‘I didn’t even have money to buy eggs for my 2 children’

You have got divorced recently and living alone with two children. How is life going?

Ratna:

Life is always challenging. The habit of 18 years have suddenly changed, living with two minor children is challenging. Mahnoor Kawnain Roop is 9 years old and Afira Kawnain Raya is 2 years and 9 months old. However, the support from the family has kept me strong. But losing the father pains me most.

How you got to know your ex-husband?

Ratna:

He is my step cousin. So we were acquainted. I talked with him for some time when I was in class X, and I liked him. The families later knew that and we get married. To me love was like an illusion, what he got somewhere else after all these years.

How do you run the family now?

Ratna:

I had financial hardship in the beginning, and situation remains same. My father had a heart attack, and he passed away on 24 August, a year after my father’s death. My father Rafiqul Islam retired as Senior Warrant Officer of Bangladesh Army in 2008. He built a six-storey building in Savar where I live now.

Who bears the expense of your children?

Ratna:

I did not even have the school admission fee of my children after divorce. Covering their small expenses along with my own was becoming too difficult for my father alone. Their father has never contributed or given anything for their expenses. At the beginning of the divorce process, when my youngest child was only six months old, I was mentally devastated. I didn’t even have enough money to buy an egg for my two children! I was completely penniless and terribly helpless. My father and father-in-law helped me a lot.

So how did you survive?

Ratna:

After winning both individual and team gold at the 2010 Commonwealth Shooting in Delhi, the then general secretary of the Bangladesh Shooting Federation, Bablu Chacha, gifted me a rifle. I used that rifle to compete in the 2012 London Olympics. But after the separation, I was forced to sell it in December 2023 for Tk 220,000 to cover my children’s school fees and my own expenses. I even had to let go of my rifle for the sake of my children. Now my mother handles everything. My mother and sisters have completely taken responsibility for me and my kids. My sister, Rafia Akter, works as a cash officer at Janata Bank. Another sister, Ayesha Siddika Konka, has completed her BBA and is preparing for jobs. My youngest sister, Amina Siddika Rojoni, is doing her Honors in English at City University. I am the eldest. I don’t have any personal income right now. Of course, I worry a little about my children’s future. Still, I put my trust in Allah.

What is the most painful memory of your life?

Ratna:

At that time my father was on a UN mission in Angola. His salary was sent in my aunt’s name. We lived in Magura, while my aunt was in Dhaka. That year was very difficult. Rice used to come from my maternal grandparents’ home. One day the rice at home ran out. At that time it was just the three of us—me, my sibling, and my mother—at home. One night we had to go without food, because there was no rice at home. My mother had no money. She didn’t even have the bus fare to go to my grandparents’ house to bring rice. In my life, I’ve only gone hungry once due to lack of food.

Was your life supposed to turn out this way?

Ratna:

Maybe not. My life is not wrapped in gold. Let me tell you a childhood dream. I usually had just one pair of shoes. My father’s income was low. He was the eldest son in a big family and carried a huge responsibility. He got government rations, and since we studied in government schools, he didn’t have to spend much on our education. But there were years when I had no shoes to wear outside except my one school pair. Sometimes I even wore my school shoes when going out on trips. As a child, I had one dream—that when I grew up, I would earn money and buy lots of shoes.

That dream has come true, hasn’t it?

Ratna:

Yes, it has. You know, when I was four years old, my father was transferred to Khagrachhari. We lived there for two to three years. At that time, we used to go to the neighbor’s house to watch TV. One day, the aunty of that house got annoyed and threw us out. I came home crying. The very next day my father bought a TV. I don’t know how he managed the money, but he brought it just because he saw me cry.

Is it true that Ratna is very short-tempered?

Ratna:

You could say short-tempered. Yes, I am very hot-tempered. But after becoming a mother, I’ve learned to control myself a lot.

Many people say “Ratna is a tough person.” What would you say?

Ratna:

Tough on the outside! But I love the shooting family very much. And those I love—no matter what they do to me—if they just come and talk nicely, I forget everything.

As a player, is there any regret you still carry?

Ratna:

I didn’t spend enough time in practice. Since I adapted quickly, practice sessions ended quickly too. Now I feel I should have used the time better. If I had been more dedicated, I could have gone much further.

You don’t like cricket, why?

Ratna:

I do like cricket, but I don’t like the excessive obsession and inequality that surrounds only one sport. The main purpose of sports is to keep the nation healthy, active, and united in brotherhood. Because of the overvaluation of cricketers, they fail to give their best, while other athletes are undervalued. This inequality is what has distanced me from cricket.

What is the most annoying question in sports that you are repeatedly asked?

Ratna:

“What kind of obstacles do women face in sports?”—this question is very annoying to me. Everyone knows the problems exist, so why aren’t they solved? Asking the same thing over and over is nothing but irritating!

Your favorite sport other than shooting?

Ratna:

Football! Favorite team: Argentina, favorite player: Messi.

Favorite food?

Ratna:

Any Bengali food.

Favorite song?

Ratna:

Katy Perry’s Firework.

Favorite movie?

Ratna:

Charlize Theron’s Tully.

Favorite travel destination?

Ratna:

My grandparents’ home in Magura.

Are you more of an early riser or a night owl?

Ratna:

I stay up very late, often playing ludo.

Closest friend or teammate?

Ratna:

Abdullah Hel Baki.

Happiest moment of your life?

Ratna:

Becoming a mother twice.

Biggest regret?

Ratna:

Getting married at just 17.

Do you plan to marry again in the future?

Ratna: If I meet a good person, I’d like to. But right now, my focus is on raising my children properly.

In one word, how would you describe “Ratna”?

Ratna:

Unstoppable.

Who is the first person that comes to mind after winning a medal?

Ratna:

My mother. She once told me, even if I conquered the whole world through sports, she wouldn’t be happy because I didn’t achieve anything academically.

What do you enjoy most?

Ratna:

Spending time and playing with my children. When they’re around, I feel I can overcome all problems. They’ve made me stronger.

If you weren’t a shooter, what would you be?

Ratna:

A leader—maybe even a political leader. I like to lead.

Is there anything in your life you’ve never told anyone?

Ratna:

When I was in kindergarten, I was abused by my school’s religion teacher. I never told anyone before. Today I told you.

If you wrote a book about yourself, what would you name it?

Ratna:

Ratna Abha (Radiance of Jewel). I’ve spread light through hardship, that’s why this name.

What do you prefer, tea or coffee?

Ratna:

Tea.

Rice or biryani?

Ratna:

Rice.

After a game, what do you prefer as a prize—flowers or money?

Ratna:

Money. Because with money, you can always buy flowers.

At home, who scolds you the most?

Ratna:

My middle sister.

What do you do when you’re angry?

Ratna:

I stay quiet and drink lots of water.

If you got a chance to act in a movie, would you choose to be a heroine or a villain?

Ratna:

A villain! Because villains’ roles are usually consistent. And I too don’t change my character.

What’s the first thing you want to eat after winning a medal?

Ratna:

A bottle of cold water!

In a group hangout, do you talk more or listen more?

Ratna:

I talk a lot. But in a group, I mostly listen.

If you had one superpower, what would you want?

Ratna:

The ability to understand people’s minds!

What do you do in your leisure time?

Ratna:

Read storybooks.

First love of your life?

Ratna:

Shooting.

If you had to play another sport besides shooting, what would it be?

Ratna:

Basketball.

Favorite place to travel?

Ratna:

Hill areas—Khagrachhari.

Biggest compliment you’ve received?

Ratna:

That I am very simple and down-to-earth.