Leaving football for a living

FAISAL AHMED

Since promising faces of the SAFF U-16 championship's winning squad such as Sarwar Zaman Nipu, Saad Uddin and Biswanath Ghosh show signs of flourishing in the top-flight professional football league, it comes as a big surprise to all that one of them has given up on the game in search of a living. The one in question is none other than Faisal Ahmed, the goalkeeper who helped Bangladesh win the title by thwarting the last penalty shot against India in August last year, who now plans to join Bangladesh Police as a constable.

Soon after their success, the members of the squad were promised long-term training by the game's governing body, but no such steps have been taken as of yet.

Even though the goalkeeper from Sunamganj could not be reached for comment, it is understood that he made the choice to change careers when left with no opportunity to play anywhere. “If football can't provide him meal [rice], why should he keep playing? I sent him to the Police to earn his bread and butter,” Faisal’s father Kiron Mia said, as quoted in a media report.

Out of the 23-member squad, six players – Nipu, Saad, Biswanath, Shaown Hossain, Khalil Bhuiyan, Jahangir Alam Sajib – are with Bangladesh Premier League outfits while another member, Atiqur Rahman, plies his trade for the Bangladesh Championship League outfit Victoria SC.   

After completion of the SAFF U-16 Championship, eight players returned to BKSP while the rest looked for opportunities to play at different clubs at district level as well as in Dhaka.