Breaking stereotypes: Female basketball stars rise at Uttara tournament

Deshi Ballers is a pioneer. It has been seven years of constant efforts to dismantle gender stereotypes and create a supportive space where female basketball lovers can dream bigger, transforming from rookies into confident future professionals.

To commemorate and celebrate this journey, a day-long basketball tournament was hosted by them at the Uttara campus of Scholastica School on Saturday, 12 July 2025.

Samanta Farahnaz, a prominent girls' basketball team leader and accomplished athlete, announced the commencement. Co-founder of Deshi Ballers, Ashreen Mridha, said, "Every time we host it at a new place, we meet new players who stick with us. Some from six years ago still show up, and some even brought their babies this time. So, the community keeps growing."

Her co-founder, Gulnahar Mahbub Monika, added, "Scholastica was the right place this year. The school has such a legacy with women's basketball. Our goal is to keep discovering spaces where girls can play sports freely, grow confidently, and be recognised not just as athletes, but as future leaders."

This year's tournament was split across three categories: under-18 girls, all-age girls, and under-23 boys.

Teams were registered based on self-formed groups, which brought together a variety of high school students, young professionals, and academy trainees under one roof. A total of 76 players from 10 teams of girls and 9 teams of boys competed for the titles of champion.

All of the categories were as competitive as they could be. The U18 Girls tournament was won by team Changas, with Huskies trailing close behind. In the All-Age Girls category, team Dhumketu took the title with team Retro Ballers being the runners-up. The boys' division was just as thrilling as Team Aeros claimed victory over team Squadrone Die.

Apart from team titles, individual awards were given in the most valuable and best defensive players categories in each tournament. Two players, a male and a female, were honoured with the Rising Star award as recognition of emerging talent.

But perhaps the real win was off-court.

"This year, we finally saw results of our advocacy for 7 years!" Ashreen proudly shared.

"The first women's league started, the first youth national team for girls was formed, which travelled to an international tournament with a female team manager and female trainer alongside the coaching staff, and finally, a female member is part of the national basketball federation. These aren't just wins for Deshi Ballers. These are shifts in the system," he added.  

With seven years now on the scoreboard, Deshi Ballers has grown into more than just a sports academy. This tournament was a testament to their unwavering commitment to fostering an inclusive environment for women in basketball.

At the end of the day, some players went home with trophies, some with sore legs, but most with something more. And as long as there's a ball to pass and a girl ready to play, this court isn't closing anytime soon.

Photo: Courtesy