By Sanjoy Gour 

DHAKA, Oct 18, 2025 (BSS) - Mabia Akhter Simanta, the celebrated female weightlifter of the country, have won two gold medals in the 2016 and 2019 South Asian (SA) Games in India and Nepal respectively and now she is eying to achieve hat-trick SA Games gold medal in the upcoming SA Games.

During her illustrated career, Mabia won numbers of gold in national and international stages and also broke her own records in the national competitions as well. 

She won gold medals at a stretch from 2015 to 2024 in all national competitions. 

The celebrated weightlifter also took part in Youth Asian Games and won bronze medal and also won one gold and two silver medals in the Youth Commonwealth Championship.

Mabia's family is originally from Madaripur district.

 She was born in 1999 in a lower middle class family and brought up in Khilgaon, Dhaka.

 She had a relatively happy childhood like the other common girls. She often used to play indigenous games with boys and girls on the roadside.

 The celebrated lifter never imagined to become a weightlifter or a sportsman because she had no idea about sports or sports can be taken as a profession.

 But things took a dramatic turn for her in 2010 when her maternal uncle introduced her in sport.

In an exclusive interview with BSS, the star weightlifter also said country’s weightlifting has good prospect and it needs a proper nursing and patronization to take it forward.

Question: Would you please tell about your journey in weight lifting?

Answer: I came to weightlifting holding my uncle's hand. My uncle was boxing coach and he had a friend who was coach of weightlifting. 

In 2010 SA Games camp was running in Dhaka and one day my uncle took me there along with other four girls in the camp. From there, my journey into weightlifting began.  
  
Question: Why you choose to become a weightlifter?

 Answer: Honestly speaking, I have no idea about sports world or I never imagined sport could be taken as a profession. 

I didn't even know there was a stadium in Bangladesh called National Stadium. It was because of my uncle who took me there (national stadium) and I got to know about sports. 
Actually I first watched sports with my uncle and weightlifting was my first game.

Question: After you, the new girls are not coming to weightlifting or other word weightlifting did not develop that way.

 Would you please say what the reason behind it?

 Answer: When we started weightlifting, there was no exposure at that time … today I am in this position only because of your (media) exposure. I'm in this position today because of you people.

 The way you people highlighted my carrier that’s why I am Mabia today, you must accept the reality. Though a player like Mabia isn't coming out in weightlifting but there are a lot of good girls coming in weightlifting now a day.

 They just can't show their talents like that way. Now good quality players are coming out and coaches are also making new players.

Question:  As you say new girls are coming into weightlifting, what steps should be taken to develop it?

Answer: Training and coordination are important aspects in sports. In the context of Bangladesh, weightlifting is a too tough game, being a fourth class employee of Bangladesh Ansar, it’s very difficult to maintain sports career and family. 

In this case, our sports authorities can play an important role in this regard. If they take responsibility and select some promising federations and sit with us individually and collectively and provide proper training and facility, then it is possible to do something good, especially in weightlifting, which gives result without facilities.

 So if patronization can be provided a little more in weightlifting, I think more good result will come in future.

Question: Would you please say about your preparation for the upcoming SA Games?
Answer: Look I am always remain busy with training and running my own camp, I am not sitting idle and waiting for any opportunity.

 I had a dream to win gold in SA Games, since I won two gold in SA games, and if I can win the third one, it will be hat-trick which will be also a big achievement for me as well as  weightlifting.

Question: Whom do you consider your inspiration behind your illustrate career?
Answer: Look I didn't come weightlifting following anyone (sportsman).

 I am Mabia made myself, I got good support from federation. I am really grateful to my uncle who brought me in weightlifting.

 I would like to mention the name of wing commander (retd) Mahiuddin Ahmed Sir because he would have given me conveyance of Taka 50 per day so that I can keep my training without any hindrance. 

It is because of him I have able to come in this stage and my off course my uncle whose support helped me to make myself Mabia.

 I am really grateful to him.

Question: What is your message to the beginners?
Answer: Look before starting anything, there will be hardships and difficulties. If you look at my career, I also had to go through a lot of hardships to prove myself.

 Sustaining yourself, proving yourself, understanding yourself, listening yourself and fighting with yourself is the biggest weapon for anyone.

 If juniors can succeed by fighting with themselves, then I think juniors can achieve much greater success than me.

Question: Are you still kept your study continuation alongside weightlifting?

Answer: No, it was long before I dropped out my study because you know about the condition of my family. 

I have come from a lower middle class family and my family had no ability to afford the education expense of three children of our family.

 One thing I must say that discontinue study was the biggest wrong decision of my life because if I had continued my study alongside weightlifting, my career would have been even more successful.

Question: You have achieved many successes in your career but would you please share which frustrates you?

Answer: During the journey, I have struggled a lot to sustain myself and that hurts me a lot.  

Despite being an eligible weightlifter of the country, everyone has red-marked me, especially the coaches, who have always intention how to break me or remove me from weightlifting instead of cooperate me being an eligible player.

Question: Do you dream to participate in Olympic?

Answer: I have been refused to participate in Olympics several occasions despite having all qualifications. Should I still dream of participate in Olympic after that? Players with less qualification than me are sent to the Olympic. 

 When the matter comes to Olympic participation, I am tagged as a less educated person. This is the big frustration of my life that I couldn't participate in the Olympic. May be I was wrong somewhere.