Sabina breaks down over ‘unbearable humiliation’ faced by women's team
While speaking about the matter, Sabina broke down in tears. “At the end of the day, the girls play for the country,” she said before covering her face with both hands, wiping away her tears.
Captain Sabina Khatun broke down in tears as Bangladesh's women's footballers declared they would not play under head coach Peter Butler, demanding his removal and threatening mass retirement if he stays, while also decrying the relentless humiliation they have faced from the public and online abuse.
In a written statement on Thursday, they accused the English coach of mental harassment and mistreatment, presenting their grievances to the media.
Sabina, along with Monika Chakma and Masura Parveen, made their stance clear, but their frustration extends beyond Butler.
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The players expressed deep disappointment over the insults and mockery they have faced on social media, saying the criticism has become unbearable. While addressing this, Sabina was unable to hold back her emotions.
On Tuesday, after returning to Dhaka, Butler called for a team meeting, but no player attended. Out of the 29 squad members, only 12 showed up for Thursday's gym session. Later in the evening, 17 players appeared before the media at the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) headquarters, issuing their statement against the coach.
Speaking about the abuse they had received online, the players described it as humiliating and unacceptable. Sabina, struggling to contain her emotions, said, "At the end of the day, we play for our country." Overcome with emotion, she covered her face and wiped away tears.
After pausing, she added, "The way people in our country are insulting us—it is impossible for the girls to endure." She was unable to continue and left the podium in tears, pushing past her teammates.
Defender Masura Parveen then spoke with tear-filled eyes, saying, "We are active on Facebook because we have access to our phones. We have already seen a lot of news and reports where it has been made clear that we are not capable of doing anything for our country. We have nothing left to say to anyone."
The conflict between the women's footballers and Butler is not new. It first became public during the SAFF Championship, and since then, the players have repeatedly voiced their concerns to the BFF. However, they claim no action has been taken. Despite the ongoing dispute, the federation recently extended Butler's contract for another year.
