The debate over food for Bangladesh’s women footballers shows no sign of ending. National and age-group players stay in the dormitory on the fourth floor of the BFF building, but head coach Peter Butler has repeatedly voiced concerns about the meals provided, claiming they lack proper nutrition.
Mahfuza Akhter Kiron, head of the BFF’s women’s wing, strongly disagrees. Speaking to the media today, she said, “I do not agree with the claim of malnutrition. The food we provide follows the diet chart prepared by our nutritionist. Many people say we serve pangas fish, but that is not true — not even once. If the players were not eating properly, they could not play 90 minutes.”
Kiron added, “They play full matches with rhythm and intensity. Do you think they can do that without eating? Or by eating pangas fish? No we ensure they get proper nutrition. The problems they have had since childhood are not something we can change overnight.”
Following the senior team’s qualification, Bangladesh’s under-20 women’s side has also reached the AFC Women’s Asian Cup for the first time. The BFF now plans to send both squads to Japan for a month-long training camp. “We have emailed the Japan Football Federation again today. Our plan is to take both teams there for preparation,” Kiron revealed.
However, she also admitted concerns about Japan’s cold weather in December, as the senior tournament in March will be held in warm Australian conditions. “We have to consider the climate. From December, Japan gets cold, so we need to match the timing carefully,” she said.
Ahead of the Asian Cup, the BFF wants the national side to face the Philippines and Vietnam. “We are in talks with Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines for the October, November and December FIFA windows. Hopefully, it will be finalised soon,” Kiron noted.
Peter Butler will go on leave from today, flying from Laos directly to England before returning to Dhaka on 1 September to begin preparations for Australia. The under-20 team, meanwhile, will arrive in Dhaka at 1:30am tonight from Laos. There will be no grand reception like the one held in Hatirjheel for the senior team, though Kiran said, “I will still give them a small gift from my side.”
The senior AFC Women’s Asian Cup will be played in Australia next March, followed by the under-20 edition in Thailand a month later. Both tournaments offer a pathway to the World Cup, so the BFF is putting strong emphasis on preparation. But Kiran acknowledged that money could be a major hurdle. “We always have many plans, but financial constraints often stop us from implementing them. Since we have two major tournaments this year, we will need additional funding,” she concluded.