Kazi Salahuddin, who got his third team as Bangladesh Football Federation president, promised to make a combined effort involving district and club to help the game improve in Bangladesh. Salahuddin emerged clear winner over his rival Kamrul Ashraf Khan Poton in BFF polls on Saturday to take the office for another four years. Before the elections both Salahuddin-led combined panel and Poton’s Bachao Football promised to give more attention to district football, the breeding ground for the budding talents.
‘Surely district football is special to me but it is not so special that I will throw away the club football,’ Salahuddin told reporters on Monday, two days after he was re-elected as BFF president. ‘There will have to be a combination between districts and clubs football.
‘We will be trying to implement all pledges of our manifesto but if you personally ask me, I will again give the emphasis on three subjects– district, club and national team – which is my personal priority .
‘But to run the federation as well as run the country’s football, the pledges of the manifesto have to be covered.
The real success will come in football when the district football and the club football will be developed,’ said Salahuddin.
Salahuddin and his newly-elected executive body colleagues on Monday visited Dhanmondi-32 to pay respect to Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founding president of the country.
Later they visited Banani graveyard to pray for the salvation of the soul of Sheikh Kamal, the eldest son of Mujib and the founder of Abahani Club.
‘When I took the office eight years ago, there was no play but we kept the ball rolling, and the process is still on. But one thing you can say that the performance of the national team in the last few months was not remarkable.
‘The next four years is very important for Bangladesh Football Federation and Bangladesh football itself to go to the next stage. I believe we can do it,’ said Salahuddin.
Along with the vision of taking of football at the top level of Asia, Salahuddin said he is also aiming to build up a solid organisational capacity so that the new leaders can easily keep continuing the development programme from where he would leave after four years.
‘Football is played by 209 countries, so it is not an easy task,’ he said. ‘We have started our works far ago and trying to develop it and it will take time. You see the results in future. You please keep patient on us.’
‘You will see the results. We have come here to work football because we love football which is in our blood too.
‘But love is not enough to develop football. I would like to see my nation on the top of football world but it is very difficult job.
‘I believe, if we keep working, get the supports from the government and country’s people, one day we will also be champions like what the U-14 girls’ team did,’ said Salahuddin.
-With New Age input
