Archer Eti becomes inspiration of many

Eti, once a poor girl of Chuadanga, has now been synonyms with success winning three gold medals in archery in the South Asian Games, 2019 in Nepal and thus becomes an inspiration of many teenagers as they are dreaming of to be like her.

It was a story of 2016. At that time, Eti was a six-grader student of a hardcore poor family and used play with puppets with her local friends. One more game had attracted Eti much that was archery for which she had been scolded and beaten by her parent time again. But she never compromised with her dream of becoming a successful archer.

Returning from the practice, Eti one day found that her father was taking preparation to marry off her. The bridegroom’s party were found sitting in their veranda. Every arrangement of her marriage had been completed. Eti was produced before the bridegroom by covering her face with veil of a sharee. The bridegroom liked her very much. But, Eti at the eleventh hour declined to marry. The marriage didn’t happen as she fled the bridal party.

If the married would take place, Eti like other ordinary girls might have been busy with taking care of her family and children and no such history was created in the last 35 years of the South Asian (SA) Games as Eti won three gold medals in 2019 event.

Before her, no women from Bangladesh could win three gold medals in any sports. In her way to win three gold medals, she defeated a Bhutanese archer Karma in women’s recurve event. Karma had earlier got the scope to play the Olympic directly.

Despite her successes, Eti has been living with her family in railway’s land at Muslimpara under Belgachhi Upazila of Chuadanga district. Her father Ebadat Ali is an employee of a local restaurant. But, the fortune of Eti has really changed. She has always been enlightening the global stage with winning medals. She owned the awards of Bangladesh Sports Writers’ Association and Anannya Top Ten Awards in 2019.

The National Sports Council found Eti through their talent hunt competition in archery in which she had become
first in its primary selection in December, 2016. She own bronze in the national championship. Then, she attracted attention of Germany coach Martin Frederick and thus got the scope to play international tournament.

Eti has now become pride of all of her locality and has become popular among all including relatives, neighbours, teachers and friends. The teenagers of her locality told Eti that she has become famous, saying, “We didn’t become as famous as you.”

She had won a battle with stopping her marriage at childhood. She said she proved herself right with winning many medals in the national and international arenas.

Eti has now dreamt of playing the Olympic and winning gold medal and thus the red-green flag will be hoisted over her head.

Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha

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