The league that has produced numerous stars like Monem Munna, Rummon Bin Wali Sabbir, Samrat Hossain Emily, Imtiaz Ahmed Nakib, and Jakir Hossain is all set to return to business after a three-year hiatus as the Pioneer Football League gets re-inaugurated today at the Birshreshtha Shaheed Mostafa Kamal Stadium.
The Dhaka City Corporation (DCC), which had earlier sponsored the league three times in 2003-04, 2006 and 2007 seasons following the crisis of sponsors, once again has come forward to sponsor the U-16 league and promised to continue it for the next 10 years providing Tk 25 lakh for each of the edition. DCC mayor Sadek Hossain Khoka, one of founders of the Dhaka Metropolis Football League Committee, has a key role in reviving the Pioneer League this time through Dhaka City Corporation.
Some 80 teams, split into five zones, will play the matches at 10 different venues and the top three finishers will be promoted to the third division league. The matches of the group-phase will be played after December 16, Victory Day, said a league committee official.
The Pioneer League has a lot of history in this country. It got underway with 160 teams taking part in qualification in 1980 and FIFA president João Havelange was overwhelmed to see so many clubs taking part in the league when he came to Bangladesh to inaugurate the 1983 edition of the tournament.
But, the BFF failed to keep the tempo and virtually overlooked a league that had last produced star likes Alfaz Ahmed, Jewel Rana, Gaus, Masud Rana and Roxy.
Not only the players; club likes Sheikh Russel KC, Jatrabari KC, Badda Jagarani, Mohakhali Ekadosh, Sun Rise SC, Dipali Jubo Sangho, Basabo Tarun Sangha, T&T Club also flourished in the country’s top-level competitions after enrolling their names to the Pioneer League.
With the reluctance or lack of sponsors, the federation failed to hold the league regularly and missed a total of nine seasons in 30 years.
