Footballer Sufil ties the knot with cricketer Zinnat

Bangladesh national football team forward Mahbubur Rahman Sufil tied the knot with cricketer Zinnat Asia Ortthi on Monday.

Ortthi, a girl from Bogura, plays for Rajshahi Division. She also played in the Premier League for Dhaka Mohammedan and was also in the camp of the National Emerging Team. 

On the other hand, Sufil, who hails from Sunamganj in Sylhet, came in as a substitute and scored a goal in Bangladesh's 2-0 win over Nepal in the first of their two FIFA friendly matches at the Bangabandhu National Stadium on November 13. He also played in the World Cup qualifier against Qatar this month. 

The happy couple tied the knot Monday evening at the Max Motel in Bogura in a homely environment. Apart from the members of the two families, there were several senior women cricketers from Bogra invited as guests.

Mahbubur Rahman Sufil and Zinnat Asia Ortthi at their wedding ceremony at the Max Motel in Bogura on Monday. Photo: Collected

Asked how the footballer-cricketer duo met, Zinnat told The Daily Star, "We first met through our BKSP friends about three years ago. After that our relationship gradually deepened. There was talk of marriage for a long time but it was not possible to get married due to Sufil's busy schedule. Recently my father fell ill and hence, we had to get married amid the coronavirus crisis."

Zinnat Asia Ortthi with fellow women cricketers at the Shaheed Chandu Stadium in Bogura. Photo: Collected

Earlier, at the invitation of some senior and junior cricketers from Bogura, the newly-wed couple went to the Shaheed Chandu Stadium. Fellow women cricketers gave them a hearty welcome on a field decorated with colored balloons. A cake was also cut there before the contribution of the late Bogura district coach Muslim Uddin in the country's cricket was commemorated. 

Meanwhile, on October 17, a cricket duo -- that of Bangladesh women's team cricketer Sanjida Islam and Mim Mosaddek, also a cricketer from Rangpur -- had tied the knot. The photos of that wedding went viral on social media for the unconventional nature of a sari-clad bride playing cricket shots as part of a wedding photoshoot.