Bangladesh is currently enjoying remarkable success in age-group football. The red and green side have been crowned SAFF Under-20 men’s champions for the second consecutive time after defeating India. The women’s team, meanwhile, have qualified for the final round of the AFC Under-20 Women’s Asian Cup for the first time. Although they lost their first two matches in their debut appearance, the performances of players like Sagarika and Arpita have impressed football fans. Such achievements at youth level have inspired fresh hope among supporters.
Amid this progress, the country’s popular club Bashundhara Kings have delivered another piece of good news. They have been invited to participate in the Hurai Cup Under-16 men’s tournament in China this October, and the club management has accepted the invitation. Beyond team success, the club launched an academy last year to develop young footballers. Bashundhara Kings are the only club in Bangladesh’s history to take such an initiative.
To revitalise football in the country and address the shortage of players, the club undertook this major programme under the direction of Bashundhara Group Chairman Ahmed Akbar Sobhan. The initiative has been praised not only in Bangladesh but across South Asian football. A clear reflection of this is the invitation to the Hurai Cup—an event that has drawn considerable attention—where Kings will be the only club from South Asia. The tournament will be held in Zhangzhou, China, from 1 to 8 October, featuring eight Chinese clubs in the Under-16 international competition.
Renowned European clubs such as Germany’s Borussia Dortmund, the Netherlands’ PSV and Feyenoord, and Portugal’s Sporting CP will take part, alongside South American giants São Paulo of Brazil and River Plate of Argentina. Apart from host nation China, Bashundhara Kings will be the only Asian club in the tournament. These clubs operate football academies to recruit talent from the grassroots level, and it was the Kings’ youth development programme that caught the attention of the organisers, leading to this first-ever invitation for a Bangladeshi club.
Bashundhara Kings President Imrul Hasan said, “The regular participation of youth teams from globally recognised clubs in the Hurai Cup demonstrates the tournament’s credibility and popularity. We thank the organisers for inviting Bashundhara Kings. We have decided to take part and will begin preparations as soon as possible. Since last year, we have been providing specialised training to players of different age groups and have already organised internal competitions to assess their progress. Encouragingly, we have identified several players who have the potential to become top footballers in the future. Although we have not yet introduced a residential camp, the response has been overwhelming. We are also planning to organise age-based tournaments in the country, which will help us further evaluate our trainees. Receiving an invitation to play in China even before that is a significant boost.”
He added, “The tournament fixtures or groupings have not yet been finalised, so it is not certain whom Kings will face. However, all participating clubs are renowned in their own right. Many world-class players began their journeys in such youth teams. Bashundhara Kings will now compete against them. This will not only motivate our young players but also inspire them to improve, which will ultimately benefit the country. The team will participate in the tournament after the World Cup, and the European and South American teams involved will represent nations competing at the highest level. Playing against them will be a valuable and enjoyable experience.”
Abu Zobayer Nipu, Technical Director of Bashundhara Kings and head of youth training, said, “The club authorities have asked me to build a strong team, as the Hurai Cup, despite being a youth tournament, features age-group sides from world-famous clubs. I believe this is a huge opportunity for our players—not only to compete but also to learn. Facing teams like Dortmund, PSV, São Paulo or River Plate at any level is no small matter; it is also a matter of fortune. China is also a strong footballing nation. I hope this tournament will give our players the confidence to pave their way towards becoming future stars. We plan to start the Under-16 camp from August. We already have some idea about the players’ quality from our internal tournaments and hope to field a competitive side in the Hurai Cup.”
Bashundhara Kings Media Manager Ahmed Shaaek said, “Receiving an invitation to the Hurai Cup is undoubtedly a major achievement. I believe not only Kings but Bangladesh football as a whole will benefit from this tournament.”
Bd-pratidin English/ ANI
