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Mabia Akhter: Legend of Steel & Spirit

While Mabia's family is originally from Madaripur, she was born and brought up in Khilgaon, Dhaka. She had a relatively happy childhood, experiencing every local game imaginable, often playing with both boys and girls. Be it Blindman's Bluff (kaana-maachi) or Hide-and-Seek (Lukochuri), she aced them all. While growing up, her life was quite average, typical of someone from a lower-middle-class family, but things took a drastic turn for her in 2010.

She credits her maternal uncle (mama) with introducing her to national sports. Her uncle had watched her grow up as a tomboy and dreamed that Mabia would one day represent Bangladesh on the international stage. As he had a friend who was a national team coach for weightlifting, she was taken to watch their sessions. Eventually, her uncle suggested she try weightlifting, believing that she could achieve great success in this sport.

Prior to this, Mabia had not even known that sports could be a profession, especially for women in Bangladesh! Her uncle was a coach for the national boxing team, but since there was no Women's National team in 2010, he encouraged her to try weightlifting. Another reason her uncle suggested weightlifting was that the women's team was extremely popular and successful at the time, and he wanted Mabia to add to their glory.
Once she went to the Bangladesh National Stadium, her life transformed, and she hasn't looked back since. Mabia not only fell in love with weightlifting but also slowly and surely became a legend of steel and spirit. In fact, she excelled at the sport so much that, even though her uncle had taken her to try out for boxing in 2012, she never felt the urge to pursue the sport further.

Perhaps her most exemplary trait is her belief that she is her own inspiration to keep improving. Having faced many hardships and struggles at such a young age, she feels she is now equipped to give herself the pep talks she needs, whenever she needs them the most. She openly admits that Mabia herself has been her own inspiration thus far.
However, life was not always easy. At times, lewd comments from locals and passers-by almost made Mabia decide to quit. Nevertheless, she powered through, especially because she wanted to be an independent woman—not only earning for herself but also providing for her family. Mabia has built a life rooted in achievements, and she is thankful to bti The Daily Star Stellar Women for recognizing her talent and giving her the platform to be celebrated. Mabia's success is also largely due to the support of many people in her life, including her family, her uncle, and now her husband, as well as the patronage of Bangladesh Ansar and the Bangladesh Weightlifting Foundation.

We applaud Mabia's humility and honesty and hope that she will continue to thrive and achieve even greater success in her career.

Comments

Mabia Akhter: Legend of Steel & Spirit

While Mabia's family is originally from Madaripur, she was born and brought up in Khilgaon, Dhaka. She had a relatively happy childhood, experiencing every local game imaginable, often playing with both boys and girls. Be it Blindman's Bluff (kaana-maachi) or Hide-and-Seek (Lukochuri), she aced them all. While growing up, her life was quite average, typical of someone from a lower-middle-class family, but things took a drastic turn for her in 2010.

She credits her maternal uncle (mama) with introducing her to national sports. Her uncle had watched her grow up as a tomboy and dreamed that Mabia would one day represent Bangladesh on the international stage. As he had a friend who was a national team coach for weightlifting, she was taken to watch their sessions. Eventually, her uncle suggested she try weightlifting, believing that she could achieve great success in this sport.

Prior to this, Mabia had not even known that sports could be a profession, especially for women in Bangladesh! Her uncle was a coach for the national boxing team, but since there was no Women's National team in 2010, he encouraged her to try weightlifting. Another reason her uncle suggested weightlifting was that the women's team was extremely popular and successful at the time, and he wanted Mabia to add to their glory.
Once she went to the Bangladesh National Stadium, her life transformed, and she hasn't looked back since. Mabia not only fell in love with weightlifting but also slowly and surely became a legend of steel and spirit. In fact, she excelled at the sport so much that, even though her uncle had taken her to try out for boxing in 2012, she never felt the urge to pursue the sport further.

Perhaps her most exemplary trait is her belief that she is her own inspiration to keep improving. Having faced many hardships and struggles at such a young age, she feels she is now equipped to give herself the pep talks she needs, whenever she needs them the most. She openly admits that Mabia herself has been her own inspiration thus far.
However, life was not always easy. At times, lewd comments from locals and passers-by almost made Mabia decide to quit. Nevertheless, she powered through, especially because she wanted to be an independent woman—not only earning for herself but also providing for her family. Mabia has built a life rooted in achievements, and she is thankful to bti The Daily Star Stellar Women for recognizing her talent and giving her the platform to be celebrated. Mabia's success is also largely due to the support of many people in her life, including her family, her uncle, and now her husband, as well as the patronage of Bangladesh Ansar and the Bangladesh Weightlifting Foundation.

We applaud Mabia's humility and honesty and hope that she will continue to thrive and achieve even greater success in her career.

Comments

৪ জেলায় জুলাই গণঅভ্যুত্থান মামলায় আসামি ১৩৭ সাংবাদিক

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