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Published : 17 Mar 2025, 04:15 PM
As eager football fans gathered at Sylhet Osmani International Airport to welcome Hamza Choudhury, the scene quickly turned chaotic. Officials from the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) and law enforcement struggled to control the enthusiastic crowd that had come to greet him on his highly anticipated homecoming.
Despite the overwhelming excitement, Hamza tried to address the media. But the airport’s VIP gate was swarming with fans, as hundreds of cameras and mobile phones were raised aloft to capture the moment. Chants of "Hamza! Hamza!" reverberated as everyone clamoured to hear him speak.
But speaking was nearly impossible. The deafening noise of drums and relentless cheers drowned out everything around him.
Even understanding the questions directed at him proved challenging amid the uproar. Several people around the English-born midfielder tried to calm the crowd, but the excitement hardly subsided.
Undeterred, he took questions anyway, though much of the conversation was lost in the noise. Still, his smile never faded as he embraced the overwhelming support from his fans.
Hamza, a product of the Leicester City Academy, has visited his country of origin before. But this time, he is here to represent the Bangladesh national football team.
If all goes according to plan, the former Premier League star will make his debut for Bangladesh against India in the third round of the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers on Mar 25..
Before joining up with the squad, Hamza will spend time at his ancestral home in Habiganj with his wife and children.
When asked about the upcoming game, Hamza responded in the Sylheti dialect, saying: "In sha Allah, we will win!"
