After a long wait, Paltan’s wooden floor gymnasium came alive with excitement as the 39th National Badminton Championship unfolded over several days.
On Saturday, the spotlight was on two thrilling singles finals, where Khondkar Abdus Sowad secured his third consecutive men’s singles title, while Nasima Khatun claimed her maiden women’s singles championship. Both champions hail from Pabna, adding a special regional flavour to the event.
Sowad, representing Bangladesh Ansar, retained his dominance by defeating familiar rival Al Amin Zuma in the men’s singles final with a convincing 21-14, 21-4 victory, a repeat of their 2022 final encounter. Speaking after his hat-trick win, Sowad reflected on the challenges he faced: “I was unable to practise for a month due to injury. Returning to competition, there was pressure to prove myself. Ayman Bhai came from the United States, and others also performed well. This championship was not easy; it was tougher than previous editions.”
The women’s singles final delivered an emotional and dramatic narrative as Nasima overcame Urmi Akter, who was aiming for her own hat-trick. Nasima lost the opening game 12-21 but showed remarkable resilience to claim the next two sets 21-17, 21-17. Upon clinching the final point, she collapsed to the court in relief and joy. Nasima, a soldier with the Bangladesh Army and an HSC student at Cantonment College, said, “Even though I lost the first game, I didn’t lose confidence. I knew I could win. Now, my goal is to achieve success internationally and win a medal at the South Asian Games.”
Nasima’s mother, Jaheda Begum, emotionally embraced her daughter after the match, both shedding tears of happiness. Nasima is the second of three sisters, with her youngest sister Maisha also competing in the championship. Their father, Monju Sheikh, resides in Malaysia.
