The U-19 national football team’s preparation camp started on Thursday at the Shams-ul-Huda Football Academy in Hamidpur, a suburban area of Jashore. The camp will run until April 29. After that, the team will continue their training on the turf at BKSP.
A ceremony was organized to mark the beginning of the training. The event was attended by Deputy Commissioner Azaharul Islam as the chief guest. The event was presided over by Executive Member of the Academy Mohammad Shafiquzzaman. Special guests included Police Superintendent Rownak Jahan and President of Jashore Press Club Zahid Hasan Tukun. The welcome speech was delivered by the Academy’s Director Sheikh Shams-ul-Bari Shimul.
The camp was officially inaugurated by releasing balloons. After the inauguration, the players were divided into two teams and played a friendly match.
Following the match, players, the coach, and the manager answered various questions from journalists. They openly praised the facilities and beauty of the academy.
Team manager Jalal Uddin mentioned that the Bangladesh Football Federation arranged this out-of-Dhaka training camp in preparation for the upcoming SAFF Football Championship. He said, “We wouldn’t have been able to witness the beauty of this academy if we hadn’t come here. The environment and facilities are truly excellent.”
He added that the peaceful surroundings help players stay more focused during training.
Head coach Golam Rabbani Choton stated that, along with players from BFF Elite Academy and BKSP, some foreign players are also part of the camp. All of them were already active in the game. He expressed hope that they will bring good results for the country.
Currently, 35 players are training in the camp. From them, a final squad of 23 will be selected to represent Bangladesh in the U-19 SAFF Championship to be held in India.