Champions with heavy hearts: Butler, Afeida mourn Uttara tragedy

Bangladesh emerged unbeaten champions of the SAFF U-20 Women's Championship with a commanding 4-0 victory over Nepal on Monday, but the celebrations were subdued in the shadow of a national tragedy.

Head coach Peter Butler and captain Afeida Khandaker expressed their deep sorrow at the Air Force jet crash that occurred in Dhaka's Uttara earlier in the day.

A training aircraft of the Bangladesh Air Force crashed near a school in Uttara, killing at least 20 and injuring around 170. The incident cast a somber mood over the Bangladeshi camp despite their triumph on the field.

Coach Butler began his post-match remarks by addressing the tragedy:

"First and foremost, I would like to pay my respects – our respects – to the deceased and the people who've suffered in this terrible tragedy today. It's not really a time to be celebrating when somebody's lost their lives or a young child has passed away. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the deceased, to the kids, and to the people who have been badly injured."

Captain Afeida said the tragedy only strengthened the team's resolve to win the trophy. 

"We actually came to play today after hearing the news of the accident. Many schoolchildren were injured or killed in the Air Force plane crash. So we felt we had to win this tournament – to bring a little smile to people's faces."