Bangladesh’s national women’s football team have expressed frustration at the standard of their training facilities in Goa ahead of the Women’s SAFF Championship, but insist the difficult conditions will not derail their bid to win the title for a third consecutive time.
The squad, who arrived in Goa following a 15-day conditioning camp in Bangkok, have been assigned the Bambolim Athletic Club ground for their pre-tournament training sessions. The venue has disappointed both players and coaching staff. Situated roughly 25 kilometres from the team hotel, the journey alone consumes considerable time before training can even begin. Upon arrival on Tuesday morning, the pitch was found to be waterlogged in several areas following heavy rain, slippery underfoot and far from ideal for preparation at this level. Stray dogs were also spotted wandering inside the ground.
The dressing room facilities compounded the frustration further. The stuffy and uncomfortable conditions inside prompted several players, including AfrÃda and Ripa, to refuse to use the changing room altogether, instead sitting outside to put on their boots and kit before taking to the pitch.
Head coach Peter James Butler surveyed the conditions with visible displeasure but declined to speak openly when approached by the media, offering only a terse “no comments” in response to questions about the state of the venue.
Experienced right back Shiuli Azim was more forthcoming, though she too chose her words carefully. Having trained at the well-equipped Alpine Training Ground in Bangkok just days earlier, the contrast was stark. “The facilities in Thailand were a little better,” she said. “The pitch here is not quite up to that level. But that is fine, we are adapting.”
Shiuli was equally measured when addressing the broader tournament picture, refusing to rest on the laurels of back-to-back SAFF titles won in Nepal in 2022 and 2024. “We cannot afford to dwell on history,” she said. “We need to forget what we were before and focus on the present. If I am being completely honest about this tournament, India and Nepal are the hot favourites. We are not placing ourselves in that category, but we will do everything we need to do to retain the title.”
India have already signalled their intent in emphatic fashion, thrashing Maldives 11-0 in their opening group match, a scoreline that has set the tone for the entire tournament. Bangladesh face Maldives in their own opening fixture on Thursday 28 May before a group stage clash with India on Sunday 31 May.
Forward Shaheda Akter Ripa refused to be intimidated by India’s result, however. “We will not take to the field simply reacting to India’s 11-goal record,” she said. “We will give our absolute best and try to do even better. If we perform well against Maldives, it will send a message to India too.”
Despite the substandard training environment, the squad remain united in their ambition. The Thailand camp has sharpened their fitness and raised their confidence, and the players are clear about what is at stake: the chance to become the first team, after India, to win the Women’s SAFF Championship three times in a row.
