Hamza’s family home turns into a ‘mini stadium’, villagers watch match in courtyard

Hundreds of people gathered at the village home of Hamza Choudhury in Bahubal of Habiganj, on Saturday night to watch the semi-final against Pakistan in the SAFF Championship. Villagers watched the match on a big screen set up in the courtyard of the house.

Bangladesh national football team captain Hamza Choudhury’s ancestral home is in Snanghat village in Bahubal upazila. He is the son of Dewan Golam Morshed Choudhury and Rafia Choudhury of the village. Whenever Hamza plays a match for the country, Snanghat breaks into celebration.

Every touch of the ball and every attack by Hamza on the field are met with excitement from the spectators. The house has turned into a mini stadium.

Hamza’s father, Dewan Murshed Choudhury, said, “I had managed to get tickets to watch the match, but I could not go because of illness. So I arranged for the match to be shown on a big screen at home. Family members and villagers are watching it together.”

The first half of the semi-final against Pakistan at the National Stadium in Dhaka ended goalless. The villagers hope Bangladesh will perform well in the second half and secure a victory.

Abdul Karim, a resident of the village, said, “Hamza is the pride of our village. It brings us great joy to see him playing for the country. We are all watching him play together here at his family home.”

Another villager, Shafik Mia, said, “It feels as though we are all sitting in the stadium.”

Jasim Choudhury, a young resident of the village, said, “Everyone in the village is proud of Hamza. We want Bangladesh to beat Pakistan today.”