Nine athletes receive Arafat Rahman Koko Memorial Award

Nine former and current athletes have been honoured with the ‘Arafat Rahman Koko Memorial Award’ in recognition of their outstanding contributions to sports.

The awards were handed over by State Minister for Youth and Sports Aminul Haque at a ceremony held in the capital.

The honour, introduced in memory of Arafat Rahman Koko — the younger son of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia — was conferred for the first time.

Each recipient received a crest and a cash prize of Tk 1,00,000, selected by the foundation organising the event.

In cricket, former national captain Habibul Bashar and national women’s team pacer Marufa Akter were recognised.

Footballers Alfaz Ahmed and Rituparna Chakma received honours in the football category.

In other disciplines, Amirul Islam (hockey), Al Amin Zumar (badminton), Sagar Islam (archery), and Khoi Khoi Marma (table tennis) were also awarded.

Organisers said the initiative will continue regularly in the coming years, with plans to elevate the award ceremony to an international standard in the future.