Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) is on the brink of facing uproar over the planned U-18 tournament due to the evasive role of Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club Ltd who are unwilling to play.
BFF made it mandatory for all the Bangladesh Premier Football League clubs to form an U-18 team and all the clubs agreed to play the tournament after the completion of the league.
It is worth mentioning here in this regard that it was in fact Sheikh Jamal who proposed to the U-18 tournament in the first place as they thought scouting future prospects will be easier for the top flight clubs.
But It was learned Sheikh Jamal, who won the league title, is now unwilling to play in the tournament and is yet to start their preparations. Abdul Gaffar, the former national team player and also an official of Sheikh Jamal acknowledged this saying, “We are yet to start the preparations. The club president is abroad. He earlier was reluctant to form the U-18 team, but I am hopeful that we can convince him and hopefully Jamal will play in the U-18 tournament,” said Gaffar.
However, all the other big names have almost completed their preparations and some reacted angrily over the reluctance of Sheikh Jamal. “If Jamal decides not to play, we may also decide to skip the meet. It’s BFF’s duty to ensure that all the teams take the field. The rule should remain same for all. It should not be discriminatory,” said Amer Khan, the manager of Brothers Union. Amer also added that they are ready to play in the tournament.
Satyajit Das Rupu, the manager of Abahani Ltd said BFF must keep the playing ground level. “If one team plays and one team decides to skip then there is no harmony. It is also an act of overruling the BFF instruction and the moral agreement as all the teams agreed to play in the tournament,” said Rupu, also an executive committee member of BFF.
Sarwar Hossain, a director of Dhaka Mohammedan Sporting Club Ltd said they have called about hundred players and will start a two-day trial today. “We are taking preparation in full swing for the tournament and if BFF can’t ensure the presence of all the clubs, it’s their failure,” said Sarwar Hossain.
Muktijoddha SKS has selected 37 players from a trial of around 300 players. “I was surprised to see the number of players who came from across the country. We will continue to train and trim the team in due time,” said Shafikul Islam Manik, the Muktijoddha coach.
