Women’s football league is being built on the field from today

Sports Reporter: Women’s football league is being built on the field from today. The league held an official press conference yesterday in Buff before the start of the league. In that conference, the subject of heat and sponsorship came up again and again. Intense heat is going on across the country. The Meteorological Department has issued a heat wave. The heat felt more on the turf of the Kamalapur Stadium. In this situation, Buff has held women’s football league matches at 9:30 in the morning and 4:15 in the afternoon. As a result, Sabina has to play with some risk. Kamalapur Stadium has floodlights. Mahfuza Akhter Kiran, executive member and chairman of the women’s football committee, said, “If the game is played under floodlights, the National Sports Council will have to pay the electricity bill.” We don’t have money. It is with great difficulty that we organize the game by bringing sponsors.’ BAFF has never paid the electricity bill at Bangabandhu National Stadium, the main football venue. The National Sports Council, the owner of the stadium, footed the bill for the floodlights. Kamalapur Stadium also had the same system. However, the general secretary of the federation, Imran Hossain Tushar, said in a press conference that the rules have been changed recently, ‘National Sports Council has written to us, if we use floodlights, we will have to pay the bill according to the meter reading. We have played the last round of Bangladesh Championship League in the light of that instruction. It takes about 13 thousand taka per day. The General Secretary estimates that replacing women’s football does not cost much. Total 36 matches in Women’s Football League. Two matches per day. Therefore, even if the average floodlight bill is 15 thousand in 18 days, it is not more than 3 lakh. The sports governing body does not want to take the burden of the electricity bill anymore. Therefore, recently such a decision has been made in the case of Kamalapur Stadium, said Sukumar Saha, Assistant Director (Planning and Development) of the National Sports Council, ‘Recently, our authorities have decided that the Federation will have to bear the cost of using floodlights in Kamalapur Stadium according to the meter.’ Other federations, including hockey, will also come up with instructions to follow this rule. The cricket board, however, pays the bills themselves. Bashundhara Kings, the hat-trick champions in the women’s football league, are not participating in this year’s league. Bashundhara is one of the patrons of women’s football in Buff. Apart from not forming the team, the organization has withdrawn from the sponsorship of the league. Mahfuza Akhter Kiran doesn’t know the reason, ‘We made banners and various boards with Bashundhara as our sponsor. Two days ago they said they will not sponsor due to unavoidable reasons.’ BAFOOF has an agreement with Bashundhara Group. In response to a question about what is covered in that agreement, Kiran said, ‘It includes the league and the national team. As they are in the agreement, the federation has been given a letter to them. Women footballers demand extra money from Bashundhara Kings after becoming clear champions. That’s why Kings stepped away from forming a women’s team. The hat-trick champions were also unhappy with some of the performances of the women’s wing. Football people think that withdrawing from the sponsorship of the league is the manifestation of that. This year’s women’s league has got United Commercial Bank as a sponsor. Neither side has disclosed the amount of the contract between the two parties for this league. The nine clubs participating in the league will get Tk 50,000, the champion team 5 and the runners-up will get Tk 3 lakh and the best player will get a cash prize. The most star-studded team in the upcoming league is Nasreen Sports Academy. The captain of the team Sabina Khatun is expecting the title but said about the competitive league, ‘We will definitely play for the title. However, Ataur Rahman has a few from the national team, and many from the age-based team in the Army team. This year’s league will be well competitive. Ataur Rahman Bhuiyan College Sporting Club captain Tahura Khatun wants to give their best, ‘We want to do something good by playing our normal game.’ Golam Rabbani Choton, who has worked in the national and age-based women’s teams for a long time, will be coaching in the league for the first time. Bangladesh Army Sporting Club is a budding team but with a young coach, everyone is expecting a surprise. Old Dhaka’s Farashganj is the only established club in the nine-team league. Other teams are – Siraj Smriti Sangh, Uttara Football Club, Jamalpur Kacharipara XI, Dhaka Rangers and Sadyapuskarani.