Do we really know how to celebrate our champions?

There comes a time, regardless of how rare it might be, when you genuinely feel happy to see others succeed. The existence of such happiness becomes much more apparent when it comes to underdogs achieving something despite everyone's minuscule expectations for them. Such was the case for the Bangladesh Women's football team winning the SAFF Women Championship 2022 title.

So, the natural question one might ask is, "Why? Oh, why do we gravitate towards such triumphs of the underrated team?

Personally, I feel that everyone can resonate with this scenario because support for the underrated feels just and self-pleasing, especially when their valiant effort leads to greater success. At times, it may even seem that our support led to the glorious victory of the underdogs, however ridiculous it may sound.

The Bangladesh Women's football team had nothing to lose because they had nothing but perseverance. Therefore, they were not controlled or lulled by endorsements or new trends, nor were they trying to fit in. Not in a society where the length of a dress is a cause to get assaulted. Whatever their objective was, they just executed it and did so by any means necessary. And that is precisely why many of us can relate to how hard they struggled to win. So, when they do win, we honour their efforts by vicariously rejoicing with them.

But do we really support them, or are we just boarding the hype train? Do we really know how to celebrate our champions? After winning the title, our golden girls and the entire team were showered with praises and accolades. Starting with a 16 km long parade in a roofless double-decker bus under the unforgiving sun of Dhaka for 4 hours, followed by the alluring prize money, and the promised expenditure of each player's wedding!

The roaring crowd rooting for the team also consists of the extended families of the players, some of whom believe that the football field is no place for girls. Followed by the associates and friends of the team's coach, Golam Rabbani Choton, whom they ridiculed by calling him the "Lady Coach." All of that is behind them since they now shine brighter than the sun with their own right and will of steel.

They shined so bright that they had to stand at the back of a crowd in their own homecoming press conference, while others took their seats in front of them, answering the team's questions. It was morosely hilarious and similar to a typical university group project; those who made the project possible get outshined by those who barely had anything to do with the execution.

Speaking of execution, there is not usually much to say when your star player gets hit on her head with an overhead banner during the team's open-top bus parade. Ritu Porna Chakma, who scored two goals as a substitute during the unbeaten campaign in SAFF Women's Championship, now has three stitches on her head. The organisers and guards had one job: to keep the girls and their belongings safe during the parade.

As a cherry on top, US dollars' worth TK 2.5 lakh were stolen from the luggage of one of the players.

"Since a parade was waiting for our return, we kept our handbag inside the luggage. We kept my 900 dollars, Shamsun Nahar's 400 dollars including other players' money as well. Later, when I opened the luggage, I saw the chain of the small bag open and empty. There was nothing in the bag," Krishna Rani Sarkar, Bangladeshi women's football forward, expressed with sorrow.

Sanjida Akhter, midfielder of Bangladesh women's national football team, before winning the championship, shared on social media, "Even if we don't get to stand in a parade bus as champions, we would still want to put our heart and soul in the game for those who have supported us despite society's ideology. We hope that our efforts and struggle will pave the path for aspiring female athletes in the future."

It is our responsibility to get our players the respect they deserve before and after the hype. It should be our priority not to let their achievement go to waste. They have come back stronger and now are breaming with limitless potential, which we should nurture and preserve. Their achievement has now become a precursor for the children in every corner of the country to aim higher and beyond.