Mabia Akter Shimanta spent her childhood in a small stilt-house built above water in Khilgaon. Carrying baskets of vegetables on her head to the market with her father and the daily struggles of life in that fragile home in Khilgaon, seem to have prepared her for the weightlifting stage. Having won two gold medals at the South Asian Games in 2016 and 2019, this athlete now serves as an inspiration for young women in sport across the country. The interview with Mabia was conducted by Masud Alam.
Prothom Alo :
You were married last February. Your life partner is also a weightlifter. How is married life going?
Mabia: Very well. I now feel a greater sense of responsibility towards the family. However, I cannot claim that I shoulder a great deal of responsibility for my in-laws. I do, nonetheless, check on them at least once a day, and they also keep in touch with me. Some of them expect me to quit sport and dedicate myself solely to domestic life. They wish me to become a conventional housewife. But my husband encourages me to continue competing and to set more records. With his support, I have been able to overcome the pressure from my in-laws to retire from sports.
Prothom Alo :
What changes has married life brought?
Mabia: My husband, Sakhowat Hossain Pranto, provides me with great support. Over these six months, my weightlifting career has changed significantly. Previously, I trained on my own. Now, I have someone to correct my mistakes. I discuss both my successes and my shortcomings with him.
Prothom Alo :
Do two weightlifters under one roof quarrel? If so, what about?
Mabia: Yes, but only about weightlifting. We tell each other in the same manner, ‘You are good for nothing. You did not train properly today. Instead of five lifts, you only managed four! You are finished’ (laughs). But we do not quarrel about our personal lives. It was through weightlifting that we first came into contact and I knew he liked me.
In your successful life, what do you miss the most when you look back?
Mabia: My childhood. At that time, it was only play and play again. After returning home from playing, my mother would give food. I would sleep and then get up and start playing again. I miss that tension-free life.
Prothom Alo :
What was your childhood like?
Mabia: I was born and brought up in Khilgaon, Dhaka. We lived in a makeshift tin hut built above water in Sipahibagh, Khilgaon. We faced many hardships - shortages of food, clothing and a poor living environment. Neither society nor relatives valued us. I have struggled and fought hard to reach where I am today. I won consecutive gold medals in the 2016 and 2019 editions of SA Games.
Prothom Alo :
After winning gold for the first time in the SA Games, the Government provided you, swimmer Mahfuza Khatun Shila and shooter Shakil Ahmed with apartments. From a hut to a high-rise…
Mabia: My life began to change on 7 February 2016. That very day, I won gold at the Guwahati SA Games. My life changed overnight. I became known, people all over the country recognised me. Moving from a fragile wooden hut to a building still feels like a dream.
Prothom Alo :
When did you move into a flat?
Mabia: In 2017, when we moved into a rented flat in Khilgaon, my very first thought was that I must be dreaming. This could not possibly be my life. Even now, it feels surreal—where I once was and where I am now feels like a vast dream.
What was the first thing you did after moving into the flat?
Mabia: On the first night, none of us could sleep. My parents, two sisters, brother and I were there. Having grown up in a makeshift hut, entering flat life was extraordinary. The first task was arranging and organising everything.
Prothom Alo :
Why do you not live in the flat provided by the government.
Mabia: The flat the government gave me is in Mirpur, which I received formally in 2021. From there it is difficult to travel to the Dhaka Stadium area for practice. That is why I rent it out and live in a flat in Khilgaon with my parents.
Why do you still live with your parents after marriage?
Mabia: I have stayed little in my in-laws’ home in Kushtia. I have visited occasionally. In Dhaka, my husband and I have not rented a separate flat. Because of the national team camp, Sakhowat stays in Bagerhat, and I train at the National Stadium in Dhaka.
After your first SA Games gold medal in 2016, a picture of you crying on the victory podium went viral. Do you have that framed at home?
Mabia: Yes, a photo of the moment was carefully framed and hangs on my drawing room wall. It is my most favourite photo. It reminds me daily of how my life transformed.
Prothom Alo :
On the weightlifting stage you lift weights, but you have had to shoulder heavy responsibilities in life as well…
Mabia: When we lived in the makeshift hut above water, my father farmed vegetables. Many times I carried baskets of vegetables to the market and sold them with him. I also carried bundles of greens on my head. I fetched water with pitchers. From a young age, I have always lifted weights.
Prothom Alo :
What other weights have you lifted?
Mabia: Whenever there was any need of shifting or replacing furniture at home, I did it myself. No extra labour required. In our tin-shed house, whenever the fencing or walls needed fixing, my father repaired them and I assisted him. I was always like this from childhood, but I never imagined becoming a weightlifter.
Then how did you become a weightlifter?
Mabia: One day my mother beat me severely because I was inattentive to studies. She said I was foolish and would never be married, and would end up working in people’s houses. She cried while saying this. My maternal uncle arrived then. He was Shahadat Kazi, a boxing coach. He found me crying bitterly. He asked my mother why she was beating me.
Prothom Alo :
And then?
Mabia: My mother said I would not study properly, so no one would marry me. My uncle then told her to prepare me the next day as he would take me somewhere. The following day, he took me on his Vespa to the Dhaka Stadium, where the SA Games camp was underway in 2010. That was the first time I heard of and saw weightlifting. Gradually, weightlifting transformed my life.
Prothom Alo :
Whose contribution do you always remember in your weightlifting career?
Mabia: My maternal uncle, Mahiuddin Sir, my organisation Ansar, my family and my coach. The print and electronic media also contributed greatly. It was thanks to you that the prime minister awarded me a flat.
What was your first achievement in weightlifting?
Mabia: In the first international competition I attended, I was not supposed to go. Mahiuddin Sir told me he had a gift for me, he gave me a sari and blazer and told me I would be flying in two days.
