Of Messi and rejuvenation of our football

Md Mahfuzur Rahman SiddiqueTuesday, the 6th September, 2011 marked the advent of a very significant moment in the long history of football in Bangladesh. On this day the much awaited football match Argentina vs Nigeria was played in the almost capacity crowded Bangabandhu National Stadium, Dhaka. Argentina of Latin America won the FIFA World Cup title twice and a superpower in football. Nigeria, an African country, became champion once in the Olympic football and is also an emerging power of the game. This was the most high profile football match ever held in Bangladesh. Most importantly, it was the first ever FIFA International friendly match in our soil rich in football tradition. Naturally great enthusiasm was generated among the footballers, football organisers and fans and sports loving general people. The print and electronic media was of course no exception. Sufficient space and airtime were devoted by the media to cover this match. The salient features of the match inter alia, are: Result: The albiceleste defeated the super eagles by 3 1 in the well played match. Focus of spectators' interest: The spectators and the TV viewers focused attention solely on one player, Lionel Messi, the Argentine captain who is at present the best booter of the world. He has been adjudged FIFA player of the year twice. In the context of this match the Latin phrase 'veni, vidi, vici', (I came, I saw and I conquered) ascribed to Caesar can be appropriately ascribed to Messi also. He came to Bangladesh with his team after a hectic effort and long parley of BFF with the respective event management. He felt the warmth of hospitality accorded to the teams by the most hospitable people of Bangladesh. And he saw the vast popularity of Argentine football team in this country including himself. Finally he conquered the hearts of the football loving millions of Bangladeshi spectatorsviewers with his mesmeric skill and techniques. Telecasting specialty: The live telecasting of the match witnessed the appearance of a new TV channel in the arena of electronic media of Bangladesh namely 'Independent'. This newly launched TV channel is a sister concern of Beximco Ltd, a local big business. Uniqueness in sponsoring: The Argentina Nigeria FIFA International friendly match, first of its kind in Bangladesh, attracted the biggest ever local sponsorship for a single sporting event. Beximco Ltd singly sponsored a huge amount of Tk 300 million (30 crore) for the event. They of course retained the TV rights. So the title of the match was FIFA Bexi Football Fest. Organising capability: Such a high profile match was no doubt a test of organising capacity of Bangladesh Football Federation which is the national governing body of football in Bangladesh. Except some deficiencies and shortcomings BFF has been successful in leading the match to a flawless conclusion. The experience earned from this gigantic football encounter between two giants will enrich the organising ability of BFF to organise similar big shows in future. But the football loving people of Bangladesh are not interested in seeking self-complacency in the success of hosting this match. Their interest concerning the show lies elsewhere. They are rather inclined to see that Messi mesmerism will add to the promotion of this traditional game in Bangladesh. Their aspiration is quite justified and reasonable. The fulfillment of this expectation wholly depends on how BFF, National Sports Council, the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the sporting clubs and all concerned capitalise on the Messi-magic in developing this game. This again is dependent on a host of steps to be taken by BFF in association with other stakeholders in right earnest. In this respect the point at issue is how BFF will reap the harvest of the inspiration Messi has injected into the minds of our teens and youths associated with playing football. The general football fans, taking into consideration the after effect of this match undoubtedly contemplate the following immediate measures to rejuvenate our football which is unfortunately on an apparent decline in performance and popularity: BFF should try to transform the suddenly exposed Messi mania among our young footballers into a psychological booster for them. The story of the struggled childhood of Messi needs to be unfolded to our young footballers before the impression he has imprinted on their minds fades away. He was suffering from growth hormone deficiency syndrome during adolescence. The famous Spanish club Barcelona took the entire responsibility of his treatment primarily as a humanitarian gesture and secondly to invest Messi's football potential in the club. Barcelona became successful. Messi emerged as a most talented footballer the club had ever groomed. He was just 11 when the said club took charge of his medical care. He has become the supremo of the present football world through relentless struggle. Barcelona helped him to flourish. He also in return earned immeasurable honour and fame for the club. He is now only 24. At this early age he has been termed as the greatest football player of all ages by his compatriot and another football legend Diego Maradona, who won FIFA World Cup for Argentina in 1986. This great compliment of a great to another great of the same profession is an unusual phenomenon. Apart form his highest football calibre he has at an early age reached the culmination of humanitarian considerations. Ignoring the enticement of earning millions by advertisement he chose to be the good will ambassador of the UNICEF to dedicate himself for the noble cause of the underprivileged children the world over. When he was only 19 he established Lionel Messi Foundation in his motherland - Argentina - though as a career footballer his defacto domicile is in Europe. This charity foundation works for the education and health of the Argentine poor children. On this he once remarked in an interview, "My elevation into a famous star player opened the door of opportunity of doing something for my fellow men, specially the children". Barcelona that groomed Messi as a football star also shares his humanism with pride. The club is a front ranking supporter of UNICEF. It always uses UNICEF logo on its jersey. Moreover, Messi is a great patriot. He was hunted as a football talent by the European club Barcelona which expended a huge amount of money in his medical treatment for recovery and recuperation from his childhood health complication, raised him into a world-class footballer and helped him to earn a good fortune at a comparatively young age. His immense sense of gratitude prompted him