Fakirapool captain Mohammad Faruk Parvez and vice captain Zahidul Hasan Dalim are all smiles in front of the club's trophy cabinet DHAKA TRIBUNEFaruk joined Fakirapool as captain at the beginning of the season, less then five months ago. He partnered alongside Jalal, Rahmat and Mishu at the back four more often than not in the league.
“The key reasons behind the success are discipline, team work and the club's goodwill. Accommodation and food throughout the league were good so the players were able to concentrate on their game. We played for the championship from the very beginning,” said Faruk.
Vice-captain Zahidul Hasan Dalim is one of the most experienced members of the squad. Hailing from Narayanganj, the midfielder has previous experience of playing in the top flight. He played for Brothers Union, Wanderers Club, Chittagong Abahani, Arambagh, Rahmatganj MFS and was also a member of the national under-16, U-20 and U-23 teams.
“Most of the players are very young. Some of them have a bright future ahead of them. Commitment and team work of the players, along with top management, ensured the success,” said Dalim, who has scored the club's most goals (five) this season.
Newly-formed Saif Sporting Club are the only club in the second tier to have a foreign coach. Their budget was nowhere near the other clubs in the competition. Fakirapool's main opponent in the title race was Saif Sporting and Agrani Bank Sporting Club most of the times. It was only after the final round that they managed to leapfrog the big-spending club at the top of the points table.
“Saif Sporting spent a lot of money and have a foreign coach. Throughout the tournament, we were always determined to finish above them, even if for one solitary point,” said Faruk, adding that their job is not complete yet as there is still one more round left to play.
The coach, captain and players were full of praise for the club's general secretary, Haji Mohammad Sabbir Hossain for his dedication towards the club in the last few months. Sabbir has been involved with the club as an official since 1978. He has also been an organiser in local football in the last three decades. He termed the latest success as the club's best achievement in history.
“We have the power of youth in the team. They all worked hard and made their contribution to the team. I gave most of my time to the club in the last four months. I gave it the topmost priority. I made sure the players would get the best available facility and they duly delivered the results,” said Sabbir, adding that they will try to form a decent squad for their debut season in the Bangladesh Premier League.Having been formed in the early 1960s, the club had no major success in the country's football scenario for decades so the recent achievement gave the outfit and the local people of the capital's Fakirapool area something to cheer about in a very long time.
The club have a two-storied building beside the culvert road in the Motijheel thana's Fakirapool area. Arambagh Krira Sangha, a club which are a stone's throw away from there, are the closest club in the neighbourhood who played regularly in the top flight while Fakirapool never managed to qualify for the professional league before.
The club's budget was less than Tk6m when they were established four months ago. They finished second from bottom in the last BCL and avoided relegation by the skin of their teeth. They kept only two players from the previous squad thereafter.
Head coach Mohidur Rahman Miraj and assistant coach Labu played important roles in recruiting players from different places. Three-four players came from Wari Club, who were relegated from the second tier last season, while there are players from the first and second divisions.
There are some players who never played in any domestic tournament before and striker Mohammad Jewel is one of them. Jewel hails from BKSP and is a 10th-grade student. He is now the club's second highest scorer with four goals, including a late winner against Kawran Bazar in the last match that ensured promotion.
“Apart from the players on the pitch, the activity of the officials behind the scenes also played a crucial role. Everything in the club was in shambles before the new committee was formed. The new committee has been very cooperative, supportive and did everything in its power to make sure we do well. We started recruiting young players and also retained the ones who performed well in the previous edition,” said Miraj.
“The club have done well despite limitations. The club proved that good nurturing can bring success. We have been highly concentrated in the last four and a half months. The locals have also been very supportive and were always there for us.
“Fakirapool produced many players in the past who represented the national team like goalkeeper Ponir, Sohel Rana, Masud Rana, Amin Rana, Jalal, Moni, Asgar Babu and most recently, Nayan,” added Miraj.
Captain Mohammad Faruk Parvez has been playing in the lower division leagues since 2010-11 when he helped Tongi finish runners-up in the third division league. He played for Sadharon Bima in the same season before moving to Mohakhali in the first division. He played in the second tier for the first time in the 2012-13 season. He joined Uttar Baridhara Club next season and helped the club emerge champions and subsequently, achieve promotion to the top flight. But his fate didn't change as Uttar Baridhara formed a new squad without the 25-year-old centre-back.
