Sheikh Jamal brings laurel

There is hardly any success story of Bangladesh football in our media. But when I read about Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club winning the King's Cup held in Bhutan, I was really delighted. Sheikh Jamal beat Pune FC of India and became the first Bangladeshi club to win the prestigious tournament. I think the Bangladesh Football Federation should arrange international football tournaments and invite good teams from outside so that the popularity of football in our country is revived. Sheikh Jamal earlier defeated the Indian Football Club Mohan Bagan. I am sure, this win will inspire Bangladesh football to move ahead.

Once football was the most popular sport in our country and I witnessed the craze in Dhaka first division football league as a young boy. Football was very popular during the eighties and nineties and people from all over the country used to throng in Dhaka stadium to watch football matches. I used to regularly watch the matches of Dhaka first division football league and I can still recall those magical moments. Salah Uddin, Chunnu, Badal and Salam were stars and revered like celebrities. I congratulate the players and officials of Sheikh Jamal club and I hope their success will inspire our football to improve its quality and standard and help regain the past glory of football in this country.

Mohammed Sohel  Hara

Banashree Dhaka