Mashrafe 'over the moon' after meeting World Cup winner Martinez
Mashrafe, in a long Facebook post, expressed his excitement after meeting the World Cup winner and was floored by his cordiality.
Emiliano Martinez, the World Cup-winning goalkeeper for Argentina, arrived in Dhaka this morning via Amsterdam. Former Bangladesh cricket team captain Mashrafe Mortaza is one of a few celebrities to have met the Argentina no. 1 during his short visit.
Mashrafe, in a long Facebook post, expressed his excitement after meeting the World Cup winner and was floored by his cordiality.
Mashrafe reminisced about Martinez's heroics in the 2021 Copa America and said he was disappointed after the loss to Saudi Arabia in the 2022 World Cup.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
"It was a dream come true moment when Argentina came from behind to win the World Cup," the post read.
"[I] got to meet Emi [Martinez], one of the heroes of that campaign, in Dhaka. The visit was short, but it gave me immense pleasure. I just saw the World Cup winning goalkeeper in the flesh. He barely knows how he fulfilled the dream of millions."
Martinez showed Mashrafe the tattoo on his left leg which he used to stop Randal Kolo Muani's 126th-minute shot to secure the win in the final.
When Mashrafe told his children about Martinez's arrival in Dhaka, they were "jumping in joy" and couldn't sleep. "When I met Emi, I told him that my kids wanted his autograph. The cordiality he showed was extraordinary. Even he got photos captured with them too. They are over the moon now, and so am I," he continued.
"Emi, you're welcome in our land. For years, people have been supporting you. I hope you are happy visiting us too. Besides, I hope Bangladesh will qualify for the World Cup someday and we will dance in the streets with our flags. It may seem outrageous to many. I know this is very difficult, but not impossible. I am waiting for that day, Inshaallah," Mashrafe concluded.
According to Satadru Dutta, the head of the organisation that is bringing the Argentine to the subcontinent for the first time, the 30-year-old goalkeeper will not make any public appearances during an 11-hour stop in Dhaka en route to Kolkata.
At 4:10 pm, Martinez will depart for the capital of West Bengal, where he will attend a series of events over the course of the following 48 hours.
After attending a program at the NEXT Ventures, a digital business organisation, office in the morning, Martinez will visit Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her office in the afternoon.
