Bangladesh's Sharifa Aditi to Join AFC Coach Education Tutors Course in Kuala Lumpur

Bangladesh's Sharifa Aditi is set to take part in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Coach Education Tutors Course. The 'AFC Coach Education Tutors Course (Women) 2026' will be held from November 23 to 27 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Aditi, an AFC 'A' licence holder, has received an invitation to join the course. The AFC has organised the special course to improve the skills of new and experienced tutors who train women coaches in Asia.

Women coaches from 23 Asian countries are taking part. Aditi, who led Rajshahi Stars to the title in the latest women's football league, was selected from Bangladesh after applying.

Coaches who complete the course successfully will develop mainly as teachers, or tutors, of coaches. They will later play a role in training and developing other coaches in their own countries.

From Bangladesh, BFF's current technical director Saiful Bari Titu previously became an AFC coach instructor. As a registered AFC instructor, he has served as a tutor on AFC 'A', 'B' and 'C' diploma coaching courses organised under the BFF.

Sharifa Aditi is currently head coach of the Rajshahi Stars FC women's team. Rajshahi Stars became champions under her in their first appearance in the women's football league, and the team later also earned a place in the AFC Women's Champions League.

Earlier, as assistant coach of the Bashundhara Kings women's football team, Aditi tasted league titles in the 2019-20, 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons. She has also served as head coach of the Special Olympics Bangladesh women's football team, which finished runners-up in the South Asia Cup football under her.

The five-day course will be held at Le Meridien Petaling Jaya hotel in Kuala Lumpur. Aditi is scheduled to leave for Malaysia on November 22 to take part.

Aditi said she wants to work to improve the standard of women coaches in Bangladesh. Becoming a coach educator and taking the country's football forward is her goal, she said, so that more women coaches are produced in future; the course will also improve her own standard.

Rajshahi Stars have also begun preparations for the new season. The club has decided to keep Sharifa Aditi as head coach for the upcoming women's football league. Rajshahi Stars manager Mushfiqur Rahman said the previous coaching staff will also remain unchanged, and the club plans to bring in more, and higher-quality, foreign footballers for the new season.