History-makers Kings playing a different ball-game

After referee Symoon Hasan Sunny blew the final whistle following Bashundhara Kings' 2-1 win against Mohammedan in Mymensingh yesterday, ensuring the Kings' historic fifth consecutive title of the Bangladesh Premier League, two-goal hero Dorielton Gomes sunk to his knees before laying on the ground, thanking the heavens for what they had just achieved.

It was an unprecedented achievement in Bangladesh's top-tier football, beating the feat of Dhaka Wanderers who had won four consecutive league titles in the 1950s, but there was not much overt expression of joy, neither from Dorielton nor from his teammates. It almost felt like business as usual for the modern-day powerhouse of Bangladesh football for they have turned the Bangladesh Premier League into an almost one-horse race since making debut in the 2018-19 season.

Later the players and club officials celebrated the victory at the Rafique Uddin Bhuiyan Stadium wearing blue jerseys, with the word 'Champions' emblazoned in bold letters on the front of the shirts, reflecting the conviction and the determination of the team to win the title at the home ground of their nearest rivals Mohammedan, the only team that had beaten Kings the whole season.

"We could come here today to fight for just a draw and knowing that one more point next week would be enough, but we were clear that we were here to win," Oscar Bruzon, the chief architect of all five of Kings' league titles, relayed this sentiment while talking to reporters after the victory.

This winning mentality and professionalism are what perhaps set Kings apart from the rest of the clubs in Bangladesh's top-flight football.

Kings, arguably the most financially solvent club of the country, set a few benchmarks in the country's football even outside of the football field. Since the beginning when Kings plied in the Bangladesh Championship for one season, the club tried to follow the path of elite clubs in the world, setting up their own dormitories and gym facilities for the players. Gradually the club set up their own practice ground and their own stadium -- a novelty in Bangladesh's sports fraternity – to further stamp their mark on domestic football.

There are other clubs though that may rival Kings on financial front, namely, Abahani, Sheikh Jamal and Sheikh Russel, but those clubs have fallen by the wayside in recent years despite splurging a good amount on player recruitment.

Sanat Babla, a veteran sports journalist of the country currently leading the sports team in Shokalshondha.com, has followed the club's activities and performances from very close. He feels

"Credit must be given to the club for managing the players so well, taking care of their health as well as their finances. I haven't heard of any payment issues about Kings, something which is not uncommon in our football. They also take the best care of their players in terms of medical issues and fitness, opting to not field a player even in a crucial match if there is slight issue with his fitness," the journalist told The Daily Star.

Bashundhara Kings' president Imrul Hasan feels discipline is the key factor that keeps the team united and forges the path to continued success.

"A lot of clubs can have good teams. But we are always very strict in maintaining discipline, which keeps the players physically and mentally fit and committed for the club," Hasan told The Daily Star last night. "In the first one or two seasons, we did not have that great a team since we were new in this field and did not have the proper insight into transfer market. We did not have an outright target of winning the title, yet ended up as winners because of the discipline and the commitment of the management."

The club had already set a unique example last year when it suspended three key players for various terms over a serious breach of discipline and monetarily fining two others.

While similar digressions by players had previously been swept under the carpet by other clubs, Kings took a no-compromise policy, even at the risk of jeopardising the club's prospects in domestic and international competitions.

While Kings may seem unparalleled when it comes to domestic football, they tend to fall short on the international stage, having been eliminated from the group stages of the AFC Cup four times in a row.

That is one area the club might have to shift focus on with better planning next season while their immediate focus shifts to the Federation Cup, where they are two wins away from regaining the title and becoming only the second club to clinch a domestic treble.