Sports Organisations

Sports Organisations refer to the bodies engaged in planning, development and execution of games, matches or tournaments. National Olympic Federation, Regional Sports Association as well as event-specific federations may be identified as sports organisations. Beside those, there are some other bodies like social welfare association or clubs, which also play role of sports organisations.

The prime responsibility of sports organisations is to involve people of all walks of life in sports, particularly the youth to improve the standard of games and sports. Sports organisations form their own team to find out potential players and sportsmen, organise training camps, recruit instructors and trainers and find out sponsors, who extend financial support to the orgtanisation or team concerned. Sport organisations are divided into two categories, government and private. National Sports Council (NSC) is the apex sport organisation of Bangladesh run by the government directly under the Ministry of Youth and Sports. Other government organisations under the same ministry work for the promotion and management of games and sports include the Directorate of Sports and bangladesh krira shiksha pratisthan (BKSP). All these organisations implement specific programmes following annual work plans to achieve desired goals in different sports events. Apart from government initiative, private organizers came forward earlier to set up clubs throughout the country for organising and participating in various tournaments and matches at different levels. These private clubs play the pioneering role in grooming up the potential athletes and sportsmen, who participate in various international meets later as efforts and initiatives are taken by these sports clubs.

NSC is the highest body of the sports arena in Bangladesh. Being an autonomous body under the Ministry of Youths and Sports it plays an effective role for the development of sports and games throughout the country. National Sports Federation (NSF) and Regional, Divisional, District and Upazila based sports associations registered with NSC render these promotional services. NSC was set up in 1974 and it is being run by an executive committee. The committee is comprised of a chairman, one vice-chairman, a secretary, a treasurer, one representative from the Youth and Sports Ministry, one representative from each of the associations and NSF, Defense Sports Board or Interservices Sports Board, Inter-university Sports Board and two distinguished sports personalities, selected by the government. The chairman and the secretary of the executive committee discharge the responsibilities of the Chairman and the secretary of NSC respectively.

The executive committee discharges the responsibilities with its best efforts in all matters relating to games and sports. The committee bears all expenses, appoints manpower following the government approved recruitment rules and creates opportunities to open up more training centers, stadiums, gymnasiums and playgrounds. It also ensures facilities for practice and opportunities for taking part in the tournaments taking help and co-operation from instructors, judges and specialists of the concerned field. Other functions of the executive committee include to provide required amount of money for national and local sports associations, to monitor and audit the report of income and expenditure, to provide assistance for getting the approval of selection of the contingent (athletes/sportsmen) and the team officials for any sports meet to be held abroad. It also extends co-operation and issues required directives to the national sports organisations for the interest of sports promotion. It implements all the decisions taken by NSC including the co-ordination job with international sports organisations, councils and associations to expedite their consideration and approval process to set registration of concerned national federations or associations.

The NSC- registered national federations or associations are: Bangladesh Football Federation, Bangladesh Volleyball Federation, Bangladesh Hockey Federation, Bangladesh Weightlifting Federation, Bangladesh Amateur Boxing Federation, Bangladesh Karate Federation, Bangladesh Badminton Federation, Bangladesh Wrestling Federation, Bangladesh Bodybuilding Federation, Bangladesh Squash Racket Federation, Bangladesh Chess Federation, Bangladesh Women Sports Association, Bangladesh Cycling Federation, Bangladesh Handball Federation, Bangladesh Basketball Federation, Bangladesh Billiard and Snooker Federation, Bangladesh Deaf Sports Association, Bangladesh Roller Skating Federation, Bangladesh Amateur Athletics Federation, Bangladesh Taekwon-Do Federation, Bangladesh Gymnastics Federation, Bangladesh Kho-Kho Federation, Bangladesh Judo Federation, Bangladesh Carom Federation, Bangladesh Tennis Federation, Bangladesh Golf Federation, Bangladesh Table Tennis Federation, Bangladesh Shooting Federation, Association of Sports Medicine, Bangladesh Rowing Federation, Bangladesh Kabadi Federation, Bangladesh Swimming Federation, Bangladesh Archery Federation and Bangladesh Cricket Board. Local sports associations registered by NSC have been trying hard to fulfill their mandates. The associations are mainly divisional level and district based general bodies as well as women sports associations. A large number of clubs take part in various sports competitions organised by local associations. These clubs are the major source of grooming players as those lead in team building and participates in district and divisional level competitions. Moreover, some clubs, approved by national federations also take part in special events regularly.

