The victorious Bangladesh women's football team returned home on Wednesday afternoon from Nepal with heads held high after earning their maiden Saff Women's Championship.
Mehedi Hasan/Dhaka TribuneA Biman Bangladesh flight carrying the women's football team landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at around 1:45pm, reports BSS.
State Minister for Youth and Sports Mohammad Zahid Ahsan Russel, MP, Youth and Sports Secretary Mesbah Uddin, along with Bangladesh Football Federation's executive committee members received the Bangladesh women's team at the airport.
Mehedi Hasan/Dhaka TribuneThousands of football supporters gathered around the airport to welcome the girls in red and green, who made history by claiming South Asian football supremacy after beating hosts Nepal 3-1 in Monday’s final.
Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation and BFF prepared an open-top bus for a victory parade.
The bus took the champions from the airport to BFF Bhaban.
Mahmud Hossain Opu/Dhaka TribuneBFF President Kazi Mohammad Salahuddin welcomed the women's booters at the BFF House after a photo session with the team.
Bangladesh captain Sabina Khatun, head coach Golam Rabbani Choton, and Salahuddin also spoke on the occasion.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has announced a cash reward of Tk50 lakh for the Tigresses.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has also given instructions to build a house for Rupna Chakma, the team’s goalkeeper.
Rupna, who clinched the title of best goalkeeper in the Saff Women’s Championship games, hails from Rangamati’s Naniarchar. Following their success, Rangamati Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Mizanur Rahman visited Rupna and Ritu Porna’s houses with sweets, fruits and flowers.
Mahmud Hossain Opu/Dhaka TribuneThe picture of Rupna Chakma’s delipidated house went viral on social media and caught the prime minister’s attention from the US, where she is attending the UNGA. According to PM’s Press Secretary Ehasanul Karim, she gave instructions from the US to build a house for Rupna’s family.
DC Mizanur Rahman told Dhaka Tribune that he has relayed the instructions to the UNO.
India had won the title in the last five editions of the Saff Championship, with Nepal featuring in four of the five finals.
Bangladesh made their only previous final appearance in 2016.
This time, the football tournament of the south Asian region saw new champions through the girls of Bangladesh.
The girls started the campaign with high hopes after they blanked the Maldives 3-0 in their group opening match before thrashing Pakistan 6-0 in their second game.
Bangladesh then defeated five-time Saff champions India 3-0 to book their spot in the semi-final as Group A champions.
The girls in red and green confirmed their spot in the final after crushing Bhutan 8-0 in the first semi-final.
The Bangladesh girls dominated the end of tournament awards as Sabina Khatun finished as the highest scorer with eight goals, including two hat-tricks against Pakistan and Bhutan, and was also named the Most Valuable Player.
Bangladesh goalkeeper Rupna Chakma was adjudged the best goalkeeper as the custodian only conceded once in five games.
The women in red and green also took home the fairplay award.
Mehedi Hasan/Dhaka TribuneIn total Bangladesh scored 23 goals in five games.
The final was marked by Krishna Rani Sarkar’s brace while Shamsunnahar Jr bagged Bangladesh’s opening goal in the 13th minute after coming on for the injured Sirat Jahan Shopna three minutes earlier.
Shopna and Krishna Rani were the tournament’s joint second highest scorers with four goals each.