Womens athletics is heading a new frontier in Bangladesh. Being a Muslim country, women did not share the same opportunities as men when it comes to competitive sports. This is a story about the close ties a group of brave women formed, while starting new traditions in Bangladesh.
Kabadi, a team contact sport, is the National sport in Bangladesh. In 2009 a team was fielded for the South Asian Games in 2010. A one-year training camp was established at the Womens Complex in Dhaka, in preparation for the games. This was a great victory for women rights considering that women have only briefly participated in sports for the last ten years. Out of approximately 80 million women in Bangladesh, only 15 000 women practice sports at a higher level.
Women from all over the country were fielded to form the team, most of them from poor families. Being athletes also mean that the girls have a chance to escape from poverty for a few years. Many of them dream of an education after their sports career is over, however, few get to realize their dreams due to poverty. Sharing the same insecurities and challenges in life, these girls have forged impeccably tight bonds. Their display of unity and strength on the turf echoes their determination in handling lifes challenges as their fight extends beyond Kabadi.