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Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader said this on Saturday while speaking at an online memorial meeting on iconic footballer Badal Roy.
Calling on the sports organisers to create more chances for youths to get involved in sporting events, Quader said if the young ones cannot be engaged in sports or cultural activities, they could join anti-social activities.
Paying tribute to the legendary footballer, Quader said: “Many people in the sports arena think that Abahani means Awami League and Mohammedan means anti-Awami League. But Badal Roy had proved otherwise.”
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A footballer of the highest talent in his time in Bangladesh, Badal made his debut for the traditional powerhouse Dhaka Mohammedan SC in 1977, spent his whole career of about 12 years with the black and whites and about five year-spell in the national team.
He also acted as Mohammedan’s manager in various terms.
“Badal had been associated with Mohammedan since the beginning of his playing career, but he was a follower of Bangabandhu’s ideology,” Quader said.
The former national star footballer of the 80s and recent past vice president of Bangladesh Football Federation died on November 22, aged 63, at a city hospital.
He was suffering from liver cancer and other health complications and had a bad bout of Covid-19 in the summer that left him severely weakened.
After retiring from football, Badal got engaged in sports organisations and became vice-president of the Football Federation, deputy secretary-general of Bangladesh Olympic Association and treasurer of National Sports Council.