Girls become victims of their own success

Bangla Press Desk:  As Bangladesh football prepares for a rare logistical whirlwind, with three national teams departing within days of each other, a troubling pattern has emerged: the team on the verge of making continental history is the one being left in the shadows.

The Bangladesh Under-20 women’s team are gearing up for the prestigious AFC U-20 Women’s Asian Cup in Bangkok, scheduled from 1 to 18 April. Yet their preparation paints a grim picture.While the senior men’s national team and the U-20 men’s squad enjoy the comforts of a five-star residential camp in Gulshan, the women remain confined to the BFF House—long criticised for sub-standard living conditions.

The disparity is stark when measured against the players’ commitment. This U-20 women’s squad includes 11 senior national team members who only recently returned from the gruelling AFC Women’s Asian Cup campaign in Australia. They returned to the training pitch just two days after landing in Dhaka, despite the immense physical and mental toll.

Their dedication ahead of another historic challenge has been met with near silence from the Bangladesh Football Federation. With almost no official updates on their preparation, serious questions arise about the federation’s willingness to spotlight and support the very team carrying the nation’s brightest footballing hopes.

The road ahead is daunting. The U-20 women depart Dhaka on 21 March. After a brief three-day training stint in Bangkok, they face India on 25 March and Jordan on 27 March in crucial preparatory matches. Drawn into a tough Group A alongside Thailand, China, and Vietnam, the tournament promises to test them severely. Yet public expectations remain high, reflecting their meteoric rise in women’s football.

By contrast, the men’s teams enjoy far superior support. The senior men leave for Hanoi on 20 March for a friendly against Vietnam on 26 March, before facing Singapore in their final AFC Asian Cup qualifier on 31 March, despite already being eliminated. The U-20 men’s team head to the Maldives on 21 March for the SAFF U-20 Championship, from 23 March to 4 April. Both men’s squads benefit from far better preparation and logistical backing.

It is a bitter irony: a team consistently breaking barriers and redefining Bangladesh’s football ambitions is heading into its most significant tournament underprepared off the pitch and undervalued by its own administrators.

In every sense, these trailblazing women are becoming victims of their own success—delivering historic milestones for the country while receiving the absolute minimum in return.

Source: daily Sun

BP/SP