Prity ready to give her best if given chance

Young winger Sauravi Akanda Prity said Bangladesh are using their remaining training sessions to correct mistakes and settle into unfamiliar surroundings as the team finalises preparations for their historic debut in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup in Australia.

Speaking after Saturday’s practice session at Jubilee Stadium in Sydney, the youngster revealed that lessons from the team’s lone warm-up match -- a 1-1 draw against Western Sydney Wanderers -- had shaped recent training.

“We played a friendly match and the mistakes we made in that match were pointed out by the coach in two training sessions,” said Prity, one of the fringe players in the national squad. “If I get a chance to play, I’ll try to give my best.”

For Prity and several other young footballers in the squad, the tournament represents their first exposure to Asia’s biggest stage.

“Bangladesh is on such a big stage for the first time, which is a proud moment,” she said.

Bangladesh’s preparations in Australia were initially complicated by the absence of the team’s regular physiotherapist, who could not travel due to illness and required surgery. The situation had drawn concern from head coach Peter Butler.

The issue was later resolved after the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) arranged a replacement physiotherapist -- a Bangladeshi practitioner based in Australia -- to work with the team.

“Our physio had fallen ill and she had a surgery. So we have a new physio here, who is good. No issues with him being male. We’ve got accustomed to working with him,” Prity said.