Sports  Desk:

Bangladesh national women’s football team made a new landmark in the country’s sports arena with their back-to-back SAFF Women’s Championship title defense.

The women’s SAFF is a prestigious senior-level football tournament for South Asian women and there is no such example of winning any titles two times in a row at the international level in any sports of Bangladesh.

A team usually step forward toward their big goals after touching comparatively less big feats, but the two-time South Asian champions, Bangladesh women’s football team, are exceptional in this case. What is next for them?

The same question had been asked to Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) when the women’s team secured their maiden women’s SAFF title in 2022.

Mahfuza Akhter Kiran, the then BFF’s women’s wing chief, said that time the federation’s target was to bring glory from the Asian level and Olympics. She also promised to arrange a lot of international matches which could help the team to improve their ranks in FIFA.

But BFF ultimately failed to send the team to the Asian Qualifiers round one of Women’s Olympic Football Tournament Paris 2024 due to having shortage of funds.

In the last two years, the team got chances to play three matches of the Asian Games group stage and only eight international matches against four teams including Nepal, Singapore, Chinese Taipei and Bhutan.

The team hosted six out of eight matches against Nepal, Singapore and Chinese Taipei at home and played two matches responding to an invitation from Bhutan. As a result, the women’s team failed to achieve the expected improvements in FIFA rankings; climbed up just one step from 140th to 139th.

There was some relief at the domestic level as the federation was able to host two editions of leagues (Bangladesh Women’s Football League), though three editions were expected to be held within this time frame.

The BFF election recently ended (on 26 October); the new executive committee, chaired by Tabith Awal, has yet to start its operation. A source from BFF informed that the new committee is expected to sit next week. The future of the women’s side is likely to be decided at that meeting.

But BFF’s newly elected senior vice-president Imrul Hassan, who was also the first vice-president of the previous committee, gave some hints on what the new BFF committee might decide for the women’s team.

“There are no sub-committees (of BFF) currently active there. The president (Tabith Awal) is abroad and expected to arrive on the 6th. Then, we will talk with him,” Imrul told Daily Sun on Friday.

“At the meeting (on 9 November), the prize money will be announced for the team. Also, the sub-committees (of BFF) are likely to be formed there. The next plan (regarding the women’s team) will be decided there,” he added.

While asked about their plan regarding the domestic league, Imrul said that the new committee would definitely pay more attention to the women’s league.

“We’ve failed to pay attention to their league after the previous (2022) SAFF title. The new committee will try to standardize and popularize the league and will ensure the participation of all clubs there,” he further added.

Meanwhile, a BFF source further informed this reporter that the women’s booters will be sent to their home for a long vacation after a reception heated by Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus, which will take place Saturday  at the State Guest House Jamuna.