Prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday handed over the prestigious Sheikh Kamal National Sports Council Award-2023 to 10 sports personalities and two organisations in eight categories in recognition of outstanding contribution to sports.

She distributed the awards among the winners on the occasion of the 74th birth anniversary of Captain Sheikh Kamal, the eldest son of Bangladesh’s founding president Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Ministry of Youth and Sports and National Sports Council organised the programme at the city’s Osmani Memorial Auditorium.

Abdus Sadek, the legendary hockey player and the first captain of Bangladesh national hockey team, was nominated for the lifetime achievement award.

Women’s football team captain Sabina Khatun, cricketer Taskin Ahmed and South Asian gold medal winner weightlifter Ziaur Islam got the award in sportsman category.

Table Tennis player Muhtasin Ahmed Hriday and hockey player Amirul Islam received emerging athlete award while grassroots hockey organiser Ustad Fazlu and Kalsindur Govt. School and College’s principal Mala Rani Sarker got the awards in sports organiser.

Khandakar Tarqk M Nurullah got sports journalist award.

Bangladesh Archery Federation received the sports association/ federation/ organisation award while Bangladesh Association of Banks got the sports sponsor award.

Besides, the ministry, for the first time, included sports commentator category in the Sheikh Kamal NSC award. Former national cricketer and cricket commentator Atahar Ali Khan was adorned with the sports commentator award.

Each of the awardees will receive Tk 1 lakh, a crest and certificate.

The youth and sports ministry introduced the Sheikh Kamal NSC Award for the first time in 2021 on the occasion of Sheikh Kamal’s 72nd birth anniversary.

The ministry officially started celebrating the birth anniversary of Sheikh Kamal in 2020 and following the recommendation of the ministry, the Cabinet Division decided to celebrate Sheikh Kamal’s birthday on August 5 as a Ka classified day nationally.

State minister for youth and sports Md Zahid Ahsan Russel presided over the programme.

Prime minister’s private industry and investment adviser Salman F Rahman, chairman of the Standing Committee on Ministry of Youth and Sports Abdullah Al Islam Jakob and youth and sports secretary Mohiuddin Ahmed were also present at the programme.