Dhaka Mariner Youngs Club, a prominent sports club in the 'Motijheel Club Para’, has managed to keep its clean image intact at a time when most clubs in that area are under the scanner for running illegal casinos. A former club official, who did not want to be named, yesterday gave a rundown on the financial resources of the clubs. He also explained why some of the clubs had allowed casino dealers to come in and run their illegal business in exchange for large amounts of money.

He said they never for a moment thought about collecting money through illegal means. He also said their major funding sources were yearly membership charges, donations, and rent from some of their rooms. Talking about Dhaka Mariners Club, the former official said: “As far as I know, Mariner Youngs Club has never resorted to raising funds through unfair means. Most of the permanent members are quite well-off. Their yearly payments and donations are enough to run the club. Moreover, the club rents out space on its premises to earn money.”

Other than a strong hockey team, Dhaka Mariners Club boasts of handball, table tennis, and cricket teams that regularly participate in sports tournaments. A massive amount of money is spent on sports-related activities. The club bears all the expenses from its own resources. The official, who also played hockey and handball, said: “Since most of the club members come from the upper echelon of society, they have been providing strong financial support to the club. They ensure that the club does not suffer from a fund crisis.”

Asked whether Dhaka Mariners Club had ever faced any pressure to leave space for the casino business, the ex-official of the club replied: “To my knowledge, the club has never experienced any such situation. Of course, there had been indirect offers to run casino deals on the club premises, but club officials did not accede to such requests. There was never a threat from any quarters.”

About the situation of other clubs, the former club official said: “Actually, most clubs embraced the casino culture to resolve their funds crisis. They were finding it really difficult to meet the ever-increasing expenditure only with the support of some donors. That’s why they allowed casino dealers to come in and run the illegal business inside the clubs.”

“I think the clubs that used to run the casino business on their premises might face a funds crunch soon. The hefty amounts from casinos have already stopped pouring in,” he noted.