Sundarban Bengal Auto FC: Unavailability of ground causes delay in preparation: Local talents impress Mehtab and Asim
MD Nijam Uddin Laskar is a successful businessman based in Baruipur, South 24 Parganas. Out of passion for football, Laskar used to make investments in building up teams for the ‘masala matches’ which used to be played around the districts. The 40-year-old businessman expresses his gratitude to former India international Mehtab Hossain for insisting on his joining the forthcoming Bengal Super League (BSL) as one of the franchise owners. So, Nizam Uddin and a couple of his friends initiated the foundation of a private limited company, Bengal Sports & Entertainment. Under the company’s banner, Sundarban Bengal Auto FC has been formed. The franchise has already registered 33 footballers. Among them, four foreigners will be recruited. One Ghanaian defender, Solomon, has already joined the team. Negotiations are on with two Brazilian and a Senegalese footballer. But Nizam revealed, “We were late in the team-building process. That is why we were getting a proper training ground, and we were even in a dilemma about selecting our home match in the BSL. We got a training ground finally near Baruipur, but that was a nine-sided ground and not up to the mark.” Chief coach Mehtab Hossain also had the same opinion as he commented, “We do not have a proper ground for training. Initiatives are underway to conduct a one-week preparatory camp on a better ground around in Kolkata before the League.” Still, he made noticeable appreciations for the local talents, already roped in for the franchise. “Around 10 local footballers have been recruited. I observed them for only a couple of days. But they are very promising. Especially, there is one boy named Sahil. He looked highly talented considering the basics of the game. If these boys are provided proper directions and are nurtured mentally, then they will grow a lot.” Return of another former India international, Asim Biswas, to the team as a mentor is also a significant incident. The 45-year-old striker, once called one of the most gifted footballers of Bengal, also had praise for the local talents, who joined the franchise. “The boys need to be nurtured properly, especially in the mental part. They look strong in the basics of the game, and it should be our advantage,” commented Asim. When asked about the team’s performance in the opening year, both Mehtab and Asim expressed the same motive, commenting, “Our aim will be to produce quality football. We cannot expect results from the boys in the opening season after short-term preparation.” Sundarban Auto Bengal FC will play their home match at Caning Stadium, which has a capacity of around 10 thousand spectators. Nizam also revealed that they have plans to develop memberships for the club through branding. “The investment in total will go nearly Rs 2.5 Crores. So, our aim is to earn sponsorships also through branding so that we can also make profits in the second season of the League,” added Nizam.
Sundarban Auto Bengal FC: Team lack quality ground for preparation: Mehtab and Asim impressed by local talents
Mohammed Nizamuddin Laskar is a successful businessman based in Baruipur, South 24 Parganas. Out of passion for football, Laskar used to make investments in building up teams for the ‘masala matches’ which used to be played around the districts. The 40-year-old businessman expresses his gratitude to former India international Mehtab Hossain for insisting on his joining the forthcoming Bengal Super League (BSL) as one of the franchise owners. So, Nizamuddin and a couple of his friends initiated the foundation of a private limited company, Bengal Sports & Entertainment. Under the company’s banner, Sundarban Auto Bengal FC has been formed. The franchise has already registered 33 footballers. Among them, four foreigners will be recruited. One Ghanaian defender, Solomon, has already joined the team. Negotiations are on with two Brazilian and a Senegalese footballer. But Nizam revealed, “We were late in the team-building process. That is why we were getting a proper training ground, and we were even in a dilemma about selecting our home match in the BSL. We got a training ground finally near Baruipur, but that was a nine-sided ground and not up to the mark.” Chief coach Mehtab Hossain also had the same opinion as he commented, “We do not have a proper ground for training. Initiatives are underway to conduct a one-week preparatory camp on a better ground around in Kolkata before the League.” Still, he made noticeable appreciations for the local talents, already roped in for the franchise. “Around 10 local footballers have been recruited. I observed them for only a couple of days. But they are very promising. Especially, there is one boy named Sahil. He looked highly talented considering the basics of the game. If these boys are provided proper directions and are nurtured mentally, then they will grow a lot.” Return of another former India international, Asim Biswas, to the team as a mentor is also a significant incident. The 45-year-old striker, once called one of the most gifted footballers of Bengal, also had praise for the local talents, who joined the franchise. “The boys need to be nurtured properly, especially in the mental part. They look strong in the basics of the game, and it should be our advantage,” commented Asim. When asked about the team’s performance in the opening year, both Mehtab and Asim expressed the same motive, commenting, “Our aim will be to produce quality football. We cannot expect results from the boys in the opening season after short-term preparation.” Sundarban Auto Bengal FC will play their home match at Caning Stadium, which has a capacity of around 10 thousand spectators. Nizam also revealed that they have plans to develop memberships for the club through branding. “The investment in total will go nearly Rs 2.5 Crores. So, our aim is to earn sponsorships also through branding so that we can also make profits in the second season of the League,” added Nizam.
17 red cards in a Copa Bolivia match! Police use tear gas
A football match in Bolivia was rocked by extensive violence, which witnessed a whopping 17 red cards given, and the police were forced to launch tear gas to suppress the chaos that ensued. The match was a Copa Bolivia quarterfinal, held between Blooming and Real Oruro. A big scuffle broke out after Oruro’s Sebastin Zeballos and Julio Vila were involved in physical altercations with the opposition team. Coach Marcelo Robledo allegedly confronted a member of the national team’s coaching contingent as well. With the scuffle turning ugly, police officers had to step in with tear gas to control the situation. The official match score sheet revealed that seven Blooming players were sent off while Oruro lost four. Members of the coaching staff also got sent off, taking the total number of reds to 17. A number of players are facing bans, too. Curiously, Zeballos was not admonished despite being the instigator of the fracas.
FPAI ties up with Rapid Sports Fitness for the footballers’ rehabilitation program
Looking forward to the health and welfare of the current and former Indian footballers, the Football Players Association of India (FPAI) has signed an MoU with Rapid Sport Fitness (RSF), based in Bengaluru. The amalgamation has been made primarily to provide high-quality rehabilitation services to players nationwide at an affordable rate. Citing an example, FPAI president Mehrajuddin Wadoo revealed, “If an RSF charges from a footballer Rs 2000 normally, then FPAI card-holder footballers will get the same treatment at a discounted rate of around Rs 600 or Rs 700.” FPAI has more than 500 card-holding footballers across the country currently. Interestingly, the organisation is also going to make a similar amalgamation with a Kolkata-based rehabilitation centre for the Kolkata-based footballers exclusively. Mehrajuddin added, “Not only the footballers of the p/resent generation, former India internationals like Alvito D’Cunha, Mehtab Hussain, have also been given FPAI cards so that they can also avail the modern system of rehabilitation program from this rehab centre.” A couple of renowned Indian footballers like Sunil Chhetri, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Chinglensana Singh, Ashalata Devi, and Sweety Devi were present at the recently held MoU signing event. They expressed strong support for the initiative and encouraged FPAI and other stakeholders to continue introducing such essential programs for the advancement of Indian football. Significantly, RSF has also been working with the men’s senior national football team as well as the women’s national team for the last couple of years
