Bangladesh all-rounder Mahmudullah has joined hands with the US Embassy in Dhaka in order to empower youth through sports. The 29-year old cricketer attended a session, titled “Real Time With Riyad”, at American Centre, Dhaka yesterday where the Mymensingh lad shared his life experiences with some 50 youths and encouraged them to pursue their ambitions in life with dedication and hard-work.
“I am very much honoured to have been able to be a part of this programme. The youths are the future of our country. Bangladesh depends on them and it is our job to bring them up well and strong,” Mahmudullah said during the programme yesterday.
While giving the speech, Mahmudullah had a script in his hands but hardly took a look at it.
“I am trying to give the speech from my heart and not by looking at the paper because you can have the best output if you do anything from your heart.
“I love cricket from childhood and used to spend my time playing with my elder brother in the field. But to be honest, I never thought of playing for the country. So you can see it this way – I loved the game from my heart and in return, it gave me the highest honour, which is to represent my country,” said Bangladesh’s back-to-back World Cup centurion.
Mahmudullah also talked about the importance of education and discipline in life.
“You cannot always be the best. But what is actually important is to keep following your passion. It is very important to keep your dream alive and pursue knowledge. I personally believe there is no alternative of education and by education, I mean knowledge. If you have proper knowledge you can turn your passion into a profession,” the former vice-captain said before adding, “One thing that I have learned from experience is to never give up. If life comes hard on you, you should try to give it back harder and stick strong to your motive.”
Director of American Centre, Ann B McConnell, and other officials were present in the programme where Mahmudullah was bestowed with an honorary membership of the American Centre. Imago Sports Management Agency managed the programme.