An unlikely visitor at the Cox’s Bazar Stadium turned the first off-day of the SAFF Women’s Football Championship into a temporary uproar and media frenzy. As the players of the four semifinalists along with Maldives were preparing for a football festival organised by FIFA, all the attention suddenly shifted as former president Hussain Mohammad Ershad barged into the field, entourage in tow.
The former president had arrived in the city on the previous day on a five-day personal visit. A former sportsman and sports-enthusiast Ershad met the teams and took photographs with them.
Ershad said that he went there to encourage the teams and said that he had followed Bangladesh’s progress in the tournament.
“I know they are through to the semifinals. But Bangladesh need to develop a lot. They are not physically as strong and have less stamina than others. They need to have more practice to compete well,” opined Ershad who is a part of the current Awami League-led coalition government.
Meanwhile, some 70 schoolgirls from the district took part in the hour-long festival organised by FIFA. The girls had the opportunity to play with the players and take part in a joint photoshoot. They were later distributed with jerseys, shorts, socks and balls by sponsors Puma.
