Footballer Matsushima Sumaya gets ‘countless rape, death threats’

Bangladesh Women’s National Football player Matsushima Sumaya has alleged that she has received ‘countless rape and death threats’ since their rebelling against national team Coach Peter Butler.

On her official Facebook page on Tuesday, The 23-year-old footballer said the threats have traumatised her.

“Assalamu Alaikum. My name is Matsushima Sumaya. I am a player of the Bangladesh Women’s National Football Team. Starting from playing in interschools as an English medium student to playing and winning leagues in the Maldives to winning the SAFF Women's Football Championship 2024 for Bangladesh, the journey has been bittersweet to me,” she wrote.

“Ever since I chose this path, my dream was to inspire young students whose parents only wanted them to focus on studies. I wanted to show that passion and dedication can break barriers. But today, I sit here with regret—regret for sacrificing my education, my family, my Eids, all to serve a country that doesn’t know how to appreciate our struggles.”

She alleged, “I fought with my parents to pursue football, believing that my country would stand by me. But the reality is different. Nobody truly cares about an athlete’s mental health. I do have the minimum ability to write a letter in English for me and teammates about the situations we have gone through. Over the past few days, I have received countless death and rape threats—words that have shattered me in ways I never imagined.”

“I don’t know how long it will take for me to heal from this trauma, but I do know that no one should have to go through this just for following their dreams,” the footballer added.