State Minister for Youth and Sports Aminul Haque has announced that boxer Sura Krishna Chakma and triathlete Mohammad Shamsuzzaman Arafat will be added to the Sports Card program, a initiative aimed at providing financial stability to top-tier athletes. This decision follows concerns raised by Sura Krishna and Arafat, who were initially excluded from the program despite their impressive achievements. The program has already supported 129 athletes since its launch in late March, and this number is expected to increase to 300 by next week.
Minister Aminul shared that the plan is to eventually include 500 athletes in the program, with regular performance evaluations every four months. The additional 200 slots will be filled after the initial review cycle to ensure that athletes from diverse and underrepresented sports are also recognized and supported.
In explaining the selection process, Minister Aminul clarified that nominees are put forward by their respective federations and then officially approved by government authorities.
