If the main talk of the town was the World Cup final, then the 3.5km long German flag in rural Bangladesh was not far behind. As the tension of the final escalated with people running to use prediction powers of an octopus or a camel to get an idea about who might win in the end – Germany or Argentina – Bangladesh, a small country, almost insignificant in the global football map, was also news, thanks to a villager called Amjad from Magura.
To cut a long story short, Amjad used medicine brought from Germany to treat an ailment and, after recovery, became a German football team fan for life. So much is his passion for the team that with the Germans reaching the finals this time, Amjad took his fervent support one degree forward, selling part of his land to sponsor the massive flag, which is possibly the largest fan flag of the German team.
Is that a record we are looking at? Surely! And, if in the finals the Germans come on top, then Amjad’s euphoria will be doubled. Already he is the talk of the country as German diplomats went to Magura to see this avid supporter and the fruit of his love.
All this is good and well publicised, but the interesting thing is that with people like Amjad and many others who could not pay for something spectacular but have followed their team’s progress with equal passion, the sport of the world has truly broken social barriers.
Several TV channels sponsored Farmers’ World Cup through games featuring Brazil and Argentina fans in the villages, providing live coverage. The aim was to make football World Cup fever an inclusive joy, not confined within the cities. While the sole objective was to give a new dimension to the fun of the tournament, there is of course a profound impact which is not apparent immediately – the rejuvenation of football which, within the domestic circuit, is almost in a comatose state.
If football has to relive its lost excitement, then bringing Argentina and some other top team to Bangladesh for a friendly match won’t bring any results. Such extravaganza will only add to the bank balance of certain quarters, leaving our football where it is – in the rubbish bin. Just to share an interesting fact: During the second phase of the World Cup, local giants – Abahani and Mohammedan – faced each other in the domestic league in what was once called the Dhaka Derby.
This time there was a record in the match – less than 100 people were present. Goes to show where our game stands. Juxtapose this with the absurd observation made by some about the goal of Bangladesh to play in the 2022 World Cup. Of course the given rationale for such a lofty ambition was that if a goal is to be set then it has to be the World Cup. We say, even when goals are set, practical sense must not be abandoned in the heat of the moment.
An Indian football fan was asked recently about football in India along with future aspirations, when Atletico Kolkata, an Indian premier division football team co-owned by Sourav Ganguly, Sanjiv Goenka, and the Spanish La Liga’s Atletico Madrid was launched. He bluntly said India can only play if they host the World Cup because though India has won the regional championship more than other teams, the Indian team cannot assert to be the best in South Asia anymore. Now that is the observation of a sensible person who understands the realities.
To be blunt, holding the Farmers’ World Cup in the villages by dividing Brazil and Argentina fans into two sides has done more to revive the interest in the game than many impetuous comments about how Bangladesh can come out of a rut.
Accept the reality – if we are to get new football players, then the focus must be in the villages and the districts because this game, which does not require too much money, is still the sport of choice in rural Bangladesh.
As it is, our parents in the cities never inspire their children who show sporting acumen to pursue sports as a career. That means many youngsters who have potential plus the financial backing are forced to give up sports.
Then, there is the cricket mania which rightfully supersedes other sports because we play cricket with the best, often beating the top sides with ease. Stands to reason, those who decide to take up sports as a career will choose cricket over everything else.
One does not have to be a national team player, in current day cricket there’s enough money even in the first division teams, so a player can earn a healthy income by remaining the non-poster boy cricketer all his life.
In such a state, football stars of the future have to come from villages where cricket is still seen as a game involving expensive products. Amjad, the Farmer’s World Cup, and the special spotlight on football mania in rural Bangladesh will inject much needed fervour in the game, inspiring some rural dreamer to seriously take up the sport.
However, the main drive must come from the football authorities, not the TV channels and the media. The media has shown the way by opening a new aspect of the game, the football bosses need to follow up on that. Take football to the districts and the corners of Bangladesh, carry out mass scouting, and bring out some potential players to be trained at BKSP.
Don’t, for God’s sake, bring international teams for friendly matches to Bangladesh under the lame tagline – this will rejuvenate the game in the country. No, it will only fatten the bank balances of some already fatted cows while our football remains stuck in the mud.
Source: Dhaka Tribune
