Ritu Porna Chakma, Bangladesh’s star left-winger, showcased her skill in the recent SAFF Women's Championship, helping Bangladesh secure the title and earning the tournament’s Best Player award. Before departing Kathmandu's Tribhuvan International Airport, she shared her thoughts on the victory and her remarkable journey with the popular Bengali daily, Kaler Kantho.

Congratulations on your win! How does it feel to claim the title for the second time?

This year’s tournament was incredibly competitive. Teams like India and Nepal were tough opponents, and winning was far from easy. We put in a lot of effort, training tirelessly, often starting early each day for months without any matches. This victory is the result of our hard work and the support and prayers of our fans.

You appeared slightly out of rhythm at the beginning of the final match. What was going on?

Finals are always intense, and with so many spectators, it was hard to communicate on the field. The opposing team also made a clear effort to restrict my movements, even planning to mark me tightly. However, I was patient and waited for the right opportunity.

The Nepalese probably marked you a little too hard.

Definitely. They had me heavily marked, especially in the first half, making it difficult to advance with the ball. But I knew that as the game progressed, they would tire, and that’s when I could make my move. And that’s exactly what I did.

Your gameplay seemed more polished than before. What has changed in the last two years?

Staying together as a team at the BFF building all year and practicing consistently has really improved our coordination. Although we had few international matches, our continuous training helped us grow significantly.

Did you anticipate scoring from that shot along the touchline?

I aimed to score, though I wasn’t sure it would work. The coaches had urged me to take the shot, so I seized the opportunity.

Your goal celebration made quite a statement. What was the story behind that? 

That was something I planned. I knew the stadium crowd would be against us, so if I scored, I wanted to silence them. The celebration was my way of doing that.

Earlier, you had expressed frustration over not scoring, but now you’ve scored in two consecutive games. Still frustrated?

Not at all! With the team winning the championship, there’s no room for frustration – it’s pure joy.

Winning the tournament’s Best Player award must be a proud moment. Did you expect it?

Not at all! I’m usually not a big scorer, so this award came as a wonderful surprise. It’s an indescribable feeling.

With another title in hand, what’s next for the team?

We can’t just focus on SAFF anymore. We have to prepare to face bigger teams in Asia and aim to win against them as well.

BDST: 1416 HRS, NOV 01, 2024