Where Beckham is from Mars, and Bhutia is God

Indian cricketers are sporting icons and Indian film-stars are household names in their country. Baichung Bhutia and Inivalappil Mani Vijayan rank higher in popularity charts than Ronaldo and Zinedine Zidane. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Bangladesh Institute of Sports (BIS) in the Capital for the ongoing 43rd Subroto Cup.
The country may languish at 148 in the FIFA rankings. But their footballers earn more than their cricketers. "No doubt, cricket has crept into soccer's popularity. But a footballer earns almost five times than that of an international cricketer," Zashimuddin Bhuiyan, a former national football coach and player, presently the BIS coach, told Times News Network on Friday. "A footballer, playing in two leagues - Chittagong and Dhaka, earn around 25 lakhs Taka; whereas a Test cricketer gets 5 lakhs approximately."
Isn't that an irony?
"It is," pronounced Mhd. Aul Hashem, Deputy Secretary - Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs. "But the masses are able to identify demi-Gods - Sourav, Sachin with them. For them, Beckham and Nistelrooy are from Mars. Besides, the people love individual brilliance; a fifty is spoken about more than a drawn football match. After Maradona, only the duo of Baichung-Vijayan are looked up to."
"There's little corporate support," Bhuiyan lamented. "After the U-17 footballers have qualified for the AFC final phase, interest is back. Besides, hockey of late, is experiencing a revival."
The mindset of the players has to change, felt Hashem. "Austrian coach Geroge Kotan, after the SAFF Games offered Aminul, the top goalkeeper to play in the Czech League. But he didn't show interest," he informed.
"Football just needs exposure. The cricket team loses everyday, but continues playing," Bhuyian uttered. "The Subroto Cup is one of the few exposure trips for us. The more, the better. Sooner."