Junior Clean Mission: The SAFF Under-19 Championship will start on May 9 in Arunachal Pradesh, India. Bangladesh began their training for the tournament today. A total of 31 players have joined the camp at the Shams-ul-Huda Football Academy in Jessore, led by coach Golam Rabbani Chhotan. Among them are three players from abroad.
Even after 53 years of independence, the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) has not built a complete football academy. The Shamsul Huda Academy, a private initiative in Jessore, is well-equipped. It has good coaches, a nice field, clean rooms, food, and other necessary facilities.
Many players from this academy are now in the national team or playing in the top league. The Bangladesh U-19 team will train here for the next ten days. Since the matches in Arunachal will be on turf, the team will also train for a week at BKSP in Savar to prepare.
Coach Choton arrived last night and led a two-hour training session this morning at the academy ground. Known for guiding the Bangladesh women’s team to a clean sweep, this is his first time coaching the men’s team. Bangladesh won the last tournament, and Choton is aiming for the title again. He said, “Everyone expects them to reach the final and win. I believe the same. This team includes players from BPL, BCL, and the academy.”
Forward Nazmul Huda Faisal shared, “The academy’s environment, field, accommodation, and food are great. With good preparation, we’re hoping for positive results.”
To kick off the junior national team camp, the academy organized an official event. Sports officials and the local administration from Jessore were present. Junior team camps are usually held in Dhaka, and in the past 10 years, they’ve also been in Nilphamari, Gopalganj, and Sylhet—always at government facilities. This is the first time it’s being held at a private academy.