to reciprocate the benevolence of Barcelona to the fullest measure but not at the cost of patriotism. He has not yet been tempted to be naturalised in Spain, the country of his grooming. Messi's dedication to football, his humanitarian trait and highest sense of patriotism are to be infused into the minds of our young footballers at the first instance. BFF may think over the practical aspect of this point as long as the Messi-memory remains fresh in their minds. As far as footballers are concerned it is almost universally accepted that clubs are the breeding ground of players. But in Bangladesh there are a very limited number of clubs which are financially viable to spend sizable amount in raising football talents though a few of them organise big budget teams. The best alternative is to activate the District Football Associations (DFAs) in gradual steps since simultaneous activation of all DFAs is a challenging task for BFF given its financial and logistic capability. Prior to the formation of 62 DFAs in District HQs and 4 in Divisional HQs in early 2008 at the instance of FIFA the football-related activities used to be looked after by District and Divisional Sports Associations (DSAs) headed respectively by the Deputy Commissioners and the Divisional Commissioners. In the changed set-up football at the district and the division levels is not under their direct control and supervision. Here lies the lack of coordination among BFF, DFAs and DSAs. DFAs have no physical facilities of their own to practice and play football. For this they are fully dependent on DSAs which are the custodian of the stadiums and fields owned by National Sports Council (NSC) that is the government. Nine days after the FIFA Int'l friendly match a widely circulated Bangla daily ran a report depicting the picture of the apparent inaction of the DFAs. This is unexpected to every quarter interested in the development of this game. The report revealed that while voicing dissatisfaction over the issue certain DFA Presidents termed the creation of DFA as an election strategy of BFF in 2008. While another DFA President suggested regular holding of football league at the district level. DFAs can hardly organise league for want of fund or sponsorship. To revivify the lost glory of football, once most played and popular game of the country, this disheartening scenario should be changed. But how? Compared to other International Federations the statutory binding of a Member Association to FIFA is quite different. Therefore, it was obligatory on BFF to establish DFAs without having its own physical facilities at districtdivision level. So in order to exploit the zeal created on football on the occasion of Argentina Nigeria match for the betterment of our football a well-thought-out golden mean is to be devised by BFF, DFAs, DSAs, Divisional Sports Associations with the active help, assistance and co operation of NSC and the government. DFAs must try to make football league a regular feature of their yearly activities. Side by side successive steps should be taken to enable the DFAs in having their own infrastructure in respect of office accommodation, practice and playground. Over and above BFF should try to get sponsors for districtdivisional football leagues. To achieve this goal BFF can initiate a quadruple agreement or at least a concerted and well-coordinated effort among DSAs, NSC and football enthusiast big businesses of the country. With the development of sports science, the conventional coaching and training is inadequate for the development of the potential of a player to the fullest extent without academic or intuitional training based on scientific methods. Hence the necessity of a Football Academy in Bangladesh should be met as early as possible. Once established, the students of the academy should be given lessons, among other things, on the role of football in the renaissance of the backward Muslims of Bengal under the British India, the pioneering role the footballers of the then East BengalPakistan played from 1947 to 1970 and the heroic and historical role the Swadhin Bangla Football Dal (Independent Bengal Football Team) played during the War of Liberation of Bangladesh to infuse them with a proper sense of patriotism as their idol Lionel Messi is gifted with. It can hardly be over emphasised that playing games and sports is a big opportunity to express one's patriotic zeal and love for hisher country. 'A good athlete is always a good patriot' should be the motto of the students of the academy. It may work hand in hand with the apex spots institute of Bangladesh, BKSP in matters pertaining to curriculum, coaching and training. There is no denying that the recent promotion of cricket both in terms of wide ranging practice and popularity among the youths is the outcome of the Nirman School Cricket programme. It is learnt that the incumbent BFF President and the most outstanding booter of independent Bangladesh owed his initial grooming to school football. Unfortunately school football is not regularly held. Thus a potential breeding ground of future booters remains unexplored. It is very encouraging to learn that BFF and the government in the Ministry of Education is going to sign a Memorandum of Understanding very shortly to launch National School Football in November this year. This welcome news for our football broke within a week of the FIFA Bexi Football Fest. This tournament will include 4,800 schools in 480 upazilas. Ten schools form each upazila will participate in the tournament beginning in upazila HQs. Among these the winning school teams will play at the district level. Two teams form each district will play at the divisional level that is 14 teams from 7 divisions will compete in the final round. The last edition of school football was held in 2006 in which only 130 schools took part. We hope this tournament being held after the excitement created in football in the said match will surely fetch good result. To quote Honorable Education Minister, "The introduction of school football championship across the country will play an important role in reviving football". We wish best success of the BFF GOB joint venture to rejuvenate our football which is an integral part of our cultural heritage, which contributed immensely to the regeneration of Muslim Bengal and played heroic role in our War of Liberation. We further hope that BFF will give due consideration to the suggestions put forward above for the restoration of our past glory in this 'only truly global game' and the 'world's game'. Finally we urge BFF to be earnest to capitalise on the impression Lionel Messi has imprinted on our football loving young minds.