Prothom Alo :
Where was that and in which year?
Mabia: In Nepal, 2012. I won bronze in the 53 kg category at the South Asian Weightlifting Championship.
Prothom Alo :
Do you have any technique to ease pressure during competition?
Mabia: I laugh to myself. I even laugh after a lift. I believe that if one stays cheerful, the lifts go better.
Prothom Alo :
What would your life have been like without weightlifting?
Mabia: Without weightlifting, neither would I have had such a good life partner, nor a good life. I would not have secured a job with Bangladesh Ansar. Perhaps I would have lived on small jobs. Through weightlifting, I have gained a good life and opportunities to travel abroad. The new generation should know this.
If you have a child, would you encourage them into weightlifting?
Mabia: I would like to. But if the same crises and problems persist, I would not.
Prothom Alo :
How do you spend your leisure time?
Mabia: I give time to family and husband. At home we prepare extra dishes. I especially like my mother’s spiced khichuri with beef. If my sister cooks Chinese items, I eat those. My sister-in-law is also an excellent cook of traditional Bangladeshi dishes.
Prothom Alo :
Do you have any regrets in life?
Mabia: Not being able to participate in the Olympics. In 2021, an accreditation card for the Tokyo Olympics was issued in my name. A few days later, the Bangladesh Olympic Association informed me I would not be able to go. No reason was given. Players receive four years’ Olympic scholarships and although I was initially selected, I was ultimately denied. It was very disappointing.
Do you have any particular superstitions before competitions?
Mabia: I won two SA Games gold medals wearing two different T-shirts. I still wear those occasionally in competitions. I also feel black clothing brings me good fortune.
Prothom Alo :
Do you have any hidden talents outside weightlifting?
Mabia: No, nothing apart from weightlifting (laughs). My greatest talent is being able to weightlift.
Prothom Alo :
What do you do when you lose in competition?
Mabia: I question myself. I reason with myself, trying to identify my mistakes. I do not shout or quarrel with anyone.
Prothom Alo :
Many star athletes such as Roman Sana and Diya Siddique have moved abroad seeking better lives. Have you thought of doing the same?
Mabia: At times of despair, I feel that even as a sweeper abroad I might earn more. But this country has given me recognition, respect and a roof over my head. This is no small matter. So I do not wish to leave so quickly. If it becomes absolutely necessary, I may leave, but never with complaints. This country has made me who I am.
Do you often recall the hardships of the past?
Mabia: Yes. I have never before mentioned selling vegetables with my father, but I tell you today. On festivals like Eid or Pahela Baishakh, my mother would lock our house doors because we could not afford new clothes or good food. I loved food dearly, but my mother kept us indoors. Even now, I cry at every festival, remembering those days. I cannot forget the past.
Prothom Alo :
So poverty is truly your strength and pride?
Mabia: Absolutely. People often say, ‘Please, Mabia, do not talk about these things, it will damage your image.’ But I believe it has built my image. When I told my husband about my past, he said, ‘That was nothing. It was precisely because of that past that you are here today.’ Nowadays some people do say, ‘You are a non-graduate; you have no educational qualifications.’
Prothom Alo :
How far did you study?
Mabia: I did not even complete SSC. At that time, we could hardly arrange food; how could I possibly pursue education? When circumstances changed, my life revolved solely around weightlifting. Now I realise my biggest mistake was not studying. For the past four years, I have trained myself, completed weightlifting courses. I am not educated by certificates, but I am educated in weightlifting. I was already fully absorbed in the sport by the time I could afford my educational expenses.
Who are your idols?
Mabia: Senior players in weightlifting.
Prothom Alo :
What is your favourite food?
Mabia: What I like to eat is not exactly athletic (laughs). At home, I eat heartily—rice, fish, meat… whatever is available.
Prothom Alo :
Do you listen to music? Which song do you like best?
Mabia: I do not have a specific song. But I always wear earphones during training—a habit for six or seven years. I listen to different types of music, mostly item songs with strong beats. I prefer music-heavy tracks. I only listen to soft songs during leisure. I also enjoy old Bangladeshi film songs.
Prothom Alo :
If you went to a concert, what kind of songs would you like?
Mabia: Songs one can dance to (laughs). I would want songs that make you feel joyful and get you on the move.
How do you spend your days off?
Mabia: I get one day off a week which I use for complete rest. I do not usually go out. I eat and rest.
Prothom Alo :
If you had a long holiday, where would you like to go?
Mabia: Somewhere nobody knows me. I would not contact anyone. I would spend time entirely alone, even without my husband. It would be my own personal time, a chance to know and understand myself.
Prothom Alo :
Do you have hobbies outside sport?
Mabia: I like cooking a little. During the Covid period I cooked a lot and I also learnt various handicrafts.
What kind of handicrafts?
Mabia: Embroidery or block printing on dresses. I still do these in my leisure time.
Prothom Alo :
Do you enjoy drama, cinema or books?
Mabia: I have only ever done weightlifting and thought about weightlifting. Perhaps that is why I am where I am today. If something happened to be on, I might glance at it, but for fifteen years I hardly watched television. I have not watched many dramas or films.
Prothom Alo :
Of the few you have seen, which films are your favourites?
Mabia: The Hindi films Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and Hum Saath Saath Hain.
What is your favourite colour?
Mabia: Black.
Prothom Alo :
Why?
Mabia: Because I am dark-skinned myself.
Prothom Alo :
What is the first thing you do in the morning?
Mabia: Check the time on my phone. I quickly plan my day after seeing the time.
Prothom Alo :
What is your favourite flower?
Mabia: Any flower gifted by my husband.