<i>A missed chance!</i>

When Kolkata set up a unique instance by selecting under-privileged children as mascots for the Argentina and Venezuela international friendly last Friday, Bangladesh Football Federation is all set to ruin an opportunity that could have been an inspiration for the budding footballers.
The organisers in Kolkata chose 22 mascots, most of them are involved with football but have come from under-privileged groups such as sweepers, cleaners. But the game's governing body here in Bangladesh has picked the boys and girls either from sponsor's officials' child or themselves as the mascots.
A total of 22 boys and girls will get the chance to accompany the Argentine and Nigerian players from the dressing rooms to the field as a symbol of fair-play.
Of the 22 mascots, so far 17 boys and girls are the children of high officials of sponsor Beximco while rest have been picked from former national booters and the BFF officials and reportedly none of the 22 is involved with the game of football.
Many believe if our budding footballers were given a chance to accompany the players of Argentina and Nigeria that would have been an inspiration.
"I have appealed the authority concerned to pick up junior booters as mascots but they did not consider as most slots for mascots went to Beximco," said Sheikh Mohammad Aslam, vice-chairman of BFF school tournament committee.
Aslam, however, said that some 10 booters of U-16 national team have been selected as ball-boys while rest of ball boys have been picked from those who regularly do this job.