Dhaka, Bangladesh, May 7, 2020: The Government of Bangladesh will provide financial aid to 1,000 athletes from 27 sports who are struggling due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Ministry of Youth and Sports said the primary goal was towards helping 1,000 poor athletes with Tk10,000 (approximately US$118) each in the first phase of the initiative.
Jahid Ahsan Russel, the State Minister for Youth and Sports, chaired a meeting on Wednesday, May 6, at the National Sports Council and revealed the outcome to the media through video message and a press release.
“The humanitarian support to athletes will be given in a few phases. In the first phase we will help 1,000 athletes from 27 federations who need the most support. We are thinking of providing them with Tk10,000 to each of them,” said the State Minister.
In a recent tweet, Shopna Khatun, captain of Women’s Football League team Begum Anwara Sporting Club, said: “We only have some rice left”.
The Youth and Sports Ministry has asked all sports federations to prepare the names of struggling athletes.
On March 12, when the Covid-19 virus was declared a pandemic, the 9th Bangladesh Games, comprising around 10,000 athletes in 31 disciplines, scheduled for April, was postponed.
Source: Dhaka Tribune