Sports Desk:

Bangladesh are set to join the global stage of an extraordinary initiative that blends sports with environmental action as the country hosts its first-ever qualifiers for the SPOGOMI World Cup 2025.

The term SPOGOMI comes from combining the words “Sport” and “Gomi” (the Japanese word for garbage). Originating in Japan in 2008, the competition transforms litter collection into a team-based sport. Players compete within a set time and area, earning points by collecting and correctly sorting waste. The concept quickly spread beyond Japan, evolving into a worldwide movement that promotes both fitness and environmental awareness.

The inaugural SPOGOMI World Cup was held in Tokyo in 2023, and the second edition is set for October 2025, with over 30 countries participating. Each nation selects its representative team through a domestic qualifier, with winners traveling to Japan to compete in the finals.

This year, Bangladesh is hosting the qualifiers for the very first time, organized by the youth-led environmental platform ‘One Bag Trash’. Established in 2022 by Bangladeshi activist Abrar Hanif and Japanese partner Yuji Hirachi, the group has drawn nationwide attention through campaigns such as stadium clean-ups during the Bangladesh Premier League, airport and railway station waste drives, and the famous Cox’s Bazar beach cleaning initiative.

The Bangladesh qualifiers took place on Saturday at the RAJUK Apartment Project in Uttara, Dhaka, where 35 teams, shortlisted from nearly 200 registered squads, competed. Each team had three members and were judged on the amount of waste collected, accuracy of sorting, and team discipline.

The champion side has earned the honor of representing Bangladesh at the SPOGOMI World Cup in Japan. All travel expenses of “Team Bangladesh” will be covered by The Nippon Foundation, the title sponsor of the global event.

The qualifiers will see the participation of representatives from the Japanese Embassy, JICA, The Nippon Foundation, environmental activists, students, journalists, and civil society figures.

Organizers emphasize that SPOGOMI is more than a competition—it is a movement. “Sports, cleanliness, and social responsibility—together on one stage,” is how One Bag Trash describes the spirit of the event.

With the theme “Let’s clean the world, together”, Bangladesh aims to showcase its youth as global ambassadors of cleanliness and sustainability while competing for glory on the international stage.