Fakirapool captain Mohammad Faruk Parvez and vice captain Zahidul Hasan Dalim are all smiles in front of the club's trophy cabinet DHAKA TRIBUNEFaruk joined Fakirapool as captain at the beginning of the season, less then five months ago. He partnered alongside Jalal, Rahmat and Mishu at the back four more often than not in the league.
“The key reasons behind the success are discipline, team work and the club's goodwill. Accommodation and food throughout the league were good so the players were able to concentrate on their game. We played for the championship from the very beginning,” said Faruk.
Vice-captain Zahidul Hasan Dalim is one of the most experienced members of the squad. Hailing from Narayanganj, the midfielder has previous experience of playing in the top flight. He played for Brothers Union, Wanderers Club, Chittagong Abahani, Arambagh, Rahmatganj MFS and was also a member of the national under-16, U-20 and U-23 teams.
“Most of the players are very young. Some of them have a bright future ahead of them. Commitment and team work of the players, along with top management, ensured the success,” said Dalim, who has scored the club's most goals (five) this season.
Newly-formed Saif Sporting Club are the only club in the second tier to have a foreign coach. Their budget was nowhere near the other clubs in the competition. Fakirapool's main opponent in the title race was Saif Sporting and Agrani Bank Sporting Club most of the times. It was only after the final round that they managed to leapfrog the big-spending club at the top of the points table.
“Saif Sporting spent a lot of money and have a foreign coach. Throughout the tournament, we were always determined to finish above them, even if for one solitary point,” said Faruk, adding that their job is not complete yet as there is still one more round left to play.
The coach, captain and players were full of praise for the club's general secretary, Haji Mohammad Sabbir Hossain for his dedication towards the club in the last few months. Sabbir has been involved with the club as an official since 1978. He has also been an organiser in local football in the last three decades. He termed the latest success as the club's best achievement in history.
“We have the power of youth in the team. They all worked hard and made their contribution to the team. I gave most of my time to the club in the last four months. I gave it the topmost priority. I made sure the players would get the best available facility and they duly delivered the results,” said Sabbir, adding that they will try to form a decent squad for their debut season in the Bangladesh Premier League.
Fakirapool captain Mohammad Faruk Parvez and vice captain Zahidul Hasan Dalim are all smiles in front of the club's trophy cabinet DHAKA TRIBUNEFaruk joined Fakirapool as captain at the beginning of the season, less then five months ago. He partnered alongside Jalal, Rahmat and Mishu at the back four more often than not in the league.
“The key reasons behind the success are discipline, team work and the club's goodwill. Accommodation and food throughout the league were good so the players were able to concentrate on their game. We played for the championship from the very beginning,” said Faruk.
Vice-captain Zahidul Hasan Dalim is one of the most experienced members of the squad. Hailing from Narayanganj, the midfielder has previous experience of playing in the top flight. He played for Brothers Union, Wanderers Club, Chittagong Abahani, Arambagh, Rahmatganj MFS and was also a member of the national under-16, U-20 and U-23 teams.
“Most of the players are very young. Some of them have a bright future ahead of them. Commitment and team work of the players, along with top management, ensured the success,” said Dalim, who has scored the club's most goals (five) this season.
Newly-formed Saif Sporting Club are the only club in the second tier to have a foreign coach. Their budget was nowhere near the other clubs in the competition. Fakirapool's main opponent in the title race was Saif Sporting and Agrani Bank Sporting Club most of the times. It was only after the final round that they managed to leapfrog the big-spending club at the top of the points table.
“Saif Sporting spent a lot of money and have a foreign coach. Throughout the tournament, we were always determined to finish above them, even if for one solitary point,” said Faruk, adding that their job is not complete yet as there is still one more round left to play.
The coach, captain and players were full of praise for the club's general secretary, Haji Mohammad Sabbir Hossain for his dedication towards the club in the last few months. Sabbir has been involved with the club as an official since 1978. He has also been an organiser in local football in the last three decades. He termed the latest success as the club's best achievement in history.
“We have the power of youth in the team. They all worked hard and made their contribution to the team. I gave most of my time to the club in the last four months. I gave it the topmost priority. I made sure the players would get the best available facility and they duly delivered the results,” said Sabbir, adding that they will try to form a decent squad for their debut season in the Bangladesh Premier League.