Swadhinata KS Sr Div champs

Swadhinata Krira Sangha emerged as unbeaten champions from the Saif Powertec Senior Division Football League after playing out a 1-1 draw against PWD Sporting Club at Birshrestha Shaheed Mostafa Kamal Stadium in Kamalapur yesterday.

With a defeat, three draws and seven wins from 11 matches, Swadhinata KS topped the 12-team table with 24 points, one more than runners-up Wari Club who finished with seven wins and two draws. The top two sides have secured places for next season's Bangladesh Championship League.

In the day's other match, Shadharan Bima KS handed a 2-0 defeat to Bangladesh Boys to avoid relegation. Badda Jagarani Sangsad were demoted to the second division as a result.  

However, a lot of match-fixing allegations were raised in the just concluded league and sponsor Saif Powertec's managing director Tarafder Ruhul Amin has threatened to pull out of the four-year sponsorship deal if the game's governing body does not take initiatives to punish teams who allegedly played fixed matches.

“We can't tolerate it [match fixing] because we are sponsoring football with our hard-earned money. If the football federation does not take initiatives to punish those clubs who played fixed matches, we will withdraw all type of sponsorship from football,” said Tarafder.

Saif PowerTec signed a four-year deal this year to sponsor the First, Second and Third Division Football Leagues. They also earned a five-year sponsorship deal for the Bangladesh Premier League last season.