Long-term training for SAFF heroes
Following Bangladesh's recent success at international age-level tournaments, the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) declared yesterday that they will provide the country's SAFF U-15 Championship winning team long-term training and a three-year contract.
This announcement was made at a reception accorded to the national under-15 team at the BFF House, where the budding booters met with BFF president Kazi Salahuddin ahead of their departure for residential training at the Sylhet BKSP today.
“The Bangladesh Football Federation has big plans for you and as a part of those plans, we will provide you with long-term training round the year under the care of the federation as we want to groom you in the proper way. The BFF also wants to award you with a three-year contract, in addition to a monthly salary but you will have to undergo another trial at the BKSP to secure the contract,” said BFF general secretary Abu Nayeem Shohag during the reception.
23 players of the U-15 squad, who will be awarded Tk one lakh each by the BFF, will leave for Sylhet today alongside national coach Jamie Day and assistant coach Stuart Watkiss, who will likely join the selection procedure. The U-15 team is expected to take part in a four-nation tournament involving hosts Thailand, Bangladesh, Maldives and Cyprus between December 6 and 14.
Shohag added that junior and senior team members will also be included in the U-15 squad's long-term training so that more than one group can be nursed round the year, considering next year's busy international schedule.
Meanwhile, the game's local governing body had previously announced a similar training for the 2015 SAFF U-16 Championship winning team but that promise was never realised. Aside from which, under the FIFA Goal project, the BFF academy can only run for eight months before it could be closed without any prior announcement.
Asked how the money needed to manage the residential camp and provide month salaries would be raised, Shohag said: “How the money will be arranged has yet to be decided but we will manage some sponsors. We will get some money from FIFA and the AFC under the development programme next year while the government is also supposed to provide some funds.”
Shohag also informed that BFF technical director Paul Smally is drawing up the details of the development programme.
Whether or not the BFF can continue the training though, the players are ecstatic with the opportunity.
“We had no idea about such a declaration but we are ready to go through the trail and take this opportunity. We are hopeful that we can pass the trail to get the long-term training,” said Bangladesh's top-scorer in the SAFF U-15 Championship Nihat Zaman Ucchash.
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