Punches, purpose, and ‘something meaningful’
Zinnat Ferdous perhaps never quite imagined her first fight in Bangladesh would come after years of boxing under foreign lights, or that she'd hear her name chanted inside the Muhammad Ali Boxing Stadium in Dhaka.
Fresh from her gold-grabbing debut at home -- culminating with a commanding victory in the women's 52kg final at the 7th National Women's Boxing Championship -- Zinnat lived up to her trailblazer billing. Her unanimous win over Afra Khandoker on Thursday was never in doubt.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. "I don't know, I'm not answering that," Zinnat chuckled, when asked how much longer she sees herself boxing at the top level, dodging the trick question as deftly as she had dealt with punches that day.
Born and raised in the United States, the 31-year-old balances her career as a Google programme manager with a burning passion for the ring -- a passion that, in 2023, led her to switch allegiances and fight for her roots.
"It felt so good," she said. "I've been representing Bangladesh internationally since 2023, but this was the first time I actually got to fight here. Everyone's been so supportive. I've had a lot of fun."
Her decision to represent Bangladesh was a mix of both strategy and sentiment. "Honestly? When the 2024 Olympics was coming up, I was preparing to compete for the US.
"But their policy says you can only choose one country. My coach and mentor Collins Morgan said, 'Why not Bangladesh? That would mean so much more -- for you, and for the country.' And here we are."
About her assessment of the local talent, Zinnat opined, "They like to punch, they're aggressive, they're strong mentally. They want to fight… But there's still a lot to do, skill and technique wise.
"When you go international, the judges are looking for more: can you hit and not get hit? That's the difference."
Training in the US and competing across borders while managing a full-time job at Google is no easy feat. "It's hard, definitely," she said. "But Google's been really supportive. They understand where my mission is. They've allowed me the space to do this. I'm grateful."
Even so, Zinnat knows she's not boxing against time but with it. "I'm 31 -- not 18 or 15," she said, with a note of realism.
"There's an end coming. But I hope I can start something meaningful, achieve something for the country."
That "something" includes building a community -- not just in Bangladesh, but among Bangladeshi athletes across the world.
"I'm trying to gather more people," she said. "I hope Bangladeshis around the world can see what I'm doing. Let's hop on, make a strong team, and let's do this together for the 2028 Olympics.
"And let's make some noise."
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