SA SULTAN

Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) president SA Sultan wished to be active again and complete the election of the federation by the April 30 deadline. But he was unsure which way things would precede in the next two months.
"We have had enough complications so far (about the election) and if there is no further obstacles, it is possible to hold the polls by April," Sultan said at a press briefing at the NSC conference room yesterday.
Sultan, who said on December 30 he would not continue as president of the federation for personal reasons after his resignation was rejected by the FIFA, told he has decided to do his duties till the election.
The BFF chief, however, opened his lone briefing -- he had no BFF colleagues to accompany him -- apologising to the sports journalist community for his harsh remarks made on the media on December 12, 2007 in a letter to the chairman of National Sports Council and Army Chief General Moeen U Ahmed.
"The media cannot be controlled without 'exchange' and we haven't indulged in this," Sultan had commented in the written statement last year adding: "The politically motivated media and a certain government official have launched a propaganda blitz against us (BFF)."
Admitting it as an unforced error, Sultan told the press that as a member of a journalistic family, he regretted his remarks.
"To err is human and I am no exception. I feel that I hurt the whole media and I had done it without realising then. I hope the community will see this with forgiveness."
He did not linger on the matter for very long and concentrated on what could be the future of Bangladesh football.
Sultan informed that he will lead the four-member delegation, which met AFC president Mohammad Bin Hammam last month, to Kuala Lumpur this week for another meeting.
"The AFC has invited us for another meeting with Hammam on March 7 and it has instructed us not to set a date for an extra-ordinary general meeting (EGM) before that."
He hoped this meeting would give a solution to make a way to remove the barriers around the election.
"In the last meeting, the AFC clarified that the district football associations (DFA) can't be members of the BFF but the divisions can. In fact, we had emphasised the involvement of the districts on FIFA and AFC instructions. I think there is a gap between the thoughts of BFF and FIFA and the AFC," he opined.
When reminded that with only three divisional football associations being formed before the BFF set deadline, half the districts would not be able to be represented at the BFF, he said that it would be one of the things they would discuss.
"I have no idea what they (FIFA, AFC) are thinking, so it is difficult to predict what solution they will give us this time. If there is a new directive, we will face a tight schedule to complete the election in time."
Sultan said he had no wish to participate in the election and it was also what his family wants.
"I confess that I have failed to float a sinking federation. Money was a problem and we got just Tk 70 lakh from the National Sports Council in five years instead of Tk 3 crore. Before I go, I will draw a plan to build a total football academy where kids would be groomed properly. There is alternative but to go the roots to save football.
"It needs government support and I believe if we get a piece of land, which is almost at hands, with the help of the AFC's third 'Goal Project', we can build an academy where eight-year-old boys would be made footballers. But we have to give them education and incentive from the start so their families send them to play football.
"It will also need a regular fund to run this project. The government must find a way to solve this financial crisis. It would not do miracle though but in 10-15 years, we would be able to make football a golden product so sponsors find interest in the game."