Footballers at risk of career-threatening injuries on outdated Kamalapur Stadium turf

With the SAFF Under-17 Championship done and dusted, questions have been raised about the quality of the artificial turf at the Bir Shrestha Shaheed Shipahi Mostofa Kamal Stadium in Dhaka's Kamalapur.

There have been multiple instances of players getting injured due to the roughness of the turf and it has been difficult to control the ball on the turf too. 

Problems from the get-go

The Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) Grounds Committee head Fazlur Rahman Babul explains that the turf had issues from the beginning when FIFA had initially put it in place. 

"There were issues with the surface from the beginning. Some of the stones and pebbles that go under the turf were not evenly placed."

He also says that the turf will need time to be replaced but that won't happen any time soon.

"With the Bangabandhu Stadium being renovated, all the matches are taking place here. Replacing the turf will take at least six months and that cannot happen soon."

He also adds that the cost of changing the turf will take six crore taka at least.

A boycott by Bashundhara Kings

SAFF General Secretary Anwarul Haq Helal explains that there were calls for the turf to be replaced months before the SAFF U-17 Championship took place.

"We told BFF months ago that we needed the turf changed to no avail. It's not ideal for the players to be playing on this turf but we don't have an option at the moment."

Bayazid Alam Nipu, the Technical Director at Bashundhara Kings explained that there are no chances for Bashundhara Kings to be playing in the stadium again until the turf is replaced.

"Last year during the Independence Cup, we told BFF that playing on that turf would be dangerous for the players. Later in the final, one of the main reasons we lost was due to two of our top players getting injured. We will not be playing in the Kamalapur Stadium until the turf is replaced."

A lack of funds

Nipu believes BFF currently does not have the funds to replace the turf at the Kamalapur Stadium.

"Back when the artificial turf was first put in place, it cost around six crore taka. But now with prices of everything increasing, that could be around 10 crore taka and BFF certainly does not have that amount."

Helal feels that BFF should ask FIFA to fund the renovation of the stadium.

"FIFA funded the artificial turf initially and they can fund it again if BFF asks FIFA again. Whether they have asked or whether this is of urgent concern to FIFA is anyone's guess. I don't know, they didn't ask us (SAFF)," he concluded.

With Bangladesh doing well in age-level football and looking to improve on all fronts, the quality of the turf in Kamalapur's stadium remains a massive concern.

Playing there could cause serious injury to the players that could keep them out of action for months.

Unfortunately for BFF, neither do they currently have the funds or alternative stadiums to play in for the turf to be replaced.