After a seven-year hiatus, the third edition of women's football league just drew to a close on Sunday with the star-studded Bashundhara Kings becoming the new, undisputed champions, thanks to national forwards Sabina Khatun, Krishna Rani Sarkar and Tahura Khatun in their roster to make the key difference with other teams.

The prolific trio together scored 72 goals out of 249, struck in 42 league matches by over 60 players, without facing much challenge from the opponents but former national age-group right-back-turned forward Sadia Akter of Jamalpur Kacharipara Ekadosh came into the spotlight after slotting a stellar double hat-trick in a 7-1 win over FC Uttar Bango, a feat even Sabina, Krishna and Tahura could not achieve in the league though they had struck a few hat-tricks.

Having skipped the first-leg of the league due to SSC examination, Sadia began playing for Kacharipara Ekadosh in the second leg and helped her side finish third behind champions Bashundhara and Nasrin Sports Academy, also an outfit full with national players. The 16-year-old struck seven goals in six matches.

Sadia is not new to competitive football as she played for national U-14 and national U-16 team in Sri Lanka and Tajikistan in 2013 and 2016 respectively after debuting through Bangamata Primary Gold Cup in 2012. She has also been in the camp of national U-19 team in 2019 but the BKSP student, who captained BKSP women's football team to win Subrata Cup in India twice in 2017 and 2018, surprisingly could not make the cut to the final squad.

Her adoptive mother – Kamrunnahar Khan Mooni – paved the way for Sadia to play for Kacharipara Ekadosh where some seven players from Mooni's Monalisa Women's Sport Academy were given chances to play, and while Mooni herself played the role as the assistant manager of Jamalpur outfit.

"I haven't had her in my womb but I am her mother since 2017 and she stays with me," said Mooni. "Her father and mother live in Narsingdi and Sadia often meets with them."

"If I kept my mother identity aside, as an AFC C license coach, I will say that Sadia is a talented player with quick decision making skills in midfield and that too while being two-footed, becomes a rare combination from our perspective," said Mooni, who is also a teacher of Uttaran Govt. Primary School of Tangail.

"I can play in different positions – right wing, right back, midfield and striker but I think I can play better in striking position," Sadia told The Daily Star. "I believe I can get a call for the national U-19 camp on the back of my good performances in the league, although I am doubtful on getting a call following the apparent nepotism in the national camp."

"I struck a double hat-trick in my second match but I could not find the net as I was kept under strict marking in the remaining matches. Besides, there were no such midfielders who could provide me with opportunities to score," said Sadia.

"Sadia had been in our national age-group teams as the right back but she was dropped due to sub-standard performances. I was not there to witness her double hat-trick due to my sickness but I did watch her in the next four matches where she could not keep the momentum going," said national head-coach Golam Rabbani Choton while adding that some eight to nine players outside the national players caught his eye, and those are likely to be called in the national camp.