Anvir Cricket Stadium at ABG Sports City will host the five-nation Asia Cup Cricket T20 for the Blind from 15 to 20 November, following the tournament's inauguration in Dhaka today, marking the first time Bangladesh has hosted the regional competition.
The second edition of the tournament, presented by Safwan Bashundhara Global, was inaugurated at the Bashundhara Public School & College Auditorium, with representatives from five participating nations attending the ceremony.
Shezaad Akbar Sobhan, Director of Rangpur Riders and captain of Bashundhara Strikers, was among the prominent figures at the ceremony and led the introduction of the participating teams.
Md Mahfuzul Alam Khan, Secretary (Acting) of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, attended as the chief guest. S M Abdullah Al Fahad, Director and Chairman of the Physical Challenge Committee of the Bangladesh Cricket Board, also attended as the guest of honour.
Dr Maruf Ahmed Mridul, Acting Secretary General of the National Paralympic Committee of Bangladesh, attended as a special guest.
Other distinguished guests included Barrister Mahin M Rahman, Director of Games of the Bangladesh Blind Cricket Council; Syed Sultan Shah, President of World Blind Cricket Ltd and Chairman of the Pakistan Blind Cricket Council; and Mahbubur Rahman, Chairman of the Bangladesh Blind Cricket Council.
Addressing the ceremony, Mahfuzul Alam Khan praised the organisers for overcoming numerous obstacles to stage the tournament and thanked the World Blind Cricket Council for its support.
He also stressed the government's commitment to making sports more inclusive, saying the present administration was seriously promoting the participation of sportspersons from all sections of society.
"Whether they win or not, they are already champions. They have overcome all the struggles," he said, urging the audience to applaud the visually impaired cricketers.
Mahfuzul also announced plans to introduce blind cricket to the sports programme of Notun Kuri, a talent-hunt initiative for children aged 12 to 14, to identify and nurture young talents from across the country for international competition.
He acknowledged that physically challenged cricketers had yet to be included in the support programmes provided to athletes and expressed hope that they would receive greater institutional support in the near future.
He also highlighted the importance of sponsorship in staging the competition, acknowledging that government support alone was not sufficient to organise an event of this scale.
The opening ceremony featured ‘Rhythm of Bangladesh’, a cultural showcase celebrating the country's heritage through traditional and folk dances, regional music and a patriotic group performance. Students from the Bashundhara Special Children Foundation also took part in the performances.
The programme further featured the official tournament documentary, the unveiling of the Asia Cup trophy and the introduction of the participating teams.
Organised by the Bangladesh Blind Cricket Council in association with the World Blind Cricket Council, the tournament will feature Bangladesh, Afghanistan, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
Safwan Bashundhara Global is presenting the tournament, while Bashundhara Exercise Book is the official powered-by partner. All matches will be broadcast live on T Sports and the T Sports YouTube channel.