(BSS)- Emphasizing that “investment in children’s education and health is the most important investment in nation-building,” Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has issued a message on the occasion of the “Primary School Gold Cup Football Tournament (Boys and Girls) 2026,” which begins tomorrow.

In his message, the Prime Minister said sports, culture and creative activities are essential alongside academic education for building a confident, skilled and humane generation.

He described the football tournament as a positive initiative for student development.

He said the government is working to modernize the education sector under the “Sobar Agey Bangladesh” election manifesto, including efforts to integrate sports such as football, cricket, chess, karate and swimming into the curriculum from Grade Four to higher secondary level.

The Prime Minister noted that students will participate in sports through practical classes and assessments, helping reduce social problems such as drug addiction and excessive mobile phone use.

He added that under the policy guidelines, all 65,569 government primary schools are included in the tournament, involving over 99 lakh students.

A total of 123,974 matches have already been held nationwide, making it one of the largest football tournaments in the world.

He wished the tournament success and expressed hope that participants would become future sporting talents representing Bangladesh internationally.