BAF plans to groom talented athletes for advance training

Dhaka, 1 Feb- General Secretary of Bangladesh Athletics Federation (BAF) Mohammad Shah Alam said his federation has plans to provide higher training for the talented athletes coming out from the ongoing Festival of Youth with an aim to achieve good results from the national and international levels. 

Talking to BSS today (Saturday), he said after the final phase of Festival of 
Youth in Dhaka, the federation would select 35 to 40 talented athletes 
through coaches to groom them for advance training.

"Actually we have a plan to provide advanced training to the talented 
athletes coming out from Festival of Youth after the Dhaka phase ... We'll 
select the players through our local coach. If possible, we'll send some of 
them (athletes) abroad for advanced training... And if that is not possible, 
we'll bring foreign coaches here to provide them better training," said Shah 
Alam when wanted to know about his plan with the talented athletes coming out 
after the Festival of Youth.
 
Terming the Festival of Youth a noble initiative taken by the government, the 
BAF general secretary said that the ongoing Festival of Youth would play a 
vital role to revitalize the youth and he hoped that a lot of budding players 
would come out through this festival.
 
Meanwhile, BAF has been celebrating the inter-district athletics competition 
on the occasion of "Festival of Youth" across the country and it'll conclude 
with the Rangpur division tomorrow (Sunday).

The Rangpur division competition has included 18 events-- 10 of boys' and 
eight of girls-- in the daylong meet to be participated by all districts of 
Rangpur division, Shah Alam said.

The boys' events are 100m, 200m, 400m sprint and 800m and 1500m middle 
distance, shot-put, long jump, high jump, discus throw and 4x10m relay while 
the girls events included 100m and 200m sprint, high jump, long jump, shot-
put, discus throw and 4x100m relay, he mentioned.

He said all the participating athletes of the events would be given 
participation money of Taka 1000. 

The BAF general secretary informed that the federation has been organising 
the Inter-District and Inter-Divisional Athletics competition in two phases. 
Initially, the Festival of Youth inter-District Athletics competition is 
being held at eight divisional cities comprising 64 districts.
After Rangpur division, the second phase Inter-Division Athletics competition 
will be held on February 7 at Bangabandhu National Stadium with the 
participation of eight divisions.

Shah Alam said the federation would bear all the expenses of the athletes 
participating in the second phase event in Dhaka venue.BSS