<div style="text-align: justify; "><b style="font-size: 1rem;">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today laid emphasis on promotion of native sports in a larger way to increase engagement of young generation in extracurricular activities, saying sports and physical exercises boost up self-confidence and senses of responsibility to the country.</b><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Local sports should be given more importance so that those can be practiced more . . . I want our children to remain engaged in sports, physical exercises and cultural activities apart from study," she said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The premier was addressing the concluding ceremony of Sheikh Hasina Inter-Bank Football Tournament-2023 at Bangladesh Army Stadium in the city's Banani area.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">She said, "Sports, physical exercises and cultural practices boost up self-confidence, love for the country and the senses of dutifulness and responsibility to the country, alongside making the people happy."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Sheikh Hasina said her government is constructing (upazila) mini-stadiums throughout the country so that various sports can be played there round-the-year.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">She said the government will take steps to construct a stadium for football and other sports in Purbachal on the outskirts of the capital.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Now, a stadium is being constructed in Purbachal for cricket. We'll take steps so that another stadium is constructed nearby it for other sports, including football," she said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Earlier, she enjoyed the second half of the final match at the stadium. Union Bank clinched the title of the first-ever tournament beating Al-Arafah Islami Bank with 2-1 score in the grand finale.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Prime Minister distributed the trophies and prize money among the champion team and the runner-up team.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The champion team was awarded Taka 50 lakh as prize money, while the runner-up team Taka 40 lakh. Besides, Global Islami Bank received Taka 30 lakh while Social Islami Bank Taka 20 lakh as they secured third and fourth places respectively.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The first-ever "Sheikh Hasina Inter-Bank Football Tournament 2023" kicked off on May 13 with participation of a total of 34 bank teams, which was organised by Bangladesh Association of Banks (BAB) in collaboration with Bangladesh Army Sports Control Board.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Prime Minister's Private Industry and Investment Affairs Adviser Salman Fazlur Rahman and State Minister for Youth and Sports Zahid Ahsan Russel were present in the concluding ceremony.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Chief of Army Staff General S M Shafiuddin Ahmed spoke on the occasion, while BAB Chairman Nazrul Islam Mazumder delivered the welcome speech. BSS</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/kh</div>