The Bangladesh Football Federation made that sure that their women footballers celebrate the International Women’s Day with full honour and great enthusiasm.
National U-16 booters who has made the nation proud with their performance home and abroad within the last 12 months once again helped BFF by playing in day long competition which included three matches – four, six and eight-a-side to celebrate the Women’s Day.
This year’s theme, ‘Be bold for change’, could not have been more apt for a group of rural girls who were drafted from far flung villages around Bangladesh.
These female booters defied the orthodox society and fought in the field and outside the field finally to reach a standard where BFF football pundits selected them for the national camp.
Tangail’s Krishna Rani Sarkar who is skipper of these little jewels said to BFF websites that it was her youngest uncle who pushed her and told her to be bold. “He kept telling me, you must keep on playing, no matter what people say,” Krishna said.
She remembers her youngest uncle with much warmth. A goldsmith by profession, was the one who had encouraged the U16 captain to be bold, she says.
Sirat Jahan Shopna and Mishrat Jahan Moushumi, both hailing from Rangpur, said it had been their school teachers and the school management committee that had given them the strength.
Both star players of the U16 girls’ team are the core strength of the national women’s team, Shopna and Moushumi have had to face obstacles from different quarters including family members and neighbours, but they managed to shove those problems and now have managed to redeemed themselves to integral part of the national team.
About six years ago, Shopna’s career as a footballer would have fallen flat had it not been for her coach at school. “They would not let me play and I was not allowed to go out for some days.” The coach came to my house and spoke to Shopna’s family.
“She will do something, she will shine as footballer, you will see,” he kept trying to convince her guardians. Eventually Shopna’s family agreed. Besides Shopna and Moushumi, there are three other players at the camp who have been together since their fourth grade.
It had been an uphill struggle for the first few years for all of them till the BFF held a divisional championship at the age level in 2013 which made it relatively easy.
These girls are the true champions overcoming numerous obstacles and they celebration marked the day and inspires numerous female athletes who are facing uphill task to reach their destination.
