Tears of joy
As she stepped onto the podium, the emotion finally got the better of her.
Lifter Mabia Akhter Simanta, who had won the first gold for Bangladesh in the 12th South Asian Games, sobbed throughout playing of her country’s national anthem, unable to restrain her tears of patriotism.
Before Sunday afternoon, Mabia was nobody in Bangladesh and this is not unusual for a weightlifter in a cricket-frenzy nation.
However, Mabia came to the fore all on a sudden in Bangladesh through winning the first gold medal for her country on Sunday in the SAG.
Not only this, Mabia’s emotional gesture on the podium while saluting Bangladesh flag during the national anthem moved thousands of Bangladeshi television viewers. The video of medal ceremony has gone viral on social networking sites.
With the appreciation of Mabia, many social network posts questioned the poor condition of weightlifting in Bangladesh, unmasking lifters’ state of deprivation having fewer amenities for practice and equipment.