Also read: A title dedicated to Sabina and the martyrs of 1971
The coach has been guiding the current batch of Bangladesh girls, representing the national team and different age-level sides, from day one. A good judge of talent, Choton polished the rough gems and transformed them to a winning outfit, capable of overcoming any formidable threat on their day. Attacker Tohura Khatun, who enjoyed a stellar campaign this year in the Saff U-15 Championship, is a shining example of Choton's guidance. The diminutive footballer might be nimble footed these days with quick movements but she was anything but when she arrived to the big stage. After working relentlessly, Tohura improved her fitness significantly as Choton proudly said recently that she runs 2900m in 12 minutes, terming it a miracle. “There were no regular activities even four years ago. But the girls have conquered all their hurdles and obstacles through sheer determination. It feels really good to see the girls play so well. They have outshone everyone else. They deserve all the credit,” said Choton to Dhaka Tribune Thursday, playing down his own contribution behind the success, instead praising his charges.
Also read: Unbeaten Bangladesh girls beat India to lift Saff U-15 title
The girls in red and green beat India twice and Nepal and Bhutan en route to the title, scoring 13 goals and conceding none, maintaining a 100% winning record in the process. The picture perfect scenario however, was only painted after a lot of hard work behind the scenes. Strict disciplinarian coaches like Italian Antonio Conte and German Jurgen Klopp have been known to hold dual training sessions in a day, at times to the dislike of a few footballers, so as to bring out the best in their charges. But Choton went one better. Under his stewardship there were three training sessions in a day.
Also read: Monika shows Bangladesh the way
“There is no shortcut to success. You have to do a lot of running in a game, always. In order for the girls to do that, they had to work hard in training. There is no other way really. You have to run, work hard, and chase lost causes. Then you will be successful,” he said. Along with the recent success, perhaps the greatest achievement of the Bangladesh girls is their ability to adapt to different playing styles. They are comfortable pressing the opposition, a hallmark of Spaniard Pep Guardiola's Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Manchester City sides, while not so long ago, Choton said his disciples are more than capable of playing “Total Football”, a system perfected by Rinus Michels' Netherlands team in the 1974 World Cup. Despite their many talents, Choton however, believes the players have more room for improvement. “There is no end to improving, really. Monika [Chakma], Akhi [Khatun], [Anuching] Mogini and Shamsunnahar were brilliant but they're not yet the finished product. They can only get better. And I believe they will, they have the devotion and dedication,” said a hopeful Choton.