Football unites communities in Bangladesh
|The Grey Wolves won the tournament beating their opposition 2-0. Image: Sports for Hope and Independence, Bangladesh
“The way football unites communities is amazing”
Sports for Hope and Independence in Bangladesh hosted a tournament on 5th January 2023 with local tea workers taking a holiday to support the event.
Two teams competed in Bangladesh’s tea capital Sreemangal in the Girls Football Championships on 5th January 2023.
The tournament was organised by Sports for Hope and Independence in Bangladesh in collaboration with the Turkish International Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) Dhaka office.
The two sides were named after the Turkish and Bangladeshi national animals; the Bengal tigers and Grey Wolves. On this occasion the Grey Wolves were triumphant, beating the Bengal Tigers 2-0.
|Image: Sports for Hope and Independence
Head of Sport for Development at Sports for Hope and Independence, Pappu Modak said: “I think the way football unites communities is amazing. I could never imagine that a whole community of tea garden workers would take holiday for something else. The most important part of the event is that the girls have grown in confidence and have gained a support system with other girls’ teams.”
The tournament was a celebration of joint project ‘Give Me a Chance’, which aims to use football as a tool for female empowerment, educating both girls and their families about their rights. They will create a safe space for girls to express themselves, challenging stereotypes surrounding female participation in sport.
300 girls and their families from Moulvi Bazar District and Bagerhat, as well as the wider communities will benefit from the 10-month project.
Sports for Hope and Independence are our partner in Bangladesh, find out more about their programmes here.