Finland-born Bangladesh footballer Tariq Kazi, who has been plying his trade for Bashundhara Kings, said the weather in Bangladesh is the toughest hurdle he has faced so far as it is completely different from that of Finland.
Tariq Kazi said this during a live Facebook program titled “FB Live Adda With Your Idol” organized by Bangladesh football team Thursday night.
“Among the food, weather and people in Bangladesh, I must say it is the weather which is very different and tougher. In Bangladesh, the weather is very hot and humid. But in Finland, it is freezing cold. So, probably it was the biggest change for me. I went to hot from cold, but I won’t say it is difficult. It is totally manageable. I’ve to adjust to the weather. It is not the problem, but it something I need to adjust,” he said.
“I talked with my coaches about the weather and they said I need to drink more, drink electrolyzed water; and obviously to take some vitamins, for example, magnesium that can enhance my endurance, so that I can run even though the weather is very hot. My dad cooks Bengali foods all the time in home, so I am very common with the spices and everything. I have no problem in Bangladesh because I have a great team, great people surrounding me. The people who are around me, they have given me the opportunity to focus on football. So, it hasn’t been difficult here so far,” added the 19-year-old defender.
Prior to this season of the Bangladesh Premier League, Tariq Kazi signed a three-year deal with reigning champion Bashundhara in November last year.
Bangladesh Premier League players admitted that it is impossible to maintain full fitness by doing physical exercises at home, and sought some time to go back to normal fitness before the BPL resumes.https://t.co/cNzenfR6ot#FOOTBALL #BANGLADESH #BANGLADESHFOOTBALL #BPL #BFF
— Dhaka Tribune Sports (@Sport_DT) May 14, 2020
However, he left Dhaka for Finland in March as the club suspended training and the Bangladesh Football Federation postponed the BPL amid the lockdown in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
Tariq Kazi is now grafting hard at home in Finland to keep himself mentally positive and physically fit.
“In Finland, we have no home quarantine, everything is looking good. The infection rates are dropping. I continue my training here in Finland. I can go outside, I can go to the pitch. Everything I want, everything I do here. I have good physio, trainer from Kings. Follow the program everyday and we have been working on them. I can run, can go to the football pitch to play football. For me, the situation is very good at the moment. So, I can keep my fitness up,” he said.
“It is a long break, I am trying to do everything what can I do to keep me psychically fit and be ready to play whenever we play. Every day, I train one-three times. I practice a lot at the moment. I am keeping myself mentally positive, physically fit. I am feeling very good at this moment. I am everyday following the newspaper of Bangladesh; I am aware of the current situation there. I want to say people to stay home and stay safe.”
He added, “Playing for the Kings, I think it is very high class. Our training, our facilities everything is very high class. We are a very talented team. Our training and everything is perfect. I say we are talented team with lots of potential to become one of the biggest clubs in Asia. Yes, I feel very happy with Kings. We have a great management, we have great team spirit. Our chemistry is very good, so obviously I feel very happy. From the first day, I feel very welcome from everyone in Bangladesh and from all of my teammates. So, yes I am very happy.”
