Gap between talent and opportunity hinders sports development: Shukla

There is no shortage of sporting talent in Bangladesh, but the country's sports sector is not developing as expected due to a lack of proper coordination between talent and opportunity, said Barrister Sarwat Siraj Shukla, Vice President of the Bangladesh Olympic Association and President of Bangladesh Mahila Krira Parishad.

She made the remarks while speaking as the chief guest at the closing ceremony of the 'Olympic Solidarity Administrators Sports Course' at the Dutch-Bangla Auditorium of the Bangladesh Olympic Association on Saturday.

Barrister Sarwat Siraj Shukla said sporting talents are scattered across every corner of Bangladesh. However, they often do not receive the necessary opportunities and conducive environment to be nurtured, trained properly and guided to the right place. As a result, proper coordination between talent and opportunity is not taking place.

She said sports administrators, trainers and concerned individuals need to be more sincere, skilled and prudent in this regard. Along with identifying talent, they must ensure the necessary opportunities for their development.

Regarding women athletes in the country, she said orthodoxy and child marriage remain major obstacles for girls to progress in sports. Stronger government action is needed to remove these barriers.

Emphasising women's safety, Sarwat Siraj Shukla said ensuring a safe environment for women in sports is crucial. For this, every sports federation should appoint 'security officers'. At the same time, women need to be given courage and mental and financial support to bring them back to the sports arena.

The four-day training course was held from August 19 to August 22 at the initiative of the Bangladesh Olympic Association. Certificates were distributed among the participants at the closing ceremony on Saturday afternoon.

Administrators from a total of 41 units, including the National Sports Council, various national sports federations and various service federations, participated in the training course.