MD ANWAR ULLAH: A total of four players of the national football team, including one of the foremost defenders Bishwnath Ghosh, have been found COVID-19 positive upon receiving corona test results.
The players came to know about their health condition when they joined the much-awaited national fitness camp on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, defender Bishwanath was found corona-positive a couple of days earlier as his test was conducted on Monday last, said the national team manager to The Independent.
All 12 players, excepting dependable defender Bishwanath, reported at the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) for the national fitness camp in the first phase on Wednesday.
Upon their reporting, all the players, coaches, physio and other coaching staff went to the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) for corona test. Later, three players – MS Bablu, Nazmul Islam Rasel and Sumon Reza – were found COVID-19 positive.
After undergoing tests, they were expected to leave for Sahara Resort in Gazipur for the fitness camp ahead of the ensuing busy national and international football calendar.
Team Manager Sattyajit Das Rupu confirmed The Independent that they had reporting of all 11 players out of 12 in the first phase. Out of the total, three players were found COVID-19 positive, informed the BFF sources.
According to Rupu, “We arranged team reporting in three phases with 12 players in each phase. Wednesday was the first day and we expect to have 24 more players (12 in each phase) during the course of next two days. They, too, will undergo corona tests.”
However, he said, “On the first day, we had 11 players reporting at the BFF at 9:00am with only Bishwanath remaining missing from the bunch of the players due to his corona case. Making several groups, with a number of players in each one, we went to the BSMMU for COVID-19 test under the supervision of Dr Imran and found three of the players COVID-19 positive. Now we will go to Gazipur with eight players, who were negative.”
Apart from 11 players, Rupu continued, “there’re two of our local coaches Masud Pervej Kaisar and Syed Golam Jilani, physio Fuad Hassain Hawlader, coaching staff Mohsin and his assistants, who had to undergo the health screening.
A BFF source added that all the players were under the monitoring of medical committee Chairman Dr Imran when they were instructed to undergo corona test before reporting within their personal capacity and the relevant BFF budget.
