Growing up in a village, Rokshana Begum overcame many challenges to become the country’s fastest hurdler for the second consecutive time on Saturday.
She clocked 15.00s to clinch the title in the women’s 100m hurdles on the second day of the 17th National Summer Athletics Championship 2025.
The hurdler from Bangladesh Army beat her teammate Sumaya Zaman by 0.10s in the event, held at the National Stadium in Dhaka in the afternoon.
BKSP’s Tasmian Hossain finished third with a timing of 15.40s.
Rokshana had also topped the podium in the same event during the last National Athletics Championship, held in February this year.
Back then, her timing of 15.81s was enough to secure first place.
Born and raised in Sonapur, Noakhali, Rokshana trained under renowned local coach Rafiqullah Milon, whose many disciples have shone in athletics.
“I started with long jump. Milon Sir advised me to switch to hurdles. There was a vacancy in hurdles, and he predicted that I could do well,” said Rokshana.
Rokshana began athletics at the age of 15. She competed in long jump for the first two years before moving to hurdles, where she won gold within just four years.
“I was not good at the beginning — I used to finish third or second. But this time, I practiced well and managed to secure first position,” she told reporters.
Rokshana joined the Army in 2020 and usually trains at the Army Stadium.
Her father, once a microbus driver, is now jobless.
In a family of her parents, three sisters, and a younger brother, Rokshana is now the sole earner, she revealed after her event.
When asked if she faced any hurdles in life on her way to becoming a hurdler, Rokshana replied, “The villagers don’t like these sports. So there were always hurdles. I overcame those hurdles to become who I am today.”
“Many villagers would whisper, saying the girl goes out and comes back in the evening — where does she go? They didn’t know I was practicing.”
“The villagers also don’t like women doing jobs. So I faced many hurdles.”
“If I had not been an athlete and stayed back at home, I would probably have been married off. This is what normally happens to village girls.”
Rokshana’s only goal now is to keep improving and perform better and better in hurdles.
