F.A. Yaseen - forgotten saviour of football

Leslie Fernando

Among the many stalwarts there was a sports philanthropist, F.A. Yaseen a businessman by profession who was popularly known as 'Football Yaseen' not only among football fraternity but to every household due to his honest contribution though the City Football League, Board of Control for Football in Sri Lanka and with the multiple public offices that he simultaneously.

Yaseen was a product of then Al Hameedia MV, Colombo 12. He represented the alma mater in football and volleyball. He was elected to serve as Member of the Colombo Municipal Council was appointed Vice Chairman of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority in 1989. He was also appointed to the Management Committee of the Sugathadasa Stadium under whose purview the Outdoor and Indoor and the Khettarama Cricket Stadium came to be administered.

He was also appointed as the Chairman of the CWE in 1993. He was also the Vice President of the national body which was then called the Ceylon Football Association. He was also unanimously elected as the President of the Colombo City Football Association in 1980 which controlled the metropolitan area of Colombo. Yaseen was unanimously elected as the President of the City Football League in the year 1979.

He was the incumbent President of the XI Youngsters. Yaseen took a great interest to develop the City League grounds and also was successful in getting more clubs to get affiliated to the City FL. He was greatly instrumental in conducting several popular soccer tournaments.

During the time of as Chairman of the Board of Control for Football in Sri Lanka 1984 Sri Lanka articulated in the AFC Club Championships played in Colombo.

This became the first AFC regional tournament. In 1984 under Yaseen's regime Sri Lanka played in the 8th Asia Cup held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Sri Lanka in a dramatic display outplayed Nepal by 4 goals to 1.

This instigated the AFC Secretary Peter Vellapan to state that Sri Lanka have made a strong come back to the Asian Football after a decade of no show at his press conference. Subsequently we lost the mighty Saudi Arabia and UAE and were placed 3rd in the group. Saudi Arabia became the winners and qualified to play in the final rounds. It was during Yaseen's tenure that the Vincent Perera Cup, President Cup, R. Premadasa Cup for all the affiliated clubs and the M.H. Mohamed Gold Cup 1985 was introduced. Pakistan Railways and New Radiant from Maldives too participated. Many foreign teams were also brought in from West Germany, England, Austria, Belgium, China, India, Russia and Maldives for friendly games to give exposure and experience to the local teams and the taste of international football for our enthusiastic spectators.

It also Sri Lanka has beaten Maldives several times here and outside during the time of Yaseen being the President of the Board of Control for Football in Sri Lanka.

Yaseen was also instrumental in introducing the first ever publication of the football news published on a monthly basis under the guidance of a professional Sports Writer/Editor Elmo Rodrigopulle assisted by R. Jeeveratnam another sports writer and a respected football administrator. Subsequently the good work was continued by Gamini Perera, another outstanding sports correspondent, until the BCFSL was dissolved to make way for elected representatives.

Yaseen maintained a close rapport with the AFC. He was also nominated by the AFC as the Chairman of its Disciplinary Committee for the Asian Youth Under-16 Soccer Tournament held in Qatar 1986.

It was also due to his efforts that our referees were first assigned to officiate in AFC international matches both inside and outside our shorts. As a novelty, Yaseen was also instrumental in organising exhibition matches played among football officials, the Parliamentarians, the councillors and the referees on many occasions.

Finally, Yaseen accomplished what for many appeared impossible at that time. He shaped the City League and the BCFSL into a vibrant force unfolding new vistas in administration. Kept pace with the AFC and installed Sri Lanka again into the Asian map. It is very pathetic that a gentleman of that calibre who was instrumental in laying many roadways for the development of Sri Lanka football, remains forgotten.

I am also made to understand that the present football officials had failed to honour him with a fitting invitation for the opening of the renovated City Football Complex which is said to have costed the FFSL approximately over Rs. 35 million by the generosity of FIFA. Most recently, it was learnt that 10 minutes of downpour at this complex, made an all important final postponed as the grounds were ruled unfit. Subsequently this final was played to a finish at the CRFC grounds on a later date.