Abahani Limited (Dhaka)

Abahani Limited Dhaka

Full name	Abahani Limited, Dhaka
Founded	1972
Ground	Bangabandhu National Stadium Dhaka, Bangladesh (Capacity: 36,000)
Chairman	Kazi Nabil Ahmed
Manager	Aliakbar Pourmoslemi
League	B.League
2008–2009	1st

Abahani Limited (Bangla: আবাহনী ক্রীড়াচক্র) is a sports club in Bangladesh. It was established at Dhaka in 1972 through reorganisation of Iqbal Sporting Club. Within a short time, the club gained fame through commendable performances in hockey, cricket and football tournaments.

Abahani introduced junior coaching camps on its own initiative and employed foreign trainers in them. Abahani also did a lot to improve football in Bangladesh through new experiments.

Achievements

Football

In the 32 years between 1973 to 2005, Abahani played a number of times in the finals of the first division & Premier division football league. It finished as champion eleven times (1974, 1977, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1989–90, 1991–92, 1994, 1995, 2001) and as runner up on as many occasions (1973, 1976, 1979, 1982, 1986, 1987, 1988–89, 1993, 1996, 1999, 2000 and 2002). The club was champion in the Federation Cup Football in 1982, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1997, 1999, 2000 and 2010 and runner up in 1981, 1983, 1989, 1994, 1995, 2008 and 2009. In the Asia Cup Club Tournament held in 1985 in Sri Lanka, Abahani was the runner up and got the Championship of Nagji Trophy Football Tournament held in (Kerala) India in 1989. Beside that they won the charms cup at Kolkata in 1994 and bardolui trophy at Gouhati, Assam in 2010. Abahani Ltd.holds the honor to win the Champions trophy of the first ever professional football league (B.League 2007). They have also won the second and third B. League Tournament respectively (2008–09, 2009–10) as well as achieved the hattric championship for the second time after twenty five years in Bangladesh football history. Famous football players e.g. Kazi Salahuddin (current BFF president), Chunnu, Nizam, Tutul, Aslam, Nannu, Helal, Pakir Ali once played for this club and converted this club to be one of the best football club in South Asia.

Cricket

Main article: Abahani Limited (Cricket)

Between 1973 to 1993, Abahani became the champion of Dhaka's first division cricket league eleven times and runner up on five occasions. In the Damal Summer Cricket Tournament, Abahani became champion in 1980–81 and 1984–85 and runner up in 1982–83 and 1985–86. The club was champion in the Shaheed Smriti Cricket Tournament in 1977–78, 1981–82 and 1984–85 and in the Star Summer Cricket Tournament in 1980–81 and 1984–85. It finished the Alpha Cup Cricket as champion in 1982–83 and as runner up in 1983–84.Abahani won the premier cricket league for three years in a row 2007-08, 2008–09, 2009–10.

Hockey

The club became champion in the first division hockey league in 1977, 1978, 1980–81, 1982–83, 1985–86, 1988–89 and 1993–94, and was runner up in 1977–78, 1979–80, 1981–82 and 1987–88. The club was champion in the Shaheed Smriti Hockey Tournament in 1973 and 1974 and runner up in 1976, 1977 and 1979. It was champion in the Independence Cup Hockey Tournament in 1974, 1975, 1977 and 1979 and runner up in 1973 and 1985.

Organisation

Abahani Club was made a limited company in 1989.

Football

Current players 2010

Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player 1 GK Biplob Bhattacharjee 2 DF Enamul Haq 4 DF Kazi Nazrul Islam 5 DF Mohammed Sujan 6 DF Mohammed Shoyeb Hossain Sony 7 MF Mamunul Islam 8 MF Pranotosh Kumar Das 11 MF Mohammad Zahed Parvez Chowdhary 12 MF Mehedi Hasan Uzzol 13 DF Mohammed Mohiuddin Ibnul Siraji Sazib

No. Position Player 14 MF Arif Khan Joy 15 DF Yussif Samad 16 MF Abul Hossain 17 FW Hedayetullah Robin 18 DF Mohammed Waly Faisal 20 FW Ibrahim Awudu 21 DF Mohammed Obaidur Rahman 22 GK Mohammed Atiqul Islam Tariq 25 GK Mohammed Sahidil Alam 59 DF Jahied Hassan

Notable coaches

• Andres Cruciani

Titles

• National Championship (1): 2000.
• Bangladesh Professional Football League (3): 2007, 2008–09, 2009–10.
• Bangladesh Federation Cup (8): 1982*, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1997, 1999, 2000 and 2010. (* shared)

Performance in AFC competitions

• Asian Club Championship: 2 appearances

1986: Qualifying Stage

1994: withdrew in Qualifying – 2nd round

• AFC President's Cup: 4 appearances

2008: 3° in Group Stage

2009: 2° in Group Stage

2010: 2° in Group Stage

2011: 3° in Group Stage

• Asian Cup Winners Cup: 2 appearances

1991/92: First Round

1997/98: Second Round

External links

• Abahani Ltd Dhaka (Football) on BanglaFootball.net