Rejuvenated Shopna carries team's hopes
Although Sirat Jahan Shopna was the main striker of the Bangladesh U-16 women's team during their AFC U-16 Women's Championship qualifiers last September, she was outdone by captain Krishna Rani Sarker, who hogged the limelight after becoming the top scorer in their group with eight goals, including a hattrick, while Shopna failed to net even once in five matches.
Now, one year since the completion of the qualifiers and with the final round of the tournament having gotten underway in the Thai province of Chonburi on Sunday, the focus has returned to Shopna following her brilliant performances in practice matches in Japan, South Korea, Singapore and China.
Shopna, a tenth grade student of Shuti BM Pilot High School in Rangpur, scored 16 goals in those practice matches -- eight in the first tour of Japan, five in China, one apiece in Singapore and Korea and one more in the second tour of Japan. The return was remarkable, especially considering that she sat out matches due to injury. But now she is fully-fit and ready to shoulder the responsibility up front.
Her teammates and coaching staff have pinned their hopes on the shy girl, trusting that she can make the difference in their matches. And she was also looking forward to repaying their faith.
"A belief has developed in the team that I can score goals if I am provided with the ball up front. I feel a bit of fear because everyone is banking on me to get the goals but as a forward I also want to strike every match," the 16-year-old said.
"I will try my best to do what I have done in the practice matches although I know I will not get many chances. I will be trying to pay back the faith which has been kept on me," added Shopna, who will be playing as the starting striker after Krishna switched to right-back since the SAFF Women's Championship, where Bangladesh became runners up thanks to Shopna's five goals.
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