Photographs by Ashraf Uddin Apu
There was a time when football was the dominant sport around, along with the strength to compete with Asian heavyweights. A match between Abahani and Mohammedan would stir up fights between the best of friends. The football scene here, since then, has seen a lot of ups and downs. The performances of the U-16 and U-19 teams in recent SAFF tournaments suggest that there is a lot of talent in the pipeline and the ‘dream’ of Asian dominance isn’t far-fetched. Badal Roy, Vice-president of Bangladesh Football Federation talks about the progress made over a cup of tea.
How do feel about SAFF and the impact it has on regional football?
SAFF is definitely credit-worthy for organising such tournaments which are usually seen as a test of strength among the SAARC countries. There is healthy competition between the neighbouring countries as the teams strive to prosper in the region and move on to making a mark on the Asian football scene. And it is not only about the main national teams, but also the age-group levels which determine how much potential a country has in its pipeline for the future.
Do you take SAFF tournaments as a barometer for development?
Yes, SAFF’s tournaments are always very competitive, which is a necessity for development. The organisation’s focus on youth-level football is a great opportunity for South Asian countries to prove their merits and move on to flourish on the next level, becoming a proud member among the Asian elites in coming years.
What is your take on the 2015 U-16 SAFF championships and the success of our boys?
The tournament was an eye-opener for us. Not only were we proud about becoming champions but also the overflow of crowd at the games signify that people are ready to come to the stadiums for quality football matches. Most of the delegates at the tournament praised the high standards of the game being played by the youngsters, especially, Bangladesh, Nepal, India and Afghanistan.
What are the measures that are being taken to ensure that such talent is being taken care of?
The team will be under close supervision, and be trained for future endeavours.
What are your thoughts about the U-19 team reaching the semi-finals, only to lose in penalties against India?
When your country is doing well on different age groups, the confidence rubs off on the other teams as well. I believe the squad played well, but penalties require a bit of luck too. Nevertheless, the team left the field with their heads held high. Even the main national team looked like a different one, drawing against Malaysia at home, while preparing themselves to take on Australia for the upcoming 2018 World cup qualifier.
The current football scene in the eyes of Badal Roy?
Just like how Bangladesh football has seen glory days, it has also seen some troublesome ones. When football was at its peak of popularity, the organisers failed to capitalise on it. The irregularities on most levels became evident mainly because of bad decisions or ideologies behind them. However, the new management has worked on different sectors with new policies such as ensuring that the game is being played all throughout the season with special emphasis on youth-level and the leagues. The results have been positive so far with more investments being made in football infrastructure. The recent performances serve as an example of these changes. On the other hand, there is still a long way to go, but with such talent, Asian dominance can be achieved.