The much-awaited renovation work of the Bangladesh Football Federation’s youth football academy at the Sylhet BKSP faces another obstacle as the ministry of finance had taken back the Tk19.5m they had given for the project, leaving the BFF uncertain as to when the work will be finished.
The government allocated the fund for renovation work that would have turned the BKSP infrastructure into a full-fledged football academy in the fiscal year 2012-13 but due to the National Sports Council (NSC) failure to utilise the money in time, the finance ministry has taken back the funds.
The renovation work started in the middle of July this year with four different tenders. The BFF claimed that the process was stopped two weeks before the Eid-ul-Azha holidays and the work has not yet started. The NSC, on the other hand, insisted that the renovation work is still going on.
Sibnath Roy, secretary of the NSC, admitted that the money was taken back by the ministry of finance. “The ministry of finance returned their allocated money for our delay to start the work but it didn’t stop our work as the ministry of youth and sports are continuing the renovation work. We are hopeful that we will finish the work within one or two months,” Sibnath said yesterday.
Bangladesh Football Federation is doubtful whether they will get the academy this year. “We thought we would get the academy by November but as far as we know, the work has not resumed after Eid. We are concerned if the work will finish this year,” said BFF general secretary Abu Nayeem Shohag yesterday.
At the end of last year, the BFF with the assistance of a Fifa selection panel, had selected a total of 64 players - including 37 under-14 players – to be the federation’s football academy’s first pupils.
