ছবি: Romana Akhter
Bangladesh Army Swimmer Sets New 100m Breaststroke Record After Returning from UN Mission in Sudan
The 33rd National Swimming Championship, sponsored by Max Group, kicked off on Saturday at the Syed Nazrul Islam Swimming Complex in Mirpur. The first day of the event saw a total of four new national records set. However, the spotlight was claimed by Romana Akter, a swimmer from the Bangladesh Army, who set a new record in the women’s 100m breaststroke.
Romana clocked a time of 1:18.27 to win gold in the event, breaking the national record. Her achievement became even more significant when it was revealed that, due to her job in the Bangladesh Army, Romana had been stationed on a UN mission in Sudan, where she participated in UN activities as a soldier. After completing her one-and-a-half-year mission, she returned to Bangladesh in September of last year. This competition marked her return to national swimming, and she made an immediate impact by setting a new record.
Romana shared her excitement, saying, "This is my first competition after returning from the UN mission in Sudan. Despite the long break, I’m very happy to have brought back my performance."
Reflecting on her time in Sudan, Romana explained that she had no opportunity to train while there, as she was fully engaged in UN activities. "During that time, I couldn’t train for swimming. I was completely away from the sport, but I kept up with the physical training provided by the army—morning PT, running, jogging, and light stretching—just to maintain my fitness."
Romana expressed her joy at breaking the previous record set by Mariam Khatun in 2021, saying, "This is a timing I’ve never achieved before in my career. After a 4-year break, I’m really happy to have done this. I’m satisfied with my timing, although I know winning medals at international competitions will be difficult, as other countries provide more facilities and training opportunities. But if I keep improving on this, it would be great."
The National Swimming Championship was officially inaugurated by Engineer Golam Mohammad Alamgir, Chairman of Max Group and Senior Vice-President of the Federation, at 3:00 PM on Saturday.
repoter
