Sports Desk : dhakamirror.com
National women’s football team defender Akhi Khatun left the team Bangladesh Football Federation residential camp to pursue sports education in a Chinese academy as she claimed to reporters during a function at a city hotel on Sunday.
While leaving the camp two days back, Akhi expressed her desire to the BFF’s technical director Paul Smalley and asked to have clearance to go to China.
Akhi, who was a key member of the SAFF Women’s Championship 2022 winning team, expected to leave for China soon after the occasion of Eid-ul-Azha, if everything goes well.
The 19-year-old centre-back did not reveal the name of the Chinese sports educational institution but told the reporters that she is ready to pay the expenses on her own for this purpose.
‘I left the camp two days ago. I talked to (Paul) Smalley sir about my wishes. I am determined to go there (China) and hope to get permission. I am planning to leave after Eid,’ said Akhi.
‘I am not giving up football…I might come back after some time to attend the national calls.’
‘I started to contact two Chinese institutions before the SAFF Championship; both of them have facilities like BKSP. Now I will choose one of those two, as I believe it will be good for my sports and education’ she added.
Akhi denied any connection between her decision to leave the BFF camp and the coach Golam Rabbani Choton’s decision to retire, along with forward Sirat Jahan Swapna quitting football.
‘No, actually I was unaware of their decision until the news was published in the media on Friday,’ Akhi said.
When she was asked about whether she was going to China in order to get married to a tennis player, as rumours suggested, Akhi said, ‘Anything can happen, and it is personal.’
