BracU and USAID promote wellness through sports
On December 9th, Brac University hosted a campaign along with USAID titled ‘Healthier in Motion Wellness’ with the message “গতিতেই সুস্বাস্থ্য”. This event was targeted to bring sports, mindfulness, and empowerment together, promoting holistic well-being. The chief guests of that day were the stars of the Bangladesh national women’s football team: Maria Manda, Ritu Porna Chakma, Masura Parvin, and their ace captain Sabina Khatun. A friendly football game took place with the four professionals playing mixed with the BracU girls’ football team. One of the players, Alina Farzeen Huq (Senior, ESS), shares, “I was starstruck seeing them on the field, especially Ritu Porna.” They were all divided into green and orange teams.
The game began with the Pro-Vice Chancellor, Dr. Syed Mahfuzul Aziz, kicking off at the center. Each time, it had two professionals, making it a balanced distribution. Despite many near chances, the first half went with no scores from either side. During half-time, Shazia Omar, founder of Dhaka Flow, led a yoga session to promote mental well-being and inner strength. After the break, the game resumed with the professionals from each side switching to the other team. With tension brewing, Sabina Khatun scored the first goal towards the end of the game, giving a lead to the orange team. But the excitement was short-lived as Nazida Sumaiya Chowdhury (Junior, Architecture) soon equalized the game on behalf of the green team at the very last minute. She recalls, “It felt good to score, making it an amazing and unique experience. It was quite a thrill”.
For the tiebreaker, it was decided that shoots would be taken from the center with no goalkeepers. The orange team had their first one go through the net, but the same could not be said for the remaining four shots—meanwhile, the green team, though struggling initially, managed to get one to the goal. As the scores were level again, it was a score-to-win situation. Finally, Sabina put one through the net, ensuring victory for the orange team. The national team players left their fans with selfies and a beautiful memory.
