Photo: BSS

DHAKA, July 2, 2026 (BSS) - The 40th National Junior (age-group) Athletics Championship begins tomorrow (Friday) at the National Stadium in the capital.

Mahbub-ul-Alam, Secretary of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, is expected to open the three-day meet as the chief guest, organized by the Bangladesh Athletics Federation (BAF).

The opening ceremony will be presided over by Major General (retd.) Dr. Md. Naeem Ashfaq Chowdhury, president of BAF. 

The competition will feature 42 events across four categories. Of these, 14  will be contested in the Under-16 boys' and girls' divisions, while 28 events will be held in the Under-18 boys' and girls' categories. 

As renovation work, including grass installation is currently in progress at the National Stadium football field, eight throwing events—two in the Under-16 category and six in the Under-18 category—will be staged at the Bangladesh Army Stadium in Dhaka.

Cash prizes will be awarded in every event, with champions receiving Taka 3,000, runners-up Taka 2,000, and third-place finishers Taka 1,000. Athletes who will set new championship records, will have cash award of Taka 10,000 each.

Ahead of the competition, nearly three hundred athletes from thirty six affiliated organizations had completed their medical examinations and event registration. 

In this regard, a press conference was held at the conference room of the National Stadium to provide all the details of the meet.

BAF vice-president Md. Iqbal Hossain, its general secretary Md. Shah Alam, joint secretary Md. Kitab Ali, executive committee members Mujibur Rahman Mallik, Firoza Khatun, Farid Khan Chowdhury, Nazir Ahmed Mallik and Shirin Akter, among others, were present at the press conference.