Anisur Rahman

When it comes to the country’s gymnastics, Bangladeshi descent Margarita Mamun has perhaps been the lone consolation amid Bangladesh’s never-ending failure in the Olympic Games and, at the same time, she has likely been the sole source of inspiration for the country’s gymnasts.

Robson Robinho was one of the major architects behind Bashundhara Kings’ domestic double in his debut season in Bangladesh football, scoring 24 goals.

The Daily Star (DS): What was your first impression of Bangladesh?

Before the departure of the national football team for Jakarta on Friday for their FIFA friendly against Indonesia and the ensuing Asian Cup Qualifiers in Malaysia, the national team’s head coach Javier Cabrera remained optimistic about their chances despite the absence of experienced forwards in his squad.

Bangladeshis are more familiar with amateur boxing, which they have competed in during different games like Olympics, Asian Games, South Asian Games and Commonwealth Games.

Bangladesh Premier League champions Bashundhara Kings’ 4-0 capitulation against Indian Super League outfit ATK Mohun Bagan in the AFC Cup -- which came just a month after Abahani lost 3-1 to the same side -- may have shocked spectators, but both matches highlighted the gulf in quality between players of Bangladesh and India at the international level.

“Because my father, who was a farmer, did a lot to empower me to pursue my dreams, I asked him to stop working and rely on me since I am earning handsome amounts by playing football,” Chittagong Abahani midfielder Sohel Rana said as he spoke of his father.

This particular story begins from around 2018, even though the protagonist's story was set into motion much earlier. It was around four years ago when Abu Saied, son of an average farmer, had refused to succumb to his father's demands at a pivotal juncture of his life and, instead, chose the more risky road, one that is less traversed by, a route which is all but forbidden to most as the long and arduous trek through the forest of dreams happens to be filled with thorny uncertainties.  

Bangladesh’s reliable centre-back Tapu Barman boasts the experience of playing under a number of foreign coaches at the club level and the national team.

 “Having offered prayer at the mosque in the morning, I could not have sweetmeats like semai, payes or firni. Instead, I had usual breakfast at the hotel,” Bangladesh national football team striker Nabib Newaj Jibon recalled with anguish the memories of the Eid that he had to spend away from home while on tour to Laos for the first leg of the 2022 FIFA World Cup and 2023 AFC Asian Cup Preliminary Joint Qualification in June 2019.

Oscar Bruzon, who has coached in Spain, India, Maldives and Bangladesh, has reached a milestone of guiding Bashundhara Kings in 100 games  as they played against Swadhinata Krira Sangha on Sunday. The Spaniard, apart from working as the head coach of Bangladesh national football team, had already steered Kings to two Bangladesh Premier League, two Federation Cup and one Independence Cup since he took over in 2018. The 44-year-old coach talked to The Daily Star's Anisur Rahman and expressed his views on different aspects of the game. The excerpts of the interview are as follows: 

39-year-old Afusi shared his past experiences and goals for the second phase of the league with The Daily Star’s Anisur Rahman. The excerpts are below:

The Daily Star (DS): How was your maiden coaching experience long after retiring from football?

Match-fixing in Bangladesh’s domestic football is nothing new, something that keeps rearing its ugly head almost every season.

Having once buried their dreams of becoming footballers, Shankar Bagti Madhu, Anik Deb Barma Shuvon and Rony Mia Habib settled for working as day labourers at tea garden, agricultural field and on the bank of river to help their respective families earn bread and butter, but dreams, more often than not, find their ways into fulfilment. A little push or a helping hand, sometimes, is all it takes to land on the highway of dreams.  

Even in its 14th year, the Bangladesh Premier League is struggling to find its identity in the world of professional football. After being

Unlike the prevailing scenario nowadays, many disciplines had a place in the country’s sporting arena in the past and regularly produced stars that would hog the national spotlight.

Crisp passing, brilliant dibbling, coordinated attacks through either flanks and tight defending resulted in truly scintillating performances for Bangladesh on way to clinching the title of the SAFF U-19 Women Championship, but it was far from an easy task for the girls, who had to cross multiple hurdles to reach these heights.

Margarita Mamun (MM): It is my first visit after the Rio Olympic Games and I’m really happy and amazed to have received such a warm welcome from Bangladeshi people. I’m really happy to be here with my family. My mother is here, after 15 years, as well as my husband and our two-year-old son, who are here for the first time.

As the 13th edition of the South Asian football extravaganza concluded last night in Male, Bangladesh’s football fraternity should buckle up to thoroughly reflect on what transpired in the latest SAFF Championship for the country who last featured in the final of the prestigious tournament 16 long years ago.