The Bhutanese Leading the way.
Bhutan Football Federation (BFF) plans to make football the most popular sports in the next five years.
“It is BFF’s dream to make other regional teams take Bhutan seriously and play their best game to beat us. Give us five years and we will prove it,” said the BFF president Ugyen Tshechup. To make it happen, BFF is already in talks with FIFA and AFC
In a press conference yesterday with local journalists, the federation announced that the launch of Bhutan National League (BNL) and the grassroots Program are up its sleeve to achieve this objective. BNL will be sponsored by stakeholders like beverage giant coco-cola funding more than Nu 0.1mn, Zimdra and many others.
A BFF spokesperson said Youth grassroots programs ensure continuity of footballers as veteran players might become ‘complacent’. The program will therefore try to make the younger lot look at a future with ‘bright hopes’.
Youth grassroots program has two centers in Thimphu that houses 60 football players and one in Gelephu that houses 40 players.
“Parents don’t take it seriously nor the children take football as a serious profession, we want them to look at football with bright hopes. We will build foundation for a very vibrant and robust football team in the future,” BFF President, Ugen Tshechup said. “BFF will request the government to have sports quota in Royal Civil Service Commission (RCSC) so that there will be holistic developments”.
The federation visited 9 districts for youth football coaching and aims to make it a nationwide program. Four grassroots certificate courses have been done where three were done by FIFA and one by BFF.
“We request different stakeholders to work in one direction for one product.” said Head of Youth Department, Tshoki Nima.
Puran Gurung / Thimphu
(Additional reporting by Upasana Dahal)
If Dasho is serious about what he says, the first thing he must do is to provide proper pitches which are conducive to good football. The next thing he needs to do is ban football at the Changjiji grounds until a new pitch is installed because it is a health hazard for both the players and spectators. The dust that flies around while playing a match there surely cannot be good for anyone’s lungs and overall health.
As long a we don’t provide proper infrastructure to develop football, we, as a country can forget about moving up the FIFA football ladder and the sooner we learn that the better.
Dasho we are with you, but the budget and trained people for the promotion of football should not be confined within Thimphu,Phuntsholing & Gelepu. We need a focal person(trained & paid by Govt.) in every districts in order to conduct games/sports activities independently and smoothly .
Our past experience says that, nominated/elected( Secretary/president) from Govt. servant or businessman is the main cause of failure coz, they are unable to give more
time to conduct such program due to their officials duties/business respectively.The lack of fund is another problem which discourage committee members to come forward to organize such events every year.Therefore,independent focal is necessary in every district to assist the nominated/elected officials followed by providing budget for the games and sports from the Govt.