Unlike the previous edition, there will be cash awards for the two finalists of the Bangabandhu Gold Cup, informed Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) officials yesterday. The champion team will get 50,000 dollars and the runners-up team will receive 25,000 dollars while there will be trophies awarded to individual performers, according to BFF general secretary Abu Nayeem Shohag.
“The champion team will get 50,000 dollars while the runners-up team will receive 25,000 dollars. The champion team will only take a replica of the trophy while the original trophy, which is being prepared with 21 bhori gold, will stay with the game's governing body,” Shohag said during a press conference held at the BFF House yesterday.
In the last edition, the champion and runners-up teams had only received trophies and there were no cash awards apart from participation money for the teams.
Meanwhile, the Dhaka leg of the eight-team tournament has been rescheduled, the BFF spokesman informed, with the final now taking place on January 22 instead of previously scheduled January 20.
The eight remaining matches of the group stages will be held from tomorrow up to January 16, with each day featuring two matches. The semifinals will be held on January 18 and 19 and the final will kick off at 5:00pm on January 22.
Nepal will take on Sri Lanka in the first match of the Dhaka leg at 3:00pm tomorrow, and that match will be followed by the one between Bangladesh national team and Felda United representing Malaysia. All the matches of the Dhaka leg will be held at the Bangabandhu National Stadium.
“Like the previous edition, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will witness the final and hand over the prizes. Since the Prime Minister did not have any time slot available before that date [Jan 22], we had to reschedule the matches,” Shohag said while explaining the reason for rescheduling.
Meanwhile, BFF president Kazi Salahuddin has hoped that the next editions of this tournament will be more glamorous so that it becomes a tournament which will be recognised at international level.
“We are introducing cash awards at this edition, and hopefully we will arrange the tournament with more teams, and better one, so that the tournament becomes an international attraction,” Salahuddin told reporters at his office.
“I believe the level of competition has increased from the last edition. However, we have had some complications regarding the venue. I was also surprised to find the odd infrastructure of the stadium in Jessore [Shamsul Huda Stadium]. We will try to make sure that these types of complications don't arise in future,” said the BFF boss.
Source: The Daily Star
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