Soccer, my cure of choice against the Dhaka blues

It is a known fact. All the books on expats say it: When you find yourself in a “challenging duty station” (you have to love the nice way of saying that), you need to find your niche, something to do that makes you feel good.

It could be running, biking, baking, volunteering, golf, you name it…For me, filling my days with things to do is never an issue. I am busy with work, kids and wife, parties, a blog… In fact, if anything, I would need more hours in a day. But I still need something to make me feel good and take me out of the house. Well, here it is again : Soccer.

Yes, there is soccer in Dhaka. A handful of fanatics get together and play during 100 degrees weather. Dust is flying everywhere during the dry season and my saliva has a brownish color when I get home. During the wet season I am being told is getting worse because of the mud that takes over the field. Is a wonder I come out of each game feeling so light on my feet and happy!

So, when feeling the Dhaka blues, crawl out of your space and play soccer!

There is soccer (football) in Bangladesh

I will start with a story about South Africa and apartheid. Robben Island was an isolated island where South Africa's white regime imprisoned many for opposing the brutal system of segregation that denied basic rights to the country's black majority from 1948 to 1991.
South Africa sent its political prisoners to the isle off Cape Town to serve hard time. The prisoners' job was to break rocks. Their captors' job was to break spirits. But the prisoners kept their spirits, and soccer was part of that. For years, prisoners demanded a right to play sports, including soccer. And for years, prison authorities said no, but eventually they caved in under pressure from the International Red Cross. The league was operated in three divisions — A, B and C, based on players' abilities — complete with trainers, managers, referees and coaches. The league had several standing committees to deal with a range of issues, including discipline and maintenance.
Running is freedom in physical form. The prisoners could forget about prison when they were playing a game, as physical exercise to keep their minds and bodies sharp — and as a way for those from differing political factions to work and play together. It was a unifying factor. Up until football, every activity on the island was self-segregated not by race but by political party. Then, for the first time, as football was established, the parties began to train together and play together in prison.

Now, there is very little resemblance between myself and a political prisoner in apartheid South Africa. I am here on my own will and I am loving it. There is nobody trying to keep me in Dhaka by force. Still, there are plenty of similarities. As I compete for the ball, as I run out of breath on many occasions and as I stand the risk of getting my knees busted again, it is the love of the game that keeps me going. Soccer is a huge part of me and being able to take this with me in Bangladesh brings such a joy to my heart. And not last, forming a "franchise" of my former Ursus team and bringing it to Asia, still gives me the chills :)