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AFC to help BFF achieve its goals

Sports Reporter
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) will continue its support to Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) for the development of the game in the coun -try, promised AFC vice-president Manilal Fernando.
The Sri Lankan, who is also a FIFA development officer, was talking to reporters at the NSC Tower yesterday after handing over 3,000 footballs as gift of AFC president Mohammad Bin Hammam to National Sports Council (NSC) chairman and Army Chief General Moeen U Ahmed.
Manilal, however, arrived in
Dhaka on Tuesday night for a brief two-day visit along with Sri Lanka Football Federation's CEO Crysantha Perera to discuss about FIFA's second 'Goal project' in Bangladesh.
The FIFA is financing the BFF to build an artificial turf adjacent to the BFF Bhaban, which came as the first Goal project
The cost of the project, meanwhile, has increased and Manilal said FIFA has given green signal to the BFF to get the additional fund from sponsors.
"The FIFA has agreed that the BFF will find the money to meet the increased cost and we will complete the work. We hope to start it in March and it would take three to four
months to complete it. Once we start, we are not going to stop halfway," he said.
"After this we are going to complete the Barisal training centre. Once that is over, we will talk about the next goal project."
A training centre in Barisal wall be built under the stunami fund and a tender will be floated in February. The 2.5-lakh dollars budget, however, is not enough for a complete academy.
"Yes, the Barisal Academy won't be full-fledged with this fund. However, we will start part one, which is better than having no part at all," replied Manilal to a question.
When asked, he said that the AFC was satisfied about
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the activities of the BFF's 8-month old new executive committee.
"So far we are satisfied with the BFF activities. I have come to sec their 2009 planning and what we can do to help them achieve their goal. That is the purpose of my visit.
' vVe are Intending helping Bangladesh little more than we have done before. We'll discuss about further help to BFF, and it depends on what they want. Definitely we like to see Bangladesh succeed and we will help them achieve it."
Manila! will visit BKSP tomorrow 'to see how the youth training is going on and also take ideas as Sri Lanka is likely to build a sports institution following this model.
With the prospect of a third 'Goal project' coming to Bangladesh in the future. BFF president Kazi Salahuddin said ne was interested in increasing facilities, not buildings.
"Basically all we need is academy, institution or school type training grounds. We don't need buildings, we need grounds and proper training Facilities," he said.
"We have discussed about the next project but die problem is the FIFA will give one by one. So, I have placed a request for the third goal project after the Barisal centre is done. They have made commitment -- direct or indirectly -- that we will get it. They are happy that football has started in Bangladesh and appreciate that.
"The cost to build the turf has increased by 90,000 to 1 lakh dollars and now we have to find our sources."