The final phase of the U-17 National Gold Cup Football Tournament (Boys and Girls) began on Monday (June 16) at the Mohammadpur Government College of Physical Education’s ground in Dhaka. Secretary of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Md Mahbub-ul-Alam, officially inaugurated the tournament.

Organized by the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Directorate of Sports, this national-level event features talented under-17 boys and girls from eight divisions across the country.

In the opening match of the boys’ division, Khulna Division secured a spot in the semifinals by defeating Barisal Division 1–0. Al Kafi of Khulna scored the winning goal in the second minute.

This year’s tournament began in June 2024 with matches at the Upazila level, featuring around 110,264 players. The most promising talents were then selected to compete in district and divisional rounds, which concluded in February 2025.

The final match of the tournament will take place at the National Stadium on June 19.

From this tournament, 40 boys and 40 girls will be selected based on performance. These players are expected to represent the country at the national and international levels in the future.

Additional Secretary of the Ministry, Md Iqbal Hussain, and Director of the Directorate of Sports, Md Mostafa Zaman, were also present at the event.