Photo : BSS

JASHORE, June 23, 2025 (BSS)- In just 14 years since its establishment, 
Shams-Ul-Huda Football Academy of Jashore has become an integral part of the 
country's football arena.

The academy began its journey on a small scale in 2011 with 30 young 
footballers from the district, aiming to bring back the lost glory of the 
country's domestic football.

The academy's campus, which is situated six kilometers east of Jashore town, 
has three international-standard fields, built on 65 'bighas' of land. Work 
is already underway to build a fourth field. At the same location, there is a 
six-story multipurpose building of 60,000 square feet, which has all the 
modern facilities including accommodation, food and entertainment for 240 
footballers at a time.

The very next year after its establishment, young footballers from different 
districts of Khulna division joined the academy. Currently, the academy has 
150 players in three age categories-- 10 to 12, 13 to 14, and 15 to 17. A 
total of 60 footballers of them are living in the academy with residential 
facilities.

The academy has three more coaches working under a head coach. There are 14 
officers and employees. With their tireless efforts, the institution has 
started achieving enviable success since its establishment.

In the past years, since its establishment, 16 players from Shams-Ul-Huda 
Football Academy have participated in senior national, Under-14, U-15, U-16, 
U-18, U-19 and U-23 age-level tournaments held in Qatar, Thailand, India, 
Nepal, Malaysia and Myanmar.

In the past few years, four academy players had the opportunity to 
participate in training camps held at Manchester United Club in England and 
in Brazil and Argentina. And 23 footballers from here have played and still 
repressing in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) for Abahani Limited Dhaka, 
Chittagong Abahani Limited, Brothers Union Club, Police Football Club, Sheikh 
Russel Krira Chakra, Bashundhara Kings, Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club, BJMC, 
Muktijoddha Sangsad Krira Chakra, Rahmatganj Muslim and Friends Society and 
Arambagh Krira Sangha.

Due to the academy's modern facilities, spacious practice grounds, and 
peaceful rural environment, the U-19 national team camped here from April 17 
to 29. A total of 40 members of the team participated in the practiced camp 
under coach Golam Robanni Choton. After that, they went to Arunachal Pradesh, 
India to play in the Under-19 SAFF Championship.

A four-month full-fledged camp for the U-17 national football team will also 
be held at the Shams-Ul-Huda Football Academy in Jashore as preparation for 
participating in an upcoming tournament in Korea.

How did a football academy in Jashore, built entirely on individual 
initiative and become an integral part of the country's football in such a 
short time? 

In this regards, Maruf Hossain, head coach of Shams-Ul-Huda Football Academy, 
said prominent industrialist, vice president and chairman of the development 
committee of Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) Naser Shahriar Zahedi, 
dreamt to establish the academy. He is the founding chairman of this academy. 
Everything happened according to his plan.

The head coach said from the chairman to the ground men, everyone has made 
significant contributions behind the academy's continued success. With 
everyone's contributions, new feathers of success are being added to the 
academy's name every year.

Shams-Ul-Huda Football Academy's young footballer Md. Al Mahdi, a 16-year-old 
ninth-grade student, hails from Mahishbathan village in Madarganj upazila of 
Jamalpur district, admitted to this academy last January.

It was a dream for the young footballer Mahdi after getting an opportunity to 
be admitted into this academy. He said that he used to take coaching at a 
football academy in Jamalpur before admitting this academy. He also played 
for the Mymensingh division team. Mahdi got admitted here after hearing from 
an elder brother about the Shams-Ul-Huda Football Academy.

Mahdi, who is happy to be a student of this academy, said: "Everything here, 
including accommodation, food, and practice, is of modern standards. The 
academy even takes responsibility for admission and education in local 
educational institutions."

Golam Rabbi Khan, 18, a son of Madanganj under Bandar upazila in Narayanganj 
district, was admitted to the academy in 2019. He played in the Russian 
Festival Tournament. 

Rabbi said: "The facilities of this academy are of high standard. The 
accommodation, food, and environment are all extraordinary. They give you a 
holiday every two months. You can talk to your parents on your mobile phone 
once a week as well."

Sheikh Shamsul Bari Shimul, the academy's director (administration), revealed 
about their current activities and dreams surrounding the institution. He 
said: "All our coaches here are licensed and of the best level. The students 
of this academy remain under their supervision round the clock."

He said: "A separate multi-purpose building and a separate field will soon be 
built in this academy for girls. Then even budding female footballers will 
also be able get opportunity to admit in this academy."

The director also expressed his optimism to organise age-level national and 
international tournaments like Gothia and Dana Cup in this academy in the 
near future.

Every morning and afternoon, a group of teenagers sweat on the green field of 
Shams-Ul-Huda Football Academy, their sweat imbued with the scent of 
struggle, dreams and possibilities. If such initiatives can be spread to 
every division and region of the country, perhaps the name 'Bangladesh' will 
one day be proudly pronounced on the world football map.