Abahani, one of the leading sports club in the country, is set to steer the country’s sports arena into a modern era by building a sports complex fully equipped with modern facilities on its Dhanmondi field.
Named after the club’s founder, the Sheikh Kamal Krira Complex will look to bring health, sports, and social recreation under the same umbrella, and provide sports enthusiasts a one-stop destination for all their needs.
“The construction work for the complex will start at full pace within the shortest possible time,” said Abahani Limited Chairman Salman F Rahman.
The international standard sports complex is expected to be built and ready for use by the end of 2017, he further told the Dhaka Tribune.
On August 5, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said the sports complex, once completed, would change the lives of Dhanmondi residents as well as all Dhaka dwellers.
She made the comments while speaking as the chief guest at a discussion commemorating the 66th birth anniversary of Sheikh Kamal, the premier’s younger brother who was killed alongside his family on August 15, 1975.
Currently, the Abahani field in Dhanmondi is used by the club players as a practice venue. The locals also use the field to exercise and play different sports throughout the day.
Asked about whether the field would be open for public use once the sports complex is built, Abahani Chairman Salman F Rahman said: “The residents of the capital including Dhanmondi locals can use the field in a secured way as the field will remain open to all. The children and young aspiring players can use the field like they do now. The only thing they would need to do is register free of cost to ensure the security of the field.”
Kazi Nabil Ahmed, director of the Abahani Limited, also said the cricket and football practising grounds will remain out of the construction area.
Similar to the famous international clubs, an age-based academy at the new complex would nurse aspiring players and act as a pipeline for seeking out fresh sports talents, said Nabil, also a ruling party lawmaker.
The academy will search for talents across the country and work to make them star players, he added.
The Abahani club already has a glorious space in the country’s sports history. Since being founded 43 years ago by Sheikh Kamal, the eldest son of Father Of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the Abahani club has so far won 15 football titles, 17 cricket silverwares, and 16 hockey trophies.
“Sheikh Kamal always wanted to see Abahani to be different from others; and since its inception, Abahani has been different with its outlook. Now the time has arrived to give it a more modern look and we want to built the sports complex in such a way that people for the next fifty years can say ‘Wow, this Abahani Club is beautiful indeed,’” said Bangladesh Cricket Board President Nazmul Hasan Papon.
According to the club’s plan, the Sheikh Kamal Krira Complex will be divided in five sections, built on the total 25 bighas of land owned by the Abahani club.
The 726,665 square-feet complex will include a 69,223 sq-ft area set aside for the Abahani Club, an exclusive members-only health club covering 140,357 sq-ft, a convention centre covering 155,585 sq-ft, and a car parking area of 361,500 sq-ft, according to previous media reports.
“By building this complex, the standard of sports in the country can meet international standards, which will also pave way to gain sound health and sports facilities and social recreation at one place. Not only in cricket and football, the Abahani club wants to meet the international standard in every game by building this world-class sports complex,” Salman F Rahman told the Dhaka Tribune.
Sports complex facilities
The section dedicated to the Abahani club would include world-class cricket and football grounds, an air-conditioned basketball court, a state-of-the-art bowling alley, and a four-lane indoor cricket practising facility with video analysis equipment. There will be separate dorms for boys and girls, a five-star players’ room with modern gymnasium, and equipment for aerobic and yoga.
The members-only Abahani Health Club will have separate gyms for men and women, luxurious steam bath and sauna facilities, chiropractic services, and sports massages. Under the health club, there will be also be multi-layer tennis and badminton courts, separate swimming pools for men and women, and all kinds of indoor games.
The sports complex would also have the Sheikh Kamal Convention Centre – capable of hosting 4,000 people at a time. In this section, there will also be a museum showcasing Abahani jerseys and memorabilia, a massive library, and an art gallery featuring modern artworks. The convention centre would also have an Asian style dining restaurant catering Asian and European cuisine.
The Sheikh Kamal Academy, one of the key components of the complex, would work on nurturing talents from across the country. It would have modern residential facilities, while skilled trainers would monitor age-based training in the academy throughout the day.
The complex would also have a long walkway where the locals will be able to exercise or jog. The walkway would be of an international standard and would have changing room facilities.
