Sonali Exchange Football League
Wednesday, 13 August 2008
Fazle Rashid from New York
BRONX United trounced Noakhali Ekadosh (Noakhali XI ) 4-1 to lift the Sonali Exchange football league title last Sunday.
The football league began here in 1995. The tournament participated by local Bangladeshi teams is sponsored by Sonali Exchange. The tournament is organised by the Bangladesh Sports Council of America.
The football league played on league and knock-out basis was participated by eight local teams namely Ozonepark Jubo Sangha, Bangla Ekadosh, Noakhali Ekadosh, Bronx United, Tarun Football Club, Jamaica Al-Rashid Football Club, Manhattan Bangla Club and United Bangladeshi-American Youth Association.
The two finalists brought Bangladeshi players from London and Canada to beef up respective strength. The quality of football did not rise above the school level football in Bangladesh. The organizers do not, however, ever face paucity of funds,
The sponsors, Bangladesh Sports Council of America, brought out a souvenir which was full of advertisements, all given by local Bangladeshi business community.
What is, however, surprising that the souvenir carried laudatory messages from FIFA president Joseph Blatter, US president George Bush, New York Governor David Patterson, Senator Hillary Clinton, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and Bangladeshi Caucus leader Joseph Crowley.
Bangladesh Consul General in New York Mohammad Shamsul Haque was present on the ground and distributed trophies among the winners and the runners-up.
scribe being the former President of the Bangladesh Sports Journalists Association ( BSJA )was requested to address the players.
BRONX United trounced Noakhali Ekadosh (Noakhali XI ) 4-1 to lift the Sonali Exchange football league title last Sunday.
The football league began here in 1995. The tournament participated by local Bangladeshi teams is sponsored by Sonali Exchange. The tournament is organised by the Bangladesh Sports Council of America.
The football league played on league and knock-out basis was participated by eight local teams namely Ozonepark Jubo Sangha, Bangla Ekadosh, Noakhali Ekadosh, Bronx United, Tarun Football Club, Jamaica Al-Rashid Football Club, Manhattan Bangla Club and United Bangladeshi-American Youth Association.
The two finalists brought Bangladeshi players from London and Canada to beef up respective strength. The quality of football did not rise above the school level football in Bangladesh. The organizers do not, however, ever face paucity of funds,
The sponsors, Bangladesh Sports Council of America, brought out a souvenir which was full of advertisements, all given by local Bangladeshi business community.
What is, however, surprising that the souvenir carried laudatory messages from FIFA president Joseph Blatter, US president George Bush, New York Governor David Patterson, Senator Hillary Clinton, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and Bangladeshi Caucus leader Joseph Crowley.
Bangladesh Consul General in New York Mohammad Shamsul Haque was present on the ground and distributed trophies among the winners and the runners-up.
scribe being the former President of the Bangladesh Sports Journalists Association ( BSJA )was requested to address the players.