Photo : Collected

PANCHAGARH, June 20, 2025 (BSS) - For Renu Begum, life has always been a tale of hardship and sacrifice. Losing her mother at just three months old, Renu grew up surrounded by sorrow. 

As an adult, happiness remained elusive, she worked as a daily wage laborer to support her husband and children, battling poverty and pain every step of the way.

Yet, despite never receiving a mother's love herself, Renu became the embodiment of maternal devotion. And now, at long last, her perseverance has been rewarded, thanks to her daughter, Yearzan Begum, goalkeeper for the Bangladesh national women's football team.

Yearzan rose to national prominence after Bangladesh clinched the SAFF U-16 Women's Football Championship title last year, defeating India 3-2 in a nail-biting tiebreaker held in Nepal. 

Her outstanding performance earned her the Best Goalkeeper award and brought her story and that of her struggling mother into the spotlight.

Hailing from Khoprabandi village in Harivasha union under Panchagarh Sadar upazila, Yearzan's journey was anything but easy. 

Her father, Abdur Razzak and neighbors were skeptical about her football dreams. But through it all, one person stood firmly by her side, her mother, Renu Begum.

"My daughter had a passion for football since childhood," Abdur Razzak admitted. "We couldn't support her properly, and people used to criticize her. But she never gave up, and eventually, we stood by her. Now, I feel immense pride when people ask about my daughter."

Yearzan's football journey began at Baliadangi Government Primary School, where her love for the game first bloomed. Later, while studying at Haribhasa Girls' High School, she achieved numerous accolades. 

Her turning point came when she joined the Panchagarh Tuku Football Academy, which opened the door to age-level competitions and national recognition.

Academy director Tuku Rehman said, "I always believed Yearzan would achieve something big and she did. She made the nation proud by helping us win the SAFF title. Her success is an inspiration for the entire academy. I hope we can nurture more players like her from rural Bangladesh."

Following the championship, media reports about Yearzan's impoverished background caught national attention. The local administration and community members responded swiftly. 

The district administration built a new house for her family, complete with safe drinking water. Multiple organizations also stepped in to provide financial assistance.

Renu Begum's dream has finally come true. No longer forced to labor under the scorching sun or worry about leaky roofs during storms, she now smiles through joyful tears, proud to be known as "the mother of footballer Yearzan." 

BSS/CORR/SPL/SG/OGR/1523 hrs