SAFF Champion footballer Sumaya receives continuous death and rape threats

Shihab Uddin Chowdhury

Published: February 4, 2025, 05:44 PM

SAFF Champion footballer Sumaya receives continuous death and rape threats

Source: Collected

Matsushima Sumaya, a key player for the Bangladesh women’s football team, has shared a distressing experience of receiving continuous death and rape threats. 

She made the revelation in a post on Facebook, sparking concern about the ongoing harassment she has faced.

In her post, Sumaya explained that she and her teammates had dealt with several challenging situations as part of the national football team.

Following these difficult experiences, she wrote a letter in English on behalf of herself and her fellow players, and it was after this letter that the threats began.

"Assalamu Alaikum. My name is Matsushima Sumaya. I am a player of the Bangladesh Women’s National Football Team. Starting from playing in Inter schools being an English Medium Student to playing and winning leagues in Maldives to winning SAFF Womens Football Championship 2024 for Bangladesh, the journey has been bittersweet to me." Sumaya wrote in her Facebook post.

Sumaya also expressed her regrets, saying, 

"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."

As a Japanese-origin Bangladeshi footballer, Sumaya shared how she had to convince her parents to let her pursue football. 

She had believed that her country would stand by her and her family. 

"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."

The footballer, who is also studying at a private university, added that no one should face such distress while chasing their dreams. 

"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," she wrote.

In addition to Sumaya’s experience, other female players from the national team have raised concerns about body-shaming and mistreatment by their coach, Peter Butler. 

Several players have filed a formal written complaint about these issues, which has been submitted in English to the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) President, Tabith Awal. 

Sumaya helped translate the letter into English. 

Since then, she has been subjected to the threats.

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