Families rewarded by U-16s successes

The members of their family used to travel to neighbouring houses or villages to watch live telecasts of their beloved daughters, sisters and nieces playing football, but now they will get the opportunity to watch them on television in the comfort of their homes.

Players like Sanjida Khatun, Sara Ban Tahura, Maria Manda, Marzia, Taslima, Anuching Mogini and Sirat Jahan Swapna did not have television sets at their homes, forcing their family members to roam to different places to watch them live during the AFC U-16 Championship Qualifiers last year.

However, Walton, sponsors of the national women's football team during the SAFF Women's Championship, ended the those problems by distributing 32-inch LED TVs to all the members of the national women's team, who recently became runners-up in SAFF Women's Championship.

This is just one instance of how these girls, who hail from poor families in remote villages, help their family by providing different home appliances which they are given on the back of their brilliant performances at the international level.

These girls also helped their families by providing them with the money they received after winning the AFC Women's Qualifiers. So far, each member of that team has received Tk 1,75,000 from the federation, sponsors and different corporate houses. Each of the members of the U-16 women's team also receive scholarships of Tk 10,000 per month.

“We didn't have televisions, but now we do. I will send this prize (television set) home immediately and my family members don't need to go to our neighbouring villages to watch our football matches,” beamed Sirat Jahan Swapna, the striker of both the national and U-16 women's team who had struck five goals in the recently concluded SAFF Women's Championship.

“I am really happy to be helping my parents by playing football. Our family is not well-off and I am providing some money to help them run the family smoothly. My father bought some land using the money I was awarded with by the federation and different corporate houses after the AFC U-16 Championship Qualifiers,” continued the Rangpur native, whose father is a farmer.

Anuching Mogni, another striker of the national and U-16 women's team, is equally happy with the TV, which has been sent to her family.

“I had earlier told you that we need financial assistance in order to continue playing football. As we have been playing better football, we have received that assistance which is helping our families. My parents also bought some land,” said Anuching. “I want to keep helping my family by playing football.”

Assistant coach Mahbubur Rahman informed that most of the U-16 team's players bought pieces of land using the money they had earned following their success in the AFC U-16 Championship.

Captain Sabina Khatun added that such gifts would inspire the girls to play better in the future.