Former national striker Rokonuzzaman Kanchan is in the dark over his participation in the forthcoming domestic football league after his employers Muktijoddha Sangsad KC decided not to renew his contract. Kanchan, who has represented Muktijoddha for the last 12 years, is not only livid with his club for not renewing his contract but he also claimed that he and some other senior players are yet to be paid their previous season’s wages.
‘We respect the club’s decision about not picking us for the upcoming season. Maybe they found better replacements than us,’ said Kanchan on Tuesday.
‘But the club have not cleared our previous season’s wages. We want to inform the matter to the Ministry [of Liberation] through the media and we are looking forward to a solution,’ said Kanchan, who was once the highest paid footballer in domestic football.
Besides Kanchan, Muktijoddha are gearing up for next season without veterans like Biddyut, Faisal Mahmud, Pradip Barua and Tonmoy Hossain Taru.
Muktijoddha coach Shafikul Islam Manik said that he selected the players purely on the basis of their merit.
‘As a coach I have to build up the team on the basis of a player’s ability not emotion so, for this reason, I had to leave out some ageing players like Kanchan and Biddyut,’ said Manik before adding that, ‘I admit that they [Kanchan and Biddyut] have served Muktijoddha for a long time but they have to accept the reality.’
Meanwhile, a Muktijoddha official also admitted that they were yet to give the wages to some senior players.
‘We are not declining that several players are yet to be paid. However, the election of the central command council of Muktijoddha is imminent so in that case we are unable to pay their dues but we are trying our best,’ said Abdus Sattar, manager of Muktijoddha.
-With New Age input