MASCO Cricket Academy and The Duke of Edinburgh's Award Foundation Bangladesh have formed a partnership to support and empower young cricketers.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the two organisations, marking a historic collaboration, on April 30. This is the first time that The Duke of Edinburgh's Award has partnered with a cricket academy - both in Bangladesh and globally, enabling young cricketers to develop essential soft skills through the Award program.

The agreement was signed by Rizwan Bin Farouq, Chairman of the Board of Trustees for The Duke of Edinburgh's Award Foundation Bangladesh, and M. A. Sabur, Chairman of MASCO Cricket Academy. Senior Coach Md. Mehedi Hasan and Manager (Sales & Marketing) Md. Muntashir Al Mamun from MASCO were also present.

This initiative will provide more than 200 young cricketers at MASCO with access to the Award's holistic framework, which includes community service, physical fitness, adventurous learning, and cricketing skills development. The goal is to foster personal growth, resilience, leadership, and community engagement among young athletes.

This partnership marks a significant step towards youth empowerment through sports and holistic development. It also sets a powerful example for integrating structured character-building programs into athletic training environments in Bangladesh and beyond.