Super Cup March 11-27:
Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) has decided to launch its mega tournament Super Cup on March 11.
Scheduled for a March 6 start, the eight-team event has been delayed by five days due to the recent massacre at the Bangladesh Rifles headquarters.
The country's governing body of football, which wants to make this big-budgeted tournament a success, believes that the current situation would calm down by the time the top eight teams of the recently concluded B. League lock horns for the Tk one-crore championship prize.
"We have considered the current situation before taking this decision. That's why we have delayed it. Now we are eying to complete the tournament by March 27 because we have no other option," said BFF member and tournament committee chairman Harunur Rashid after yesterday's BFF executive meeting at the BFF Bhaban.
"All the clubs have started preparation and some of them have also recruited new foreign players for the tournament. Also, we have to give the national team enough preparation time under the new coach (Edson Dido Silva) for next month's AFC Challenge Cup qualifiers at home," said the ex-BFF general secretary defending their decision.
Some claimed that with the unrest virtually coming to an end, the tournament could have been started on schedule.
But BFF president Kazi Salahuddin thinks otherwise.
In reply to a question from reporters whether the federation had any directive or suggestion from the government about the delay, Salahuddin said: "Our own conscience told us not to start it now. It is just a tournament and there is no harm in delaying it for a few days. I hope that this small period will help people calm their grievances," said the BFF president.
Salahuddin also dismissed ideas that the timing of the event clashing with Pakistan's tour of Bangladesh will affect the tournament.
"We are not competitors with cricket but if someone says so, there is no need to lose before start of the game. There is no need to play if we are going out with negative minds.
"Two games have different flavours and I believe both have separate fans too. It would also be a test for us as we would be able to know where we actually stand.
"We need at least five days for promotion of the tournament through media. We could not take preparations for the past few days, so we need that time now," he said explaining why the BFF could not stick to the original starting schedule of March 6.
"We still have nine days and hope there would be enough time to make people aware (of this tournament)."
The BFF has already engaged an event management firm for the Super Cup and there would be songs and video footages of domestic football for advertisements.
Not only big prizes for teams -- the winners take Tk one crore and the runners-up Tk 25 lakh -- booters would also be encouraged. It was learned that the most valuable player will receive a car.
The tournament committee, meanwhile, has finalised the format and bylaws and sent it to the clubs.
According to the B. League standings, champions Abahani will be pitted against Sheikh Russel, Chittagong Mohammedan and Rahmatganj while runners-up Mohammedan lead the other group involving Brothers Union, Farashganj and Chittagong Abahani.
The top two teams from each group will play in two-legged semifinals for a final berth while the remaining four compete for the Plate trophy.
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