Bangladesh women's football may see a Japan-born Bangladeshi booter Matsushima Sumaiya representing the red and green jerseys on the ground after the young woman visits the BFF House at Motijheel and meets women's head coach Golam Rabbani Choton and BFF Technical Director Paul Smalley recently. During her meet with the coach and football official, the 19-year young woman expressed her keen interest to represent her nation in international arenas. Matsushima's father is a Bangladeshi Masudur Rahman while mother Japanese Matsushima Tomomi. Sumaiya came in Bangladesh at the age of two and it is her long-time dream to play football for the nation. Coach Choton's comment regarding this, "Sumaiya want to play for Bangladesh and came to meet us recently. Due to her age, we cannot call her in the age-level teams but will call her for trial for the national team in future. If she can prove herself there, we will take her in." The confident young footballer says, "It is my fatherland and I learned football here. I am in love with football and hopeful to play for the national team. I am confident to pass the trial and make my place in the team."
Sumaiya, an A-Level student of an English Medium School in Dhaka, captained her team in the inter-school football tournament for English Medium School in 2018 and became champion. There, she was adjudged the player of the tournament, top scorer and best defender. The booter's favourite playing positions are attacking mid and defence. Now, all her dream is about playing for the nation and for that she is determined to give her best. However, it is not the first time anyone from the Bangladeshi origins wanted to play football for the nation. Due to lack of support and good will from the football officials and having no enough opportunities, almost all of these booters, except Danish-born Bangladeshi Jamal Harris Bhuiyan, failed to get into the national team. That is why the local football fans are waiting to see how the local football officials treat this talented booter.
