Bangladeshi girls stunning the rest of South Asian Countries won the coveted SAF football Championship beating the host Nepal by 3-1. 

The brand of football Bengal eves played throughout the tournament can match with women football I view globally. 

I heard women’s football does not get that much attention and care. Girls hardly have sponsors or financial support. Not all including President and Prime Minister are congratulating them. 

But hardly any top personality of BFF or sports ministry went to Nepal to cheer them even in the final. Considering all these the achievement of the girls special adoration. 

Their win will encourage many other teenage girls playing football and commit themselves with renewed can-do confidence. I read a statement of one of the girls prior to the final match viral in social media. She pledged to commit the best for making gift to the nation. Her team did it so clinically. Credit goes to every member of the team and coaching staff. 

Bravo girls keep it going. You have really rocked all of us. 

The girls are not glamor girls of Dhaka Chottogram. They are simple girls mostly from Chittagong Hill Tracts, Satkhira and remote districts. 

They are not from affluent families. Most of them had to tide over social and religious barricades for playing football. Yet they won the first ever SAF title dominating all other participating countries. Pakistan went down (0-6), Bhutan (0-8), India (3-0) and finally Nepal (1-3). In the entire tournament Rupon Chakma conceded just one goal. Bangladesh defense stood rock solid. Opponents could hardly test them. Goal machine Sabina Khatun won the golden boot scoring 8 goals including two hat tricks. 

Krishna Rani scored twice in the final. A piece of tricks she did came to me somehow had flashes of brilliance of the Brazilian in 1970s. Bangladeshi girls really toyed with all opponents. The defense looked solid; midfield gelled excellently with forwards. They attacked with plan and struck gold. I was amazed watching total football that Bangladesh girls displayed.  Their success made me writing about Bangladesh soccer after almost two decades. If cared our girls will earn more laurels from world soccer. 

Hope there must not be euphoria at the success. Let the girls get due adoration and acknowledgement. Let there be regular women league, age level tournaments. Satkhira, Bandarban and Rangamati are ideal breeding grounds. The facilities for girls playing soccer must be looked into. The team must play more bi lateral matches with other teams of Asia. 

There must be arrangements of insurance for the team and guaranteed health care. Unless BFF ensures required facilities, the success cannot be made sustainable. Corporate houses should sponsor women soccer in particular and women sports in general.

BDST: 1407 HRS, SEP 20, 2022
MN/SMS