The country's renowned FIFA referee Tayeb Hasan Shamsuzzaman is receiving the National Sports Award along with 84 other sportspersons and organisers today (Wednesday) at a colourful award programme at Osmani Memorial Auditorium in Dhaka. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, as the chief guest, will attend the programme virtually.
The Ministry of Youth and Sports has taken the initiative to honour the best sportspersons and organisers from 2013 to 2022. The Ministry finalised the awardees' list and announced the names at a press briefing on Tuesday. The National Sports Award is an award of recognition for the sportspersons and organisers for their performance and achievements at the national and international levels.
Mr Tayeb was definitely a worthy candidate for this award. He was the first referee from South Asia to conduct the final match of the SAFF football event in 2013 where Afghanistan clinched the title beating India by a 2-0 margin.
He had the record of conducting the highest international match for a Bangladeshi referee. He was enlisted as a referee by Bangladesh FF in 1989. During his 18-year career, he conducted around 100 international matches. From 1999 until his retirement in 2016, he served as a FIFA referee for about 17 years and was once among the top 25 Asian referees as well. He was a FIFA elite referee for ten consecutive years before retiring.
When people were suffering badly due to the economic condition caused by the pandemic, this kind-hearted man was not seating idly. In April 2020, he had donated all the money he received selling his famous jerseys of the 2013 SAFF football final and at least 300 families benefited.
