A little bit shy at the start of the post-match press conference after netting two fine goals in their SAFF Under-19 Women’s Championship opener against Nepal Friday, Mosammat Sagorika could not hide her brashness in the end while talking about her fight against family to become a footballer.
Her parents did not approve their daughter’s pleas to play football.
There was also resistance from other sides of social periphery.
But Sagorika never gave up.
“My father and mother didn’t want me to play at the beginning. But I was lucky to have an aunt who convinced my parents. She told my parents that if they don’t allow me to play they can hand me over to her. She was ready to take all my responsibility,” said Sagorika.
“I was also very single-minded that I would play and kept telling it to them. Other people in the village were also against girls playing football. But I never gave up and set myself a goal to prove my parents wrong and make them proud at the same time.”
The two goals against Nepal were a treat to watch.
The way she tricked the two goalkeepers (one substitute) of the Himalayan nation in either half can give a reason to her parents to expect something bigger in future, if already not enough.
“I was a bit anxious at the start of the game but later I realized we could do it. It feels really great that I scored two but a little sad not to get the hat-trick due to my mistake,” said Sagorika.
Sagorika and Co trained with the Bangladesh senior women’s team as part of their preparation for the competition.
She went up against experienced goalkeepers like Rupna Chakma, who was the best goalkeeper of the 2022 SAFF Championship, in the practice session and that is why perhaps Nepal netminders were not much of a problem to beat relentlessly.
Hailing from Ranishankail upazila of Thakurgaon district, Sagorika could not remember if she had scored two goals in a single international match before.
She wanted to keep the essence going forward and score more goals in the upcoming matches.