Bangladesh Women Sports Association has its headquarters at Dhanmondi in Dhaka city. All divisional and district women sports associations work under the central associations' guidance and supervision after getting its proper approval. Bangladesh Women Sports Association organises training programmes and tournaments in its Dhanmondi complex according to its annual calendar regularly. The office-bears of each women sports association at the divisional and district levels include president, vice president, general secretary, joint secretary, treasurer and members.

Bangladesh Army, Bangladesh Navy, Bangladesh Air Force, Bangladesh Border Guard (Bangladesh Rifles), Bangladesh Police, Bangladesh Ansar And Village Defense Parts (VDP), Bangladesh Railway, all education boards and public Universities, Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation (BJMC), Bangladesh Textile Mills Corporation (BTMC), Titas Gas Limited, power development board and Water Development Board have been contributing a lot for the promotion of country's sports and games through sponsoring their own contingents.

BKSP has been playing a very special role in promoting the country's sports. Being an autonomous body, BKSP runs its activities as the country's sole sports education institute under the Ministry of Youth and Sports. A Board, headed by the Youth and Sports Minister, runs all activities of BKSP through its four wings- Coaching wing, Administration wing, sports Science wing and Academic wing. Director General being the Chief Executive Officer administers the functions of BKSP, founded in 1974. Then it was known as Bangladesh Institute of Sports (BIS). It was placed under the Ministry of Youth and Sports in 1977 renaming as BKSP.

In 1983, BKSP was given the status of an autonomous and statutory body. BKSP operated its formal academic activities on 14 April 1986. Besides sports education, BKSP extends general education to its students from standard IV to XII. About 500 students, both male and female, get specialised education and training from this residential academy, set up on 104 acres of land at Jirani under Savar Upazila, about 45 km north of Dhaka. The aim and objectives of BKSP are: Hunting of sports talents both boys and girls and prepare them as competent players through general and sports education; preparing world class sports instructors, umpires and referees through capacity building training; extending co-operation and all out support to teams of national level; to run certificate courses for instructors, referees and umpires; to work as a rich sports and games related databank and to publish sports related books, magazines and periodicals. At present, BKSP conducts ten basic courses and six supplementary courses for sports education. The basic sports courses are: Athletics, Gymnastics, Basketball, Hockey, Boxing, Swimming, Cricket, Shooting, Football and Tennis. The supplementary courses are: Sports Medicine, Sports Bio Mechanics, Exercise Psychology, Science of Sports Training (GTMT), Sports Physiology and Nutrition. The First batch of students came out successfully from BKSP in 1992. There are 32 skilled sports teachers and 35 general teachers in BKSP.

The Directorate of Sports is being run under the supervision of Youth and Sports Ministry. The District Sports Officers under the Directorate are responsible to look after the physical education programmes in educational institutions of each of the district. All the physical education colleges of the country are also run by the Directorate of Sports, although those are affiliated under National University. The physical education colleges run two types of common courses of 10-month duration each. Of which, Bachelor of Physical Education course is comparatively popular as most of the successful graduates are provided with jobs of drill teacher in schools and colleges. These drill teachers are basically the physical instructors at grass-root level who instruct the talent of potential prayers and sportsmen there.

There are many sports or social clubs, both small and big, in the country. These clubs are producing many new promising players and athletes participating in different meets. The role of such organisations is praiseworthy, as those have been discharging a very important social responsibility to create a better environment by involving young generation in sports. There are many famous clubs in the world which spend huge amount of money for building up stronger teams and organising tournaments to entertain sports loving people of their respective countries and rest of the world. For example, Abahani Limited, Mohamedan Sporting Club, Brothers Unions, Wari Club, Wonderes Club, Arambagh Sporting, Sheikh Rassel Krira Chakra, East End Club, Usha Krira Chakra, Victoria Sporting Club, Kalabaghan Krira Chakra, Rahmatgonj Krira Chakra in the country and Manchester United (UK), Barcelona Club (Spain) Bayarn Munich (Germany), Real Madrid (Spain), Juventus (Italy), Valencia (Spain) and AC Milan (Italy) in abroad are very famous for their role and performance in sports areana.

