The Bangladesh Football Federation on Saturday approved three new teams for the forthcoming fourth edition of Bangladesh Championship League including a newly formed Saif Sporting Club.
A total of 12 clubs showed their interest to play in country’s second tier professional league but only three clubs — Chittagong Mohammedan Sporting Club, Karwan Bazar Pragati Sangha and Saif Sporting Club — fulfilled BFF’s conditions.
The decision was approved in an emergency meeting of the executive committee held at the BFF House on Saturday.
‘BFF’s Professional Football League Committee recommended those three names to the prime body,’ said BFF vice-president Kazi Nabil Ahmed after the meeting.
‘The federation also assessed all the documents of the club before taking the final decision.’
Nabil said Saif Sporting Club got some special consideration from the BFF due to their professional attitude.
‘It was not a new practice of including a new team who didn’t have any footballing background.
‘In the past, we allowed Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club and Team BJMC to play in the top tier league,’ said Nabil.
‘Like Jamal and BJMC, Saif Sporting Club also submitted their complete plans that satisfied us.’
Saif Sporting Club chairman, Tarafder Ruhul Amin, expressed his desire of making a fully professional sporting club.
‘This is the start and in future we will participate in several discipline under the banner of this club,’ Amin told New Age.
‘Our main goal is to bring professionalism in every step.
‘We will try to form a strong team for the BCL with only hope of becoming champions.’
BFF also said if two former Premier League outfits Cox City FC and Suktara Jubo Sangsad, who are interested to play in the BCL, can submit all the documents within a week, they will reconsider their requests.
Meanwhile, with the new inclusion, a total of eight teams will participate in the league, which will get underway from October 10 and the players transfer window for two-leg league will be held from September 18 to October 30.
Three new teams will join with five teams —Victoria Sporting Club, T&T Club, Fakirer Pool Young-Mans Club, Agrani Bank Limited Sporting Club and Police Football Club, who took part in the last edition.
The champions will be promoted to the next edition of Bangladesh Premier League and the bottom side will be relegated.
-With New Age input
