Have a look at the family and parents of Hamza Choudhury
Hamza Choudhury of Leicester City has received formal approval to play international football for Bangladesh.
The midfield player, who played youth football for England in the past, announced the news on social media on Thursday night. After a protracted procedure that involved approvals from FIFA and the English Football Association (FA), Hamza has now received the necessary clearance to represent Bangladesh.
The acquisition of Bangladeshi citizenship by Hamza Choudhury marked the beginning of his eligibility journey. After applying for a Bangladeshi passport in June, the 76-year-old football player received it within a month and had it sent to the Bangladeshi High Commission in London.
Is footballer Hamza Choudhury an Indian or Bangladeshi and more about his origin, nationality, parents, biological father, mother and religion
✅ 𝗢𝗙𝗙𝗜𝗖𝗜𝗔𝗟 : @HamzaChoudhury1 will play for the Bangladesh 🇧🇩 National Football Team.
(🎥:BFF) pic.twitter.com/aEXnUC8F76
— Bangladesh Football Live (@bdfootball_live) December 19, 2024
However, Hamza was unable to pick up the passport himself because of Leicester City’s preseason obligations. On August 23, his mother, Rafia Choudhury, picked it up on his behalf. In September, after the passport was obtained, the BFF went on to obtain a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the FA. FIFA’s Player Status Committee has to examine Hamza’s eligibility as the last step.
The procedure required further verification, including proof that both of his parents are Bangladeshi citizens, because of his previous participation for England’s junior teams. Following a careful examination, FIFA authorized Hamza to play for Bangladesh when the BFF submitted the necessary paperwork. Hamza advocated for greater inclusivity while discussing the difficulties South Asian players encounter on a local level.
In an interview, Hamza said, “To be able to go back to my country of origin and represent the people I grew up with, it means everything to me, it fills me with so much joy and pride. England is definitely my home, but so is Bangladesh. This decision allows me to honour both parts of who I am.”
Hamza Choudhury has officially made the decision to represent Bangladesh at international level.
VERSUS sat down with him to discuss why.
Read: https://t.co/ze9PNultEc pic.twitter.com/NMKqYzIOEz
— VERSUS (@vsrsus) December 19, 2024
About Hamza Choudhury
FIFA has authorized Leicester City midfielder Hamza Choudhury’s decision to transfer to Bangladesh as his international team. The Loughborough-born Foxes academy player, who played seven games for the England Under-21 team, is eligible for Bangladesh because of his heritage.
He played for England at the under-21 level and is eligible to play for Bangladesh through his stepfather and Grenada through his biological father. His mother Rafiya Choudhury is a Bangladeshi while his stepdad is named Dewan Murshid Chowdhury. The name of his biological father isn’t known.
He was raised in a traditional Bengali Muslim household and has Bangladeshi and Grenadian heritage while he was born in the UK. He is not an Indian despite some reports claiming so.
He became the first person of South Asian origin living in England to play in the Premier League. Choudhury, the boy of Bangladesh-Grenadian heritage from Leicestershire is now an established Premier League star with Leicester City.
The 27-year-old, who is currently set to play for Bangladesh who are ranked 185th in FIFA’s world rankings, will be the first player from the Premier League to play for the Bengal Tigers.