A good number of international sports organisations like different international federations, International Olympic Committee, Commonwealth Sports Federation and Asian Sports Confederation organise games, tournaments and training of players and athletes beside teambuilding all over the world. International sports federations include: Federation of International Football Associations (FIFA), International Aquatics Federation (Swimming, Diving, Synchronised Swimming, Water Polo), International Archery Federation, World Badminton Federations (BWF), International Athletics Federation (IAAF), International Basketball Federation (FIBA), International Boxing Association (AIBA), International Canoe Federation (ICF), International Cycling Union (UCI/ICU), International Equestry Federation (FEI), International Gymnastics Federation (FIG/IFG), International Handball Federation (IHF), International Hockey Federation (FIH), International Judo Federation (IJF), International Pentathlon Union (UIPM), International Sailing Federation (ISF), International Shooting Federation (ISSF), International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) and World Taekwon-Do Federation (WTF). All these international sports organisations organise meets in respective event, select the venues, finalise the fixtures, constitute various committees, collect sponsors for fund, manage transports and accommodation for the players and officials, appoint volunteers and security agencies. Every international federation remains busy in conducting its activities thought the year. International sports federations organise only official tournaments like world championship, world cup tournament, world league tournament and world grand prize tournament. Moreover, these federations are responsible to hold seminars and training programmes for coach, participants and instructors. They also publish annual, half yearly, monthly and weekly journal, in which news and article on major events, sports competition, game strategy, annual convention, meetings and history of games and sports are covered. These international bodies keep constant liaisons with all respective registered national federations, hold annual conference and meetings and extend honour or awards to outstanding players, instructors, sponsors, organisers and sports personalities of the respective field. The federations also undertake special initiative to gain financial profit as advertisement tariff of products and services from the traders and manufacturers during the tournament.

The sports clubs are playing very important role for the improvement of games in the country. The Dhaka Mohamedan Club, established in 1938 as a branch of Mohamedan Club of Kolkata, so far became football league champion and runners up many times. The club teams also became champion and runners up in the Independence Day Football Tournament, Dhaka Metropolitan Football league, Federation Club Football Tournament, Ashish-Jabbar Shield Tournament held in Durgapur of India, International Football Tournament held in Dhaka, Dhaka Cricket league, Damal Summer Cricket League, National Volleyball Tournament and National Badminton Tournament. Wari Club was formed by Ray Bahadur Surendra Nath Roy of Wari in 1898. In 1917, this club team defeated the resuming champion of the first division football league Lincolin Club in a friendly match. Wari Club's performance is other events was also very good. Its cricket team emerged as champion of Dhaka Cricket league several times. Victoria Sporting Club was established in 1903 after the name of Queen Victoria in Dhaka. It became champion and runners up of the first division football league. It also became champion of four major football tournaments of Dhaka and defeated South Korea in the Aga Khan Gold Cup Tournament. The club still exists in the first division football league at a medium position. However in other events like Badminton, Boxing, Wrestling and Weightlifting its participants had earned commendable positions. Azad Sporting Club, founded in Dhaka in 1949, became the first division football league champion in 1958. Its players and athletes had a good track record in Athletics, Cycling, Basketball. Volleyball, Hockey, Cricket and Badminton. Arambagh Club, founded in 1958 in Dhaka, became champion of the 4th and the 5th Shetal Women Handball Tournament. Its football team also became champion in the Alpha Cup in Nepal and runners up in the 8th Chief Minister Gold Cup Football Tournament heed in Sikkims and the Nagji Gold Cup Tournament (India). Moreover, this Club became the runners up in the Federation Cup Football tournament held in Dhaka. Brothers Union Club, founded in 1968 at Gopibagh of Dhaka, became the third division football league champion in the same year. After a few years it became the champion of the second division league and was allowed to Participates in the fist division league. Besides football, Brothers Union's performance in other events including Cricket, Chess and Handball is also praiseworthy. Abahani Krira Chakra was emerged in 1972 changing its old name Iqbal Sporting Club. It was finalist National Football League for many years and eventually became Champion and runners up. It also became champion and runners up in the Federation Cup Football tournament. And in abroad, it became runners up in the Asian Club Cup Football Championship held in Sri Lanka and became unbeaten champion in the Nagji Trophy Football Tournament in India. Abahani teams emerged as champion in the Bangladesh Professional Football League, Dhaka First Division Cricket League, the Premier Cricket League, the Damal Summer Cricket League, Shaheed Smriti Cricket Tournament, Star Summer Cricket and Alpha Cup Cricket Tournament for many times. It also became champion and runners up in the Independence Day Hockey tournament for many consecutive years. In 1989, Abahani was turned into a limited company.

Bangladesh is trying hard to build up its better image in the global sports arena. Government's initiative to ensure its regular participation in major international sports tournament including South Asian Games, supplemented by respective sports bodies is expected to achieve more successes. [Md. Shafiq Anwar]