Dhaka, April 30 (bdnews24.com) –Legendary footballer Kazi Salahuddin Wednesday took over as president of the Bangladesh Football Federation for a four-year term.
The former football superstar, who was elected president Monday, took over from outgoing president SA Sultan, and met the press before sitting with the members of the 21-member executive committee for the first time.
"We will love to see football in the field instead of on the table, and I promise you we will try to bring the previous glory back," Salahuddin told a full-house press conference at the BFF House.
"We will also try to transfer the excitement and enthusiasm we saw in the election onto the playground," the former national striker said, "Money is not a matter in developing football, and they will provide money anyhow."
Salahuddin wanted 7 to 10 days to let the nation know his plans as he realised that the sports arena, including each player and organiser, was looking at him to resurrect the near-dead football.
The footballer-turned-organiser said that he felt "no pressure and has taken his responsibility as a challenge."
Salahuddin also said that he wanted to look forward rather than remember matters that had earlier happened.
The 58-year old superstar said that there was no deviation in the committee though they were contesting the election from two separate panels and that he had already met with the newly elected members.
Former striker Salam Murshidi, elected senior vice president from Salahuddin's rival panel, said that the deviation ended following the elections as it was a part of democracy to contest splitting into two groups.
He said that they would work as a unit in future, and would implement all projects as directed by the BFF president.
Salahuddin also hoped that the unity among the members would remain unbroken at the end of the four-year stint.
Outgoing president SA Sultan urged the new committee to learn from the mistakes the previous committee made.
Newly elected vice presidents Manzoor Hossain Malu, Badal Roy, Shawkat Ali Khan Jahangir, Kazi Nabil and members Harun-or-Rashid, Anwarul Haq Helal, Sirajul Islam Bachchu, Sheikh Mohammad Aslam, Shafiquzzaman, Hasanuzzaman Bablu, Khurshid Babul, Golam Rabbani Helal, Fazlur Rahman Babul, Satyajit Das Rupu, Amirul Islam Babu, Asfaruzzaman Suhrab and Mahbubur Rahman Shahin were also present.
bdnews24.com/ar/rm /2005 hrs
