‘I’ve been a Brazil fan since childhood’, Jamal thrilled with the World Cup trophy in Dhaka

Sports Desk
Bangladesh national football team captain Jamal Bhuiyan was swept away by childhood memories as he faced the FIFA World Cup trophy in Dhaka. His love for Brazil, which began with his admiration for 2002 World Cup hero Ronaldo Nazario, seemed to have taken on new life as he saw the trophy in front of him. He described the experience of seeing the trophy being held by legendary Gilberto Silva as ’emotional’ and ‘inspirational’.

The golden football trophy arrived at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on a special flight on Wednesday morning as part of the ‘FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour by Coca-Cola’. Gilberto Silva, a member of the 2002 World Cup-winning Brazilian team, set foot in Dhaka with the trophy. BFF President Tabith Awal and captain Jamal Bhuiyan received the trophy at the airport. The trophy was then taken to the capital’s Radisson Blu Hotel under tight security.

Talking about his experience of seeing the trophy in person for the first time, Jamal said, “To be honest, the experience was great. Gilberto brought the trophy, and it was the first time I saw it live. I really liked it.”

The trophy surprised him a bit when he saw it up close. Jamal said, “I thought it would be small, but it is actually bigger than I thought. I also wanted to know its weight; it is about seven kilograms of solid gold. The experience was very special for me.”

Jamal has been a Brazil fan since childhood. Sharing his passion for his favorite team, he said, “I have been a Brazil fan since childhood because my first favorite footballer was Ronaldo. The 2002 team in particular inspired me a lot, when I was only 12 years old.” Recalling the star-studded team of that time, he said, “In that team, there were Ronaldo, Rivaldo, Ronaldinho, and this Gilberto.”

Although Jamal is a native Danish fan, he is no less drawn to Brazil. He said, “Since I was born in Denmark, of course I support them. But if Denmark can’t, then of course I want Brazil to win the trophy.”

The Bangladesh captain believes that there is a huge difference between watching it on television and seeing it in reality. He believes that the arrival of this trophy will inspire big dreams in the minds of the new generation of footballers in the country. In his words, “This is a big inspiration for the new generation. Maybe one day Bangladesh itself will write a new story in the World Cup.”

Meanwhile, Gilberto Silva, who is in Bangladesh for the first time, was also impressed. Thanking FIFA and Coca-Cola for their hospitality, he said, “It is a great honor to come to Bangladesh and bring this iconic trophy here. The trophy still motivates me to move forward.”