Two editions within five months
The JFA U-14 Women's National Football Championship, financed by Japan Football Association and co-sponsored by Walton, gets underway tomorrow at five different venues, just five months after the completion of the previous edition of the same event.
Some 35 districts, split into six venues, are taking part in the preliminary knock-out round before six venue champions and the two best runners-up teams qualify for the final round to be held in Dhaka from April 30.
Even though 40 teams initially sent entries five teams, including Satkhira and Comilla, who played in the final round last edition, withdrew their entries citing financial constraints.
“We can't hold the preliminary round in league format because of financial constraints, but we will hold the final round in league format by dividing the participating teams into two groups,” Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) women's committee chairman Mahfuza Akter Kiron said at a press conference yesterday.
“As participation money, we will provide Tk 15,000 to each participating team which is not enough for those teams who withdrew despite sending entries. The District Football Associations are not ready to spend extra money for women's teams. We also can't increase the participation money,” Kiran said, adding that participating teams in the final round would receive Tk 20,000 each, Tk 5000 less than what they received last edition.
JFA are providing US$30,000 [Tk 24 lakh] for the championship while Walton will provide TK 7 lakh as co-sponsors. A total of 54 matches will be played in the championship.
With JFA's support, the BFF is regularly holding this event, but the game's governing body is seemingly reluctant to hold the U-18 Women's Championship, the national women's league and club women's league.
“We are going to hold the JFA Cup for the second time within six months because this time we are maintaining the deadline we promised to JFA and we are working on the women's football league and you will get a concrete decision after Ramadan,” Kiran added.
Preliminary round matches at the Gopalganj, Nilphamari, Rajshahi, Laxmipur and Khulna venues will start tomorrow while the matches of Gazipur venue will begin on April 25.
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