Guardians of the Gold
Coming to his sister's house one day, Kazi Shahadet Hossain found his loving niece crying. His sister revealed the story - the girl was reprimanded by her father for not being attentive to her studies. She is always looking for opportunities to play, hardly choosing to sit with books, her then-concerned father complains.
Md Harunur Rashid does not usually do that to his children, but that day he lost his cool. Shahadet, a national boxing champion, decided to take things in his hands now. The next day, Mabia, a class VIII student of Khilgaon Model School, found herself learning the ABCs at the National Weightlifting Federation. And the rest is history.
When Harunur, his wife Akhter Banu and Shahadet were recalling the old days before these correspondents at the girl's not-so-modest residence in Sipahibagh area of the city's Khilgaon, lifter Mabia Akhter Simanta has already become a household name, thanks to her gold medal win in women’s 63-kg weight category. It was Bangladesh's first gold in the 12th South Asian Games and the video of Mabia saluting the national flag and sobbing on the podium as the national anthem was played has touched the hearts of millions and etched her name in the country's sporting history forever.
The video, which has gone viral on the social media, has reduced even the hard-hearted ones to tears.
"We all cried when we saw this. Relatives, friends, neighbours, everyone. How can one but not cry?" said Harunur, who has a grocery shop in the locality.
"You know about my ability. I could not do anything for her. Thanks to her uncle and the people at the federation, they really took good care of my daughter," he said, sitting in his house built in the water where one can get to after crossing a bamboo bridge.
"I never got the chance to study. The early days with my children were difficult. So I always wanted her to do something big," said a tearful Akhter Banu.
"I knew eyebrows were being raised, but I told her to concentrate on her game. That is all that matter to me, to us. Credit to her uncle (Shahadet), he is the man behind this success," she added.
"I always knew she would win gold. It's no surprise to me," said a proud Shahadet, trying to hide the pearl drops desperate to make their way down his cheeks.
He also said the role of the federation and the Ansar and Village Defence Party were significant behind this success.
As a boxer, Shahadet represented the red and green flag in four SAF Games, winning bronze on several occasions, but he could never win a gold. Truth be told, he has won it now. Probably the first one of many Mabia will win in the future.
The day Mabia was born, it was raining, we are told. No wonder this girl brought tears to so many eyes.
Tears of joy, though.
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