171 more athletes included for cards

The scope of the ‘Sports Allowance’ programme launched by the current government to encourage athletes to choose sports as a profession and ensure their financial security has been further expanded.

In the second phase, 171 new players have been included in this allowance.

Through this, a total of 300 athletes have come under this special benefit of the government so far.

State Minister for Youth and Sports Aminul Haque handed over sports cards to 171 newly included players at a function organised at the National Sports Council (NSC) Auditorium in Paltan on Sunday.

Among the beneficiaries in this phase are 36 members of the National Men’s and Women’s Football teams.

After receiving the cards, the star footballers of the National team spoke about their reactions and future challenges.

They see the rule of updating the allowance list every four months based on performance as positive.

171 more athletes under the cards:
As part of the government’s long-term plan, a total of 500 athletes from the country will be brought under this monthly cards in phases.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman officially inaugurated the programme on March 30 by handing over cards to 129 players.

In the second phase, how many athletes will be covered by the sports allowance in each sports:
Football (men and women): 36, Hockey (men and women): 36, Volleyball: 14, Chess: 11, Archery: 11, Weightlifting: 10, Handball: 10, Gymnastics: 9, Swimming: 6, Table Tennis: 5, Shooting Sports: 5, Cycling: 4, Wushu: 4, Judo: 3, Kickboxing: 2, Tennis: 2, Bodybuilding: 2 and Triathlon: 1.