Unheralded Aklima outshines Sabina, Krishna
For playing football with boys, Aklima Khatun once hid herself to avoid scolding from her father – Mizanur Rahman, a farmer. She even waited outside the home for her father to leave before having a meal.
The girl from Bagerhat, now 18-year-old, has left that past behind. She is enjoying playing football in the domestic circuit as well as representing Bangladesh age-group teams at the international level.
In the recently concluded women's football league, Aklima outshone big names – the likes of national strikers Sabina Khatun, Krishna Rani Sarker, and Sirat Jahan Swapna. She became top-scorer with 25 goals from nine matches to help Ataur Rahman Bhuiyan College Sporting Club finish runners-up.
"I never expected I could be the top-scorer among the senior players who have vast experience," Aklima told the reporters after their last match against ultimate champions Bashundhara Kings on Thursday.
Sabina, who was last season's top-scorer with 35 goals, was the second top-scorer with 19 goals followed by Krishna – the top-scorer of 2019-20 season with 22 goals – who netted 12 goals this season.
"I think I could have scored more if I got the opportunity to play two more matches, where I could not participate due to injury," said the BKSP student, who represented Bangladesh U-18 team in the SAFF U-18 Women's Championship early this year. There she struck three goals in four matches in Jamshedpur, India.
The forward now looks ahead to secure a place in the senior national women's team by performing well in February's SAFF U-20 Women's Championship at home.
"The SAFF U-20 Women's Championship is going to start in February, on Feb 03, at home and I am hoping to carry this performance to the tournament. If I can perform better for the U-20 team, then I will have an opportunity to secure a place in the senior national team," said Aklima who was also part of a winning team of BKSP in 2019 Subrata Cup in India.
The lanky forward started playing football alongside boys in the playground adjacent to her home -- located within the Mithakhali village of Monga, Bagerhat. She risked playing the game by going against her father's order but now she is an important player of Bangladesh age-group team.
However, his father admitted Aklima to BKSP in 2017 after she took part in Bangamata Gold Cup Primary School tournament in 2015.
"When my father first saw me playing football with boys, he got angry and I went somewhere to hide in order to avoid him. I came back to the playground after he left the area," Aklima recalled. "I often wasn't served food because of playing football and I took my meal when my father left home."
Aklima smiles and informs that her father now gets angry if she doesn't eat on time or doesn't go to the training while on vacation.
National striker and captain Sabina also praised Aklima.
"I want to congratulate her and I am taking her knack of scoring goals very positively because this will ultimately help our women's football."