Victory parade to shambles, the sorry tale of our women football team
You may go one step further but the system will drag you back by two. This pathetic saying is true for many aspects in this country but none more appropriate for women football in our country.
About ten months ago the footballers were roaming around the capital in an open parade amid the love and felicitations of the whole country after winning the SAAF title for the first time.
Prizes were showered and the hopes of going even further were spilling over, but when they will take the field for another international campaign, the scene is complete contrast.
Bangladesh will take on Nepal today at the Bir Shrestha Shaheed Sipahi Mustafa Kamal Stadium for the first of their two-match friendly series.
Playing an international match with a hiatus of ten months itself is very problematic but if the things that did happen in between are recalled it could be termed as a catastrophe.
Rather than encouraging the women to go further, Bangladesh Football Federation failed miserably even to give them international exposure. The federation even failed to send the women's team to the Olympic qualifier at Myanmar, citing dearth of funds. The initiatives of friendly matches in Singapore also failed.
Forget international exposure, the proposed franchise league did not take place as BFF failed to gather sponsors amid its secretary being banned by FIFA for corruption allegations. Promised salary raises of the female footballers were not fulfilled and BFF even declined footballers the permission to play in the foreign leagues.
With such a horribly hopeless situation players like Sirat Jahan Shapna and Akhi Khatun left football. Sajeda Khatun and Anai Mogini did the same after being dropped from the national camp.
These all are disasters for the women in red and green but the biggest one is perhaps the resignation of their coach Golam Rabbani Choton. Rabbani has been the key figure of female football in the country for over a decade and became almost the pivotal figure.
Rabbani, who has been coaching the side since its debut in international arena back in 2010 through South Asian Games in Dhaka, was in the dugout for 45 out of the 48 matches so far.
He missed three matches in Asia Cup qualifier back in 2013 due to some differences with BFF and many believe the same reason compelled him to finally get detached from her charges.
“I am feeling well,” said Rabbani to Prothom Alo on Wednesday by adding, “we became SAAF champions by defeating Nepal and I hope that will continue. I wish good luck to Sabina and her team.”
But the shape of Bangladesh's side was not ideal before the match. Forward Samsunnahar jr is at rest after recovering from dengue. Krishna is uncertain with her leg injury. Tahura Khatun may play as number nine with the absence of Shapna. Sumaiya Matshusima, the Japanese-origin Bangladeshi may come as a substitute and make her national debut.
Skipper Sabina Khatun knows the situation is extremely difficult but she was upbeat for a win. “Nothing new to say. We are taking the field after 8-9 months. The series will be difficult but we want to win.
She also mentioned that they will miss Rabbani who was like their guardian but they also have faith upon new coach Mahbubur Rahman Litu who has been part of the coaching staff for a long time.
However, the girls will also miss the guidance of Paul Smalley, the technical director of BFF. Smalley had been guiding the side over the years in technical aspects but he did not join them despite request from BFF. He even ordered trainer Ivan Rajlog not to join the team.
As a whole, ahead of an international match the situation for the girls, who have brought many successes and hope, is absolutely bleak.
Even if they win, as they have done many times like most of the women in this country, the current situation depicts the shambles of authority and how the dreams of becoming flowers are nipped in the bud in this country.