Victorious Ba coach Mohammed Ashif Khan revealed that criticism from fans was their biggest motivation in winning the 2023 Courts Inter District Championship edging Lautoka 2-1 in the final at the HFC Bank Stadium in Suva on Sunday.
“So many people made a lot of negative comments about this young Ba team and most of them did not have faith in us. Whatever they said and criticised about the team really made us strong,” Khan told FijiLive.
“There was a lot of expectation from people when we reached the semifinal. The critics made me strong that I am capable of something such as coaching these young boys and guiding them in the right direction.”
Khan also admitted that winning the tournament without the services of former coach Yogen Dutt and Fiji Under 17 coach Sunil Kumar would not have been possible.
“Coach Yogen and Sunil kept motivating me and the boys that we should not get discouraged by those people who did not believe in us. The coaches told us to just take the negative energy as encouragement and motivate ourselves that yes we can win this tournament despite who we play in each encounter in the tournament.”
“This win is not just for me but for Mr Yogen and Sunil who have been with the team since we had been preparing for the tournament. They have been providing a lot of guidance and mentorship to me and the boys since we were in camp.”
“The two coaches have been our pillar of strength and they always advised me and the boys on how to approach the game and reveal our opponents’ downfall. So this win is for both of them for being the backbone of our team.”
While Khan dedicated the win to their family, he also thanked the fans for turning out in numbers to support the traditional football giants.
“This is for the fans of Ba. After a long time, we have seen this HFC Stadium painted black.”
“The boys played like warriors, they stood tall and despite the pressure from Lautoka, without causing any mistakes, my boys had a lot of patience and in the end, the glory was there.”
“The boys really showed that they are true Ba spirits.”
“After two weeks, we are going to see our family and we didn’t want to return empty handed. They have been very supportive throughout the tournament. It’s a win for our families, who prayed and had faith in us when everyone said that this is a very young side to reach the final.”
