Krishna and Sabina dream of playing against Barcelona

After winning the SAFF Championship, the Bangladesh women’s football team, led by striker Krishna Rani Sarkar and captain Sabina Khatun, has set itself a new and ambitious goal: to play a match against the iconic Barcelona team.

The players expressed this desire to Chief Advisor Dr. Muhammad Yunus, hoping that he would support their desire to compete with the best players in Europe.

Following the SAFF victory, the team returned home to a hero’s welcome, celebrated with an open-top bus parade to the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) headquarters where they were awarded BDT 10 million by the Ministry of Youth and Sports. The Chief Advisor received the team at the Jamuna State Guest House on Saturday, extending a warm welcome to Sabina, Tahura and the team. At the meeting, the players shared not only their dreams, but also the challenges they continue to face as athletes.

The team, led by Sabina, arrived at Yamuna at 10:30 a.m., where they discussed their concerns over breakfast with Dr. Yunus. He listened to them carefully, encouraged them to submit a formal written statement regarding their concerns and promised that he would solve their problems. They initially discussed the obstacles they faced, and Krishna’s request to play the match outside Asia became one of the most heartfelt moments of the event.

During the event, Dr. Yunus congratulated the players in his opening remarks, sharing the nation’s pride in their achievements. “On behalf of the entire nation, I congratulate you on this success. The country is proud of you. Our people want success and you have brought it to us,” he said, citing their hard work and dedication to represent Bangladesh. at the highest levels.

The general counsel assured the team that he was sensitive to their concerns and encouraged them to document any additional concerns in writing. “Write down whatever you want, don’t be shy,” he told the players. “If you want to discuss something now, you can do so. We will work to fulfill your requests, and if we can resolve some of these issues immediately, we will do so.”

Captain Sabina expressed her gratitude to Dr. Yunus for organizing the reception and spoke about some of the difficulties faced by the women’s team. “We have overcome many obstacles to get to this point. It’s not just about our women’s soccer team; women across Bangladesh face serious challenges. With our current income, we cannot adequately support our families as our salary is minimal.”

Each player shared their unique struggles, illustrating the challenges Bangladesh’s female footballers face. Krishna highlighted the housing problems faced by players living in Dhaka, which adds to the financial pressure they face. Monica Chakma, who hails from the remote Laxmichhari upazila of Khagrachari, shared her personal ambition to represent Bangladesh on the national stage. Similarly, Swapna Rani, who hails from Ranishankoil in Dinajpur, spoke about the obstacles she had to overcome to establish herself as a player, demonstrating the resilience and determination required to reach the top.

In his closing remarks, Dr. Yunus encouraged the players to continue to pursue their dreams, assuring them that their contributions have not gone unnoticed. He added that he would consider their requests for better resources and conditions for women in football, as well as their long-term goals. For the team, the camp was not only a celebration of past achievements, but also an encouraging step towards achieving future goals, including a possible chance to face Barcelona on the pitch.