National University won the women’s football title at the Inter-University Sports Competition 2026, defeating Jashore University of Science and Technology (JUST) 1–0 in the final.
The National University team secured the championship in the four-day competition, while JUST finished as runners-up and the University of Chittagong took third place. Seven university teams competed in the women’s football event.
Trophies were handed over to the winners at the closing ceremony held at the Senate Hall on National University’s main campus in Gazipur on Saturday (October 17). Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr A S M Amanullah attended as the chief guest and presented the trophies to the players, coaches and team managers. Pro-Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Mohammad Ali Jinnah presided over the ceremony.
In the chess event, the University of Dhaka emerged as champions after defeating Jahangirnagar University. Jahangirnagar finished second, while Khulna University secured third place. Students from 27 universities took part in the chess competition.
The overall competition began on October 14 at the National University campus, with 108 students from 27 universities participating. Arbiters from the Bangladesh Chess Federation served as judges in the chess event.
Addressing the ceremony, Professor Amanullah said National University wanted to increase investment in sports and revive a learning environment where students could learn with enjoyment. He stressed the need to promote sports across the country and restore a culture of “learning with happiness” among students.
He said the university planned to establish sports science departments in all eight divisions of the country. The goal, he added, was to develop modern, world-class sports science education and build a comprehensive sports complex meeting Olympic standards.
Highlighting differences between sports science education at advanced foreign universities and Bangladesh’s Bachelor of Physical Education (BPED) programmes, he said international-standard facilities and education were needed to improve the country’s sports sector.
The vice-chancellor also expressed interest in organising chess, archery, mathematics and English olympiads. He emphasised the importance of engaging young people in national development and ensuring that women had opportunities to develop their talents and abilities in every field.
Congratulating all participating teams, he said winning and losing were part of sports and that participation itself was important. He expressed hope that the limitations of this year’s event would be addressed to make future competitions better organised and more effective.
Presiding over the ceremony, Pro-Vice-Chancellor Professor Mohammad Ali Jinnah said sports played an important role in students’ mental development and had become more than a source of entertainment, increasingly emerging as a career option. He described young people as the hope for building a better Bangladesh.
In the women’s football event, National University’s Taslima Akter was named best goalkeeper. Sadia of JUST received the top scorer award, while Lima of the University of Dhaka was named the best player.
The ceremony was conducted by Mohammad Shafiul Karim, director of National University’s Department of Physical Education and Culture. Other speakers included acting college inspector Nazim Uddin Ahmed, Controller of Examinations Md Enamul Karim and Athletics Federation Joint General Secretary Md Mahbubul Alam.
The university’s registrar, deans, directors, teachers, students, officers and employees also attended the event.
