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Development is all talk and no walk
This is the second part of the two-part exclusive interview of sacked Brazilian coach Edson Silva Dido with ^ht fkSly Star Sport's Quazi Zulqiiamain Islam where he talks about the Bangladesh Football Federation's (BFF) misdirected development agendas, dearth of productivity and lack of accountability; factors which prevented him from being able to carry out concrete plans for Bangladesh's development as a football nation.
The Daily Star Sport (DSS): What do you think is the biggest detriment to development of football in this country?
Edson Silva Dido (Dido): The first problem is that people in charge of development here only look, under their noses. They lack the farsightedness that is necessary, which leads me to believe that they don't understand the concept of development. Development starts long before you kick the ball in the field. It starts with small children and with coaches who can work with young players to teach them the basic skills.
DSS: But surely the BFF have some ideas in the pipeline?
Dido: Yes, they have big' ideas, but nothing is structured. For example, they start a school tournament and tag it as development. Come on. that is not development. 1 asked Shantoo IShahidur Rahmanl at that time, who is coaching these kids from the school? The history teachers? What use is that? Also, take the example of the academy in Sylhet. The idea at this moment is so far fetched.
DSS:... why so?
Dido: Consider the football standards. The money for an academy can be better spent elsewhere. 1 say if needed close the doors and stop the football. Select twenty coaches, send them to Brazil, Argentina or Europe and ask them to return and disseminate their knowledge amongst a wider audience.
DSS: So did you not put forward some ideas to the development committee?
Dido: Let me put it this way, in the whole time that 1 was here, the development committee did not have one single meeting with me. You would have thought that they would think that this guy knows maybe even a little bit. But I was never approached for an opinion. All the development projects 1 undertook where of my own accord.
DSS: What kind of projects?
Dido: See I dream big. I had a number of ambitious projects and programs in place which I had communicated to (Kazi) Salahuddin. For example, 1 had a
plan of selecting a number of young players and taking them to camp in South America for a few years. These plans were at a pretty advanced stage and I had everything mapped out. I tell you if this had materialized Bangladesh would have been up there with the best in the region if not in Asia in five years time.
DSS: You think so?
Dido: Absolutely. In a country with so much potential in terms of human resource and players it's just shocking to see so many good players go to waste because of the lack of knowledge of the committees and coaches. Good roots give rise to good trees. You don’t have that here, because people keep tagging certain players as good, when they are part of a museum. Football changes every year and you have to adjust accordingly.
DSS: Did you make any progress with these projects?
Dido: Like I said, Salahuddin was aware of these projects. And he supported the idea as well. We also had some informal discussions with some big multinational corporations to sponsor the idea. There was also a production company in South America who were willing to share some of the costs. It would have cost about $600,000 altogether, which is not really much for these big firms and also if you look at the bigger picture.
DSS: So you think the current development agenda is misdirected?
Dido: Completely. See the key about development is to sacrifice three years initially and then gain ten years of success. That is a point I could not get across. Even in the SAFF Championships, when have these 'star players’ last won anything? In 2003. That's six years ago. What's the use of taking relics to a tournament? Where is the development in that? Even if you lose, lose with young players, who can then put the experience to good use.
DSS: ... but the SAFF Championships is like the World Cup for the region.
Dido: Understandable, but if it's so important, then how come you have only three weeks time for preparation?
DSS: So how do you propose we make changes?
Dido: The media has the biggest role on this. For better or worse they have a great deal of influence. Crack down on people who are in charge of all of this, the interest groups who are wary of real development, the people who have no real output, the people who are scared of real development
because that will mean no place for them. Nothing personal, just check the work that they are doing and you will find some tough truths. They cannot show you a single project or a program they have no targets and no goals. It's like a balloon with just air, there is no substance. Only Salahuddin has some substance.
DSS: So there is a lot of deadweight at the BFF?
Dido: Absolutely. The whole place is so unproductive. That's the whole truth. Every time 1 go in this building, I feel sick. It stinks in every corner. There is no productivity, people don't work there. They do nothing. The last few days when I go to BFF, people like Badal Roy and [Satyajit Das) Rupu hide in their rooms because they do not want to face me. because they feel embarrassed. When 1 went to Salahuddin's room after my sacking Badal Roy did not even speak to me. He just left. There are a lot people who know how to criticize a bad player not how to criticize themselves for not correcting the player when he was young.
DSS:... you mean there Is a lack of accountability?
Dido: Overall, yes. I have met a lot of great Bangladeshi people, who are willing to make changes, to step out and make reforms. But there are very few people like that in the BFF. Most of them have got used to this beggar mentality of doing things. Always looking for someone to do things for them and not initiating anything. And then there are people who think they know everything. It's important to know your limitations. Let me tell you this, what Rupu knows about football development is equal to what Dido knows about Japanese. Zero.
DSS: What will you miss most about Bangladesh football?
Dido: Not much to be honest, except the players. Even a lot of those I had not picked. They keep sending me supportive messages. I feel bad for the likes of Shahed, Mamun Mia, Al-Amin, Mishu, Reza all really good players who cannot play because the people who look at them cannot see how good they actually are. I fear these players will be lost.
DSS: Any final words from Edson Silva Dido?
Dido: 1 feel sorry for those people who genuinely love football. Bangladesh should have a bright future in football, but 1 fear that the interest groups and people in the federation who have no idea of what development truly constitutes will put out that light.