Despite the fact that there had been some controversies over conducting the games by referees, the game of football often called the “game of the century” was well organised on the whole without any security lapse. FIFA, the organiser and the host country Germany deserve our appreciation for a world-class treat.

Football happens to be one of the most popular sport events around the world, even in countries where apparently it is not played with any degree of seriousness. FIFA world cup championships, though held every four years, continues to play a natural role as binding force behind brotherhood between nations across the world, rich or poor, with all their diverse social and cultural legacies.

Here in Bangladesh, a country thousands of miles away, we have also witnessed unprecedented enthusiasm and groundswell of support for the game. The entire nation celebrated the game with different groups of fans supporting their respective favourite teams in a month long engagement that literally rewrote the rules of daily life.

Finally, as we await the next world cup football extravaganza, we do believe that Bangladesh has the potential to come good next time around and take its place on the world football map. Given proper support of the administration and good planning by the football authorities, there is no reason why we should not be able to make an impact at the regional level in the next couple of years before we graduate to other levels. If anything, over the years football has been treated as secondary to other games like cricket and hockey where we have already met with some success. Let us turn our natural enthusiasm for the game into a high professional commitment.