It may sound like idle gossip that a person built the first stand of a stadium with the construction materials originally intended for the expansion of his own building, but that is what happened in 1953 in Jashore. It stands as a shining example of dedication towards sports from a selfless organiser named Shams-Ul-Huda, whose generosity and devotion extended to paying the salaries of office staff at Jashore District Sports Association (DSA) from his own pocket and quitting his insurance job to serve sports.

Huda, who served as general secretary of Jashore DSA from pre-liberation days until he breathed his last in 1987, thus served sports in Jashore for 40 years. Along with a legacy of invaluable contribution to the country's sport, Huda left behind an unfulfilled dream of creating a football academy, which he first thought of when the southern district became champions in the National Football Championship in 1976 in Chattogram.

Two decades after his departure, that dream came true as his son-in-law and sons took the initiative to create a football academy named after the prominent sports organiser. The Shams-Ul-Huda Football Academy started its activities from 2011 in a rented school ground in the village of Hamidpur, some three kilometres from the country's largest movie theatre, Monihar, in Jashore. It has since shifted to its own 35-bigha plot of land and has been gradually transforming into what is hoped will be a hub for producing talented footballers in the future.

Avid followers of the country's football may recognise Miraz Mollah, an striker of the Under-15 national team who struck four goals during the 2017 SAFF U-15 Championship, during which two other Shams-Ul-Huda FA graduates -- Arif Hossain Lal and Mohammad Shawdhin -- played in the starting eleven. Later, midfielder Shawdhin along with Mannaf Rabbi, also an academy striker, were picked for the preliminary squad of the senior national team by the then coach Andrew Ord. Another product of the academy -- defender Al Amin -- was in the Bangladesh squad that won the SAFF U-15 Championship this year, while some 10 to 12 players from the institution are currently playing for different clubs in the country's top-tier Bangladesh Premier League.

The junior players from the academy helped Bashundhara Kings qualify for the 3rd Division Football League from the Pioneer Football League in 2016. Abahani tasted its first youth trophy by fielding at least seven players from the Shams-Ul-Huda FA in the starting eleven in 2018. Arambagh Football Academy, featuring at least six players from the academy in the playing eleven, emerged champions in the 3rd Division Football League this year. The academy itself, under the banner of Rahul Smriti Sangsad, had finished in top place in the Jashore Premier Division Football League in 2018 with nine wins in nine matches.

This procession of quality players from a district town is certainly a positive advent in the country's football, and it has been possible because the academy operates on its own premises in a calm, quiet and idyllic environment in Hamidpur, although its players are currently accommodated in a rented building.

Bearing all the expenses of the academy behind the scenes is Radiant Pharmaceuticals Ltd chairman Nasser Shahrear Zahedee, Huda's son-in-law and nephew. At the moment the academy has  32 residential and 35 non-residential students.

“He [Huda] is my main inspiration. In my boyhood I found Jashore to be a fertile land for football -- three to five players always played for the national football team. There were even players from Jashore in the Swadhin Bangla Football team during the time of the Liberation War. I wanted to revive that legacy. Now you have seen that our academy students are getting picked in the national age-group teams regularly and their performances have been appreciated by all,” said Zahedee.

“There has been another reason to build this academy -- I want the academy to produce professional footballers, who really want to take football as their career,” said Zahedee. “I have a dream that my academy players will play in European leagues and take Bangladesh to the World Cup sometime in the future."

Shams-Ul-Bari Shimul, Huda's son and admin director of the academy, informed that they have already prepared two greenish grounds while an artificial-turf is expected to be installed soon on the third ground. Plans are also afoot for a dormitory, gymnasium, swimming pool, collegiate school, mosque, teacher and staff quarters and a tennis hostel to rent out for club and national teams.

Academy head coach Kazi Mahruf Hossain said that they have been selecting players from southern and northern districts through an annual talent hunt. They then provide a month-long training programme at the academy before finalising the selection. They also ensure a high standard by dropping unimpressive players from the academy regularly. The next talent hunt will be conducted on December 19.

“We can't provide training for footballers for two sessions a day because we don't have a school. They attend school in the morning and train in the afternoon. We have been trying to train the boys in a scientific way by emphasising on sports science as well as taking the players' age and physical condition into account,” said AFC C licensed coach Mahruf, who has a diploma in sports science from the BKSP.

It remains a singular example of dedication to sport that has transcended a generation. Just as he fulfilled his father-in-law's dream, it will be of great benefit to the country's sport if Zahedee's special dream is taken up by future generations as their own.