the sports sector. And so, following reform initiatives, a certain stagnation has recently settled over the sports arena. Sudden reform efforts without fully understanding the sports sector have ‘backfired.’

Young people have the ability to bring positive change; but they lack opportunities, and thus are unable to use their positive energy and potential to advance the sports arena. Young people are not afraid. They do not hesitate to take risks for change. They are confident, rise above superstition and narrow-mindedness, and are united. The major challenge is to harness the potential of the youth in the country’s sports sector. Our sports arena does not even know where it wants to stand in the next 10 years. Sometimes dreams are mentioned in sports; but to realise dreams, one must move forward step by step under a realistic plan. Where is that plan? Sadly, all of this is ‘missing’ from the blueprint of our sports sector.

The sports arena is not a temporary matter. The present and future are tied to sports practice. The country’s image and, directly, public interest are connected to sports. What is the collective ‘goal’ in the sports sector? While we all celebrate and get excited about sports, the foundation of this arena is actually quite weak. I have already mentioned that our youth are doing well in age-based competitions. But the point is, at the next level—the senior level—they are not able to perform well internationally. It must be noted here that those who once represented the country in age-based categories are the same individuals who are now failing to compete effectively at the senior level. There must be a logical reason behind this. That reason should be identified so that the national team does not fall behind in senior-level competitions as well.

To avoid repeatedly disappointing the nation, what is needed most are realistic initiatives. Every country works tirelessly in this regard, almost like observing a religious duty. There are many differences between age-based teams and senior teams. Therefore, initiatives in this area must be distinctive, and implementation must always be approached with open eyes and ears. Sports management here is entirely different in nature. It is not about emotion—it is about competence. What someone has done in the past is not the point of discussion here. In every aspect, what matters is relevance and necessity.

If someone who has worked in the past is still relevant, there is no problem in working with the process. In every sport now, it is no secret what the specific needs are from technical personnel in the sports arena. Every country places trust and confidence in their technical experts because they are proven in terms of qualification. At the same time, in this field, ‘results’ are always the most important. In the international sports world, if one fails to deliver results, there is no choice but to exit through the open door. That is the harsh reality.

There are numerous inconsistencies in our sports sector at every step. We have not been able to build an inclusive sports arena in Bangladesh. Creating an environment through realistic initiatives centred around the youth—where they can dream big for the future—is something our sports sector has not even come close to achieving. The biggest problem is that everything is taken lightly. But sports is not a subject to be taken lightly. Its goals, objectives, values, and spirit are of a different kind.

In 2020, Bangladesh's Under-19 team defeated India in the final to become champions of the Youth Cricket World Cup. In 2023, Bangladesh became the champion of the Youth Asia Cup in cricket. But what are we witnessing at the senior level (national team) in that same cricket? Is there any resemblance between the performance of Bangladesh’s youth team and the senior team in international youth hockey? Why is the national team’s performance in both cricket and hockey not encouraging?

The situation in football is the same. Age-based teams are performing well. They are fighting on the field with courage and confidence, making every effort to uplift the country’s image. But when it comes to the national team’s performance, the concerns are endless. Last year, Bangladesh became champion in the SAFF Under-20 Football Championship. Just recently, in Arunachal, India, our youth team advanced to the final in the SAFF Under-19 Football Championship with dominant performances.

In the final against India, the match ended in a 1–1 draw in regular time and went to a tiebreaker. In the tiebreaker, the youth team lost 4–3—thus becoming runners-up. The way the players fought back after conceding an early goal was praised even by Indian football experts. A tiebreaker is a completely different matter—it's a test of fortune. Here, both luck and misfortune stand side by side as players take their shots. It is total surrender to fate. The mental pressure is immense.

Ikramuzzaman: Columnist and analyst; former Senior Vice President, AIPS Asia; lifetime member of Bangladesh Sports Press Association and panel writer for Football Asia.