Rajani Kanta Barman is a bright star in the country’s footballing sky, having captained Bangladesh in their maiden SAFF Championship title in 2003 – the only one till date. Rajani was also part of the Bangladesh team that bagged gold in 1999 South Asian Games. The ever-reliable defender called time as a professional footballer in 2016 and was involved in a brief coaching stint afterwards. In an exclusive interview with Sabbir Hossain of The Daily Star, Rajani looked back on the successful 2003 campaign, gave his views on the current state of the national team, and what the upcoming SAFF Championship might have in store for Bangladesh. The excerpts are as follows:
Rajani Kanta Barman is a bright star in the country’s footballing sky, having captained Bangladesh in their maiden SAFF Championship title in 2003 – the only one till date. Rajani was also part of the Bangladesh team that bagged gold in 1999 South Asian Games. The ever-reliable defender called time as a professional footballer in 2016 and was involved in a brief coaching stint afterwards. In an exclusive interview with Sabbir Hossain of The Daily Star, Rajani looked back on the successful 2003 campaign, gave his views on the current state of the national team, and what the upcoming SAFF Championship might have in store for Bangladesh. The excerpts are as follows: