Urmi’s trajectory verifies Youth Games’ importance

After grabbing the spotlight in the 2018 Youth Games, shuttler Urmi Akter went on to become the country's number one-ranked female badminton star. In an exclusive interview with Sabbir Hossain of The Daily Star, Urmi addressed the impact the Youth Games competition had to set her professional career in motion. She also revisited her successful journey so far, including the obstacles faced along the way and more. The excerpts are as follows:

The Daily Star (DS): Could you recall your feelings after bagging two gold medals in the inaugural Youth games in 2018?

Urmi Akter (UA): Participating in the very prestigious Youth Games alone was a big breakthrough for me, and earning two golds made it more pleasant as many of the participants didn't quite achieve desired results. I expected a good result there but what I accomplished was beyond my expectation. Back then, I was happy to describe my feelings in words. But looking back now, when reminded of that event, it feels like a dream.

DS: What was the after-effect of that success?

UA: Having passed through the age-level badminton competitions successfully, I became a senior national player before the 2018 Youth Games, where the badminton competition was a U-17 one. There I told my coach that I wanted to achieve further glory at senior level, and afterwards I began playing with the determination to become a professional player while putting extra effort during practice.

DS: Tell us about your achievements at senior level.

UA: I won gold three times in a row in women's singles and doubles categories in the Ranking Championship, and in the mixed doubles category of the tournament, I was champion once and runners-up twice. I was also crowned champion of the women's singles badminton event in the [Bangabandhu 9th] Bangladesh Games in 2021. Before that, I secured bronze in the mixed doubles category in the 2019 South Asian Games.

DS: Did you face obstacles in your early days?

UA: For every successful sportsperson in Bangladesh, I think the backstory of struggle is quite mandatory. And if the player is a girl, it becomes even tougher. To reach a certain level, she must overcome a lot of obstacles. When I started playing alongside the boys, people used to say negative things, like calling me "shameless", but the support of my parents was always there. However, my district association in Khulna did not provide much for me. So, I moved to Pabna in 2017 to get better facilities. I'm currently an employee of the Bangladesh Army.

DS: What is your future goal?

UA: I want to step up and win gold in the 2024 South Asian Games as I couldn't do so in its previous editions. I hope the Bangladesh Badminton Federation will arrange more camps, provide us with more facilities and the necessary financial support, to raise our performance level.