AFP, Los Angeles :
Former national footballer Dewan Shafiul Arefin Tutul and brilliant athlete of his time Sayeedur Rabb also CEO of Thikana publications were given Life Time Achievement awards by Friends Club of Los Angeles in a glittering prize giving ceremony held on Sunday at Virgil School Auditorium at Los Angles, USA on Monday evening.
Legendary swimmer Mosharraf Hossain, footballer Kohinoor Rahman, former national cricketer Nazeem Sirazi and other sports personalities of yester years along with jam packed audience were present to witness the Friends Club’s annual prize giving ceremony followed by enchanting cultural evening with songs rendered by Fahmida and Samina Nabi sisters who kept the crowd spell bound with their extra ordinary performances.
Friends Club is a socio -sports club of Bengali community of Los Angeles. This clubs arranges different sports and cultural programs throughout the year for the recreation of the vast Bangladesh community settled in Los Angeles and its suburb.
Former National cricketer of Kalabagan Munir Ali, Former national basketball star player Dastgir Newaz, National Athlete M Hossain Babu who all stay in Los Angeles were given special award for their contribution in their respective. Former National booter Abdus Salam also received special award for his contribution in football for the last two decade.
Senior Sports Reporter Syed Mohammed Mamun of Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) received crest in recognition for his contribution in sports journalism in English for the last three decades. Jahan Hasan, Editor of Ekush online paper of Los Angeles was also received crest for his contribution in journalism.
It may be worth mentioning, DSA Tutul, Abdus Salam,Sayeedur Rabb , and Syed Mamun all the way came from Bangladesh at the organizer expenses while S Rabb also came all the way from New York to be part of this mega event.
Legendary film director who now live at the ripe age of 84 in Los Angeles, one of the pioneer of Dhaka film industry also received crest for his Life Time Achievement Award 2014.
Before the Award ceremony, prizes were given to local youths in Table Tennis, Tennis, Basketball, Carrom, Chess and T20 cricket champions who received their cups and medals.
MK Zaman, Chairman of Friends Club of Los Angeles, president Ferdous Khan and member secretary Shafiul Alam Babu handed away the prizes and crest among distinguish award recipients.
Dewan SA Tutul and Sayeedur Rabb spoke among behalf of the award recipients while MK Zaman in his husky voice spoke behalf of the organizer.
