BFF talent hunt hinds fresh faces for women’s teams

Ragib Rabeya Ban Football Academy swept to victory in the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) Women’s Talent Identification Programme (TIP) tournament on Sunday, lifting the trophy after a 3-0 win over Bhairabganj FA in Sylhet.

The two-day grassroots showcase featured eight regional academies. Standout prospects earned immediate call-ups to the national setup and head to Dhaka for a residential camp at the BFF House from 13-19 October under national head coach Peter James Butler.

Reflecting on the scouting process, Butler was pleased with the outcome. "It was really positive, found a number of talented youngsters, and the people of Sylhet were really hospitable," he said, noting the players were "picked specifically for the U17/19, feeding them into the national team development pipelines."

The sweltering conditions made the talent hunt demanding. "Hard work with the heat," Butler admitted. "It’s called grassroots selection a bit different from selecting online like shopping at Amazon or IKEA. This is not easy, but I have a specific program."

Assessing the overall quality of the raw talent, the head coach remained pragmatic. "Some were good, some were average, but that’s to be expected... overall it was what I expected, it’s called hit and miss," he explained.

Looking ahead, Butler emphasized the need for consistent scouting initiatives. "This program should be done every six months, but that determines on finance, also what age group you feel is best attacked."