The joy knows no bounds of the villagers of Sumant Para, a remote hilly township of Lakshichhari Upazila, Khagrachhari, when their girl Monika Chakma returned home after winning the SAFF Women’s Football Championship for successive time.
The villagers are proud of Monika, who was also the member of the SAFF Championship wining team in 2022 and played very significant role duing both occassions.
Monika went her village in Lakshichhari Upazila, Khagrachhari on Friday just after their returning country on Thursday.
Right after Monika reaching, the villagers gave Monika a warmed reception when the whole community gathered to Monika's house, as a wave of joy was sweeping at the Sumant Para areas.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh women's team became champions for the second time in a row after defeating the hosts Nepal 2-1 in the final at Dashrath Rangshala Stadium in Nepal on October 30.
The proud father Bindu Kumar Chakma and mother Ravimala Chakma entertained with sweets the villegers got together at their house.
Monika has an ecellent back-ground to become one of the best performers in SAFF region when proved her brilliance at her teen age in 2019 during the Bangamata International Football tournament.
Monika became in the limelight after scoring a wnderful goal against Mongolia in the Bangmata Under-19 Women’s International Tournament in 2019. Monika’s super effort was in FIFA’s list of 'favourite' moments.
FIFA asks fans to share their favourite content each week which they then post in their site. Goals from the likes of Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo usually show up on the list of contents but that time a goal from Bangladesh’s U-19 team’s Monika Chakma made it amongst the moments which according to the choices made by social media fans was one of the top five moments of the week.
FIFA titled it ‘Magical Chakma’ and her goal against Mongolia in the Bangamata U-19 Women’s International Gold Cup tournament.
During the semifinal tie win by 3-0 against Mongolia, Monika opened the scoring with a mesmerising goal. Monika’s goal was listed above the rest of the moments in the FIFA site. She picked up a stray ball near the edge of the opposition area and proceeded to guide a header towards the direction she was moving in by acrobatically arching her body. The defenders did their best to cut down the space and angle for a shot but she unleashed a fierce left-footed volley from the penalty-arch that left those watching reeling as the ball flew into the top corner.
Monika got her first call to play at the U-14 national level after her eye-catching performances in the Govt. Primary School Gold Cup Football Tournament at district level when her Lakshmichari Marachegi Govt. Primary School became champion.
She participated in the AFC tournament held in Sri Lanka in 2012 and scored three goals for the country.
Monica Chakma, the outstanding performer of the country’s women’s football, born and brough up at Sumanta Para, a remote hilly township of Khagrachari.
She has to travel seven kilometers from the upazila headquarters to her village. Monika Chakma is the youngest daughter of her father Bindu Kumar Chakma and mother Ravimala Chakma. Born on September 15, 2003 in a farmer family, Monika was fond of the game football.
So, Monika had to play football without permission of her father when elder sister Anika Chakma supported her.
However, her teachers Veersen Chakma and Gopal Dey were the men behind who played big role of Monika becoming as a ‘Magical Chakma’.
Bindu Kumar Chakma, Moonika’s father, said, “Once I didn't want Monika to play football but now I am proud and happy of my daughter’s success.”
