Minhajul Karim, the talented age-level footballer from the Nauda village of Jashore in Bangladesh, better known to all as Shadhin, received an offer very few would refuse. Argentina’s third division team Club Atletico Villa San Carlos sent him an invitation to train with them for a month. If impressed, the club could choose to offer him a contract.
“It really is like a dream. I support Argentina, I watch Messi play. I never thought I would be able to go to that country.” Shadhin said to Prothom Alo.
Ariel Colman is the man who put Shadhin at the doorsteps of such an incredible opportunity. Currently he is working as the trainer for Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club. Shadhin impressed him during a friendly match at Jashore’s famous Shams-Ul-Huda Football Academy.
Shams-Ul-Huda played a huge part in orchestrating this incredible turn of events in Shadhin’s life. Radiant Pharmaceuticals Limited finances the academy. Its chairman Nasser Shahrear Zahedee is also the chairman of the academy. His father-in-law late Shams-Ul-Huda was a National Sports Award sports organiser from Jashore.
Shadhin joined the academy in 2016, catching the eyes of the academy’s head coach Kazi Maruf in a local inter-school tournament where he played against Hamidpur Primary School. Later, Maruf brought him to the academy.
Shadhin has played for Bangladesh Under-14 team in the Super Mokh Cup in 2016. The following year, he took part in the Under-15 SAFF, in 2018 he played in the AFC U-17 tournament. In 2018, he scored two goals and made four assists for Dhaka Abahani in the youth club tournament.
In 2019, he played second division football for Dilkusha. In 2020, he played in the first division for Friend Social. In 2021, he scored six goals and made eight assists for Championship team Dhaka Wanderers. He is yet to sign a contract with Shiekh Jamal. He is expected to sign one next season.
