Ritu Porna believes Bangladesh are ready to defend their SAFF Women’s Championship title after completing a two-week training camp in Thailand ahead of the 2026 tournament in Goa.
Bangladesh wrapped up their final session at the Alpine Sports Training Camp on Wednesday before flying to India on Thursday. The squad trained under coach and reported no injury concerns before departure.
The team spent around 15 days in Thailand preparing for the tournament. Bangladesh focused on physical work, tactical drills and technical sessions during the camp. The players also played two practice matches against clubs from the Thai Women’s League.
Ritu said the players handled difficult weather conditions and intense sessions during the camp.
“We trained in strong heat and under the sun for two weeks. All our players are ready,” Ritu said.
“We will try to give our best in the SAFF Championship. Our target is to retain the title.”
Bangladesh beat Kasem Bundit FC 2-0 in one of the closed-door friendlies during the camp. Ritu believes those matches helped the squad sharpen their preparation before the tournament starts.
“The two matches we played here will have a big impact on our SAFF tournament preparation,” she said.
The midfielder also insisted the squad now feels physically and mentally prepared for the competition.
“We are physically and mentally ready,” she said.
Bangladesh enter the tournament as back-to-back champions after winning the SAFF title in 2022 and 2024. They will face India and the Maldives in Group B in Goa.
Ritu also thanked supporters for backing the women’s team during their rise in South Asian football.
“We hope people continue supporting us like this in future. We will not disappoint the country,” she said.
