The main catalyst of sports sector in the present world is sponsorship. Commercial sponsorship, aid and assistance of corporate houses have been playing a vital role behind national and international sports, whether it’s a capitalist or socialist country. The decent commercial sponsorship is speeding up the Olympic Games and other sports movement.

Olympic Games is the biggest brand in sports field, where the whole world take part in many games. So, in this circumstance, commercial sponsorship is the closest ally and associate of sports sector in the world. There’s no alternative to commercial sponsorship in games and sports to keep it active.

In the middle age and the subsequent period, the sponsorship in sports of our region was done by King, Land-lords, and wealthy individuals. Due to the changes of geographic border with the time, the sponsorship hasn’t been limited to individual accord and the place has been taken by corporate houses and commercial organizations. They realized that they could promote their business with the support they provide in the sports.

While working with the trends in the sports arena, I’ve observed that how Bashundhara Group worked with specific goals, aims and challenges to reenergize the sports arena in country, which is simply outstanding. Especially, the example they shown in lifting the football of the country and bringing in sustainable development is not visible elsewhere in the country. Bashundhara Group has been able to made a mark in the heart of sports-lovers and secure trust by playing effective role in country’s sports sector, as well as highlight the image of the organization in home and abroad in better way. 

Already, Bashundhara Group proved that they had come to sports arena to fulfill the demand of the time. They have been working in group and club management according to corporate plans to present ‘Bashundhara Kings’ to the target group as best brand.  Now, the goal of the group and the club management is to establish Bashundhara Kings as No. 1 brand in the country and in the region. The club won the premiership title three times. No other corporate club in the history of the country had been able to show such an example. In 2018, the club secured league title along with championship of other tournaments. Additionally, they formed the women wing of the club which won the women league for two successive times. Even, they’ve shown their sign of excellent performance in AFC regional competitions. Besides showing excellent performance, the club has created new perspective, thinking and ideas in the sports arena of the country.

Bashundhara Kings is the first entirely professional club in the country where all types of facilities like European Club are available. The club has own arena and it play premiere league football in own field. It also has excellent ground for practice, rehabilitation facilities, good coaching stuff and residential facility. All of the above mentioned good things have been possible thanks to the earnest dedication of Ahmed Akbar Sobhan, the sports-loving chairman of the group. He’s a former hockey-player. His children also followed the footstep of the father as they also love sports from their heart. Besides their social responsibility, all the members of his family believe the practice of sports shows the enlighten ways to have healthy and meaningful life.

Sports is the symbol of national liveliness and civilized life. If the youth of the country get prepared both in terms of physical and mental strength, only then they’ll forward to the society and the state as a whole. So, the leaders of Bashundhara Group believe there’s no alternative of sports for the youth.

Bashundhara Group Chairman Ahmed Akbar sobhan has a golden family history in sports. It’s already mentioned that once he used to play competitive hockey regularly. His brother Abdus Sadek was an internationally famous hockey player who was selected for Pakistan National Hockey Team. His Father, Alhaj Abdus Sobhan was a renowned lawyer and social activists; however, he also took part in All India Swimming Competition.

In addition to making contribution is various social activities, Bashundhara Group is also contributing a lot to the development of country’s sports sector. The members of Sobhan family have been patronizing some clubs in the country as well as carrying the responsibility of directors of the clubs. Bashundhara Group managing director Sayem Sobhan Anvir has been carrying out the responsibility of chairman of Shiekh Russel Krira Chakra from 2015. The Television Reporters Unity of Bangladesh (TRUB) awarded him for his special contribution in social activities, trade and commerce and sports.

Another son of Ahmed Akbar Sobhan, Mr Safwan Sobhan, has been accomplishing the duty of president of Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club. It’s natural that Bashundhara Group has large patronization in these two clubs.

Besides Football, the group has been involved in patronizing of cricket, hockey, badminton, golf and other games and sports. T-Sports, the one and only sport channel of the country, is also operating under the umbrella of Bashundhara Group.

Bashundhara Group is the first entity in the country to build stadium for their club. Bashundhara Kings has massive sports complex; not only in the country, even in the sub-continent, has no other football club had such a big complex. The sports complex is going to be built on 300 bighas of land, where the group has investment over Tk 15,000 crore. The construction work of the complex will be completed hopefully within 2024. The sports complex will include stadiums for sports like football, cricket, hockey, tennis, golf, archery and other indoor and outdoor games, practice field, gymnasium and all other modern facilities.

The group chairman has sheer love to the practice of sports and sports arena of the country and has been contributing selflessly for its development, which is an outstanding example without any doubt.

Md Imrul Hassan has been doing his job as president of Bashndhara Kings very committedly since 2017. How this visionary man has been working relentlessly to reach the club to the pinnacle of success is surely a great thing to be mentioned. He was selected as the vice president of Bangladesh Football Federation by securing maximum number of votes in last election. Few days ago, while seating at his office, he said, “The biggest strength, inspiration and courage of our club is the honorable group chairman and his worthy children. The chairman never misses to watch sports despite his being busy in all other activities. He also watches other sports besides football. When there’s a football match of our club (Bashundhara Kings), the first phone call I receive after the match is his call.”

(The writer is columnist and analyst, ex-vice president of AIPS)