Mofiz Uddin, an assistant teacher at Dhobaura Kalsindur Government Primary School on the India-Bangladesh border in Mymensingh, could not in his wildest imagination think that his little step would one day cause a revolution.
Back in 2011, Mofiz heard about Bangamata Begum Fazilatunnesa Mujib Gold Cup and he thought it would be a great idea to field a team with the little girls of his school.
Sanjida, an erstwhile fourth grade student, responded to the clarion call of her mentor. Maria Manda, Sheuli Azim, Marzia Akter, Shamsunnahar, Tohura, Sajeda and Shamsunnahar Jr followed suit soon.
Flash forward to September 19, 2022. These eight names make history as they are part of the Bangladesh Women’s Team that clinched the first Saff title on the lap of Himalayas in Nepal.
“The beginning was a big challenge,” said Mofiz to Dhaka Tribune.
Dhaka Tribune“Guardians in the village were conservative. They could not bear to think of letting girls play football. It took a lot of effort to convince the parents. Later, when I went to the field with the girls, many people made fun of me. During the practice, there was a crowd of eager people around the field. They used to mock me. However, many came forward to help. I wanted to answer people's oblique comments in the field and not to their faces. Apart from studies, the girls practised on the field after school and on their days off. Success came at some point,” the original mentor of the golden girls added.
In their first try, back in 2012, however, the charges under Mofiz ended up as runners-up. But they came back strongly in the following year to become champions among all the schools of the country.
In 2013, Kalsindur Primary School became champion in the Bangamata Begum Fazilatunnessa Mujib Gold Cup Tournament. After that, the team came to the attention of the local administration and sportspersons. Though little in the day, they started to get some support.
Bangladesh won the AFC Under-14 Regional Championship in 2014. Maria Manda and Shamsunnahar Jr made important contributions there. Having seen such success, other female students came forward, with Kalsindur School getting more and more aspiring footballers.
Minti Rani, head teacher of the school, said: “The main problem in the beginning was the public shaming of the girls, which took a lot of time to tackle. But we managed to get rid of that and bring the girls to the field in sports clothes. Now we are proud. I am a witness to history. There is still practice going on in school. Even children from class 3 are participating.”
Sanjida's father Liaqat Ali said he allowed his daughter to play football because of her interest and the encouragement of her teachers. The villagers did not take it well at first. Later, when the girls’ reputation began to spread, it was no longer a problem.
During the historic final Bangladesh got off to a great start when a girl from Kalsindur, Shamsunnahar Jr, scored a goal in the 13th minute.
Her ecstatic father, Nekbar Mia, said: “I was watching the game while sitting in front of the TV yesterday. I was tense. When my girl scores a goal, my heart fills with joy. We are proud of our daughter's success.”
These girls are now champions of Bangladesh. Thanks to them, their remote village has got modern facilities like electricity and roads. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has given these girls a monetary donation along with a reception in their honour. Thus the name of their village achieved widespread recognition.
The story of these girls is recorded in the textbook of Class XI. A special chapter is included in the textbook, entitled “The Unbeaten Girls”. The text describes the success stories of girls from poor families at the foothills of the Garo hill track. The biographical sketches of Sanjida, Maria, Tohura, Shamsunnahar, Sheuli Azim, Najma Akhtar and Mazia Aktar appear in the chapter.
The legacy of Sabina Khatun, who died prematurely at the age of 15, is also recorded. The chapter includes the stories of Sanjida Akhtar finishing seventh in the Asian continent, Maria Manda being the Under-15 captain and Tohura Khatun being the international top scorer to inspire millions of girls of the country.
The Kalsindur national team players are now students of Kalsindur Government School and College. The school’s proud Assistant Teacher Mala Rani Sarkar expressed feelings that resonate with the whole village. “We are very happy that our girls' names are in the national textbook. They make us proud.”
