SM Nawaz Shohag was given the charge of Bangladesh Kabaddi Federation general secretary when the National Sports Council approved the nine federation鈥檚 ad-hoc committee in mid-November. Shohag, a sports event marketing rights-related businessman, served the federation as joint secretary in the previous committee in 2021. Speaking to 抖阴精品鈥檚 Wahid Ullah Bakul, he shared his plans and aspirations for the country鈥檚 national game. Here are the excerpts:
抖阴精品: What actions have you taken after taking the responsibility?听
SM Nawaz Shohag: We have organised the 鈥榁ictory Day Kabaddi鈥� tournament. We also supported six players鈥擬onirul Islam, Sabuz Mia, Yeasin Arafat, Mijanur Rahman, Roman Hossain, and Sha Mohammed Shahan鈥攖o join a franchise team in the first edition of the Nepal Kabaddi League 2025.听
听
NA: Apart from these two initiatives, what more have you done so far?
Shohag: We are planning two five-match home-and-away series against Nepal and Sri Lanka in 2025. Players for these matches will be selected from the Victory Day Kabaddi tournament. Additionally, we are participating in the Tarunner Utsob (Youth Festival), a multi-disciplinary event running from December 30, 2024, to February 19, 2025. Through this event, we are looking to identify emerging talents nationwide.
听
NA: Despite Kabaddi being Bangladesh鈥檚 national game, why do we have such poor achievements at the international stage?听
Shohag: Kabaddi is deeply rooted in our culture, and we all have an emotional connection to it. I firmly believe we have the potential to excel. Currently, we are ranked fifth in the world, but we were once ranked second. Our primary goal is to regain that position and win medals on the international stage. Success in regional competitions, like the Asian Games or South Asian Games, could significantly boost our progress.
听
NA: Do you think the current reality supports your goals?听
Shohag: We have the possibility to succeed in the South Asian Games, Asian Games, Junior Kabaddi World Cup, and Kabaddi World Cup. You know, we won bronze in the youth kabaddi (Jr Kabaddi WC 2019).听
听
NA: What are the main challenges to achieving these goals?
Shohag: Lack of finance is the main barrier. And, the lack of a long-term training camp is another vital obstacle. If you compare our efforts to countries like Iran, Iraq, Japan, South Korea, or even India, it becomes clear why we are falling behind. These nations invest heavily in their kabaddi programmes year-round.
听
NA: How would you overcome the challenges?听
Shohag: As this ad-hoc committee has no time frame for its tenure, the committee can change any time. So, we are looking to make plans for the first six months, and we will go by that way for the rest of the year.
We are organising the Victory Day Kabaddi, keeping in mind the need to pick up players for the upcoming Men鈥檚 and Women鈥檚 Kabaddi World Cup 2025 while, through the youth tournament across the country (from late December to mid-February), we will hunt the players to form a team for the Junior Kabaddi World Cup to be held in Iran.听
听
NA: How long do you think it will take to win medals at the Asian level?
Shohag: If we aim for medals in the 2026 Asian Games, we need to start preparations immediately. This involves a dedicated, long-term approach with proper financial backing and consistent training.
