Shirin Akter becomes country's fastest woman for 18th time with 12.08-second sprint

Shirin Akter has once again proved her supremacy in the country's athletics. She won the title of the country's fastest woman for the 18th time by finishing first in the women's 100-metre sprint at the 18th National Summer Athletics Competition. A master's student in the Department of Physical Education and Sports Science at Jashore University of Science and Technology (JUST), she competed as an athlete of the Bangladesh Navy.

At the competition held at the National Stadium in Dhaka on Friday (23 October), Shirin finished the 100-metre race in 12.08 seconds to take first place, recording the best time in the women's sprint at this edition of the meet.

In the same event, Sharifa Khatun of the Bangladesh Army finished second with a time of 12.23 seconds, while Sumaiya Dewan of the Bangladesh Navy took third place in 12.33 seconds, putting two Navy athletes on the podium.

This victory also saw Shirin improve on her own previous best mark. At the 49th National Athletics Competition held last May, she had won the title of the country's fastest woman for the 17th consecutive time with a time of 12.10 seconds (electronic). This time, finishing in 12.08 seconds, she surpassed that mark as well.

Alongside continuing her sports career, Shirin, who has won the fastest-woman title again and again, is also planning for higher education. She said: 'I want to continue my sports in this way. I am currently doing my master's in Sports Science at Jashore University of Science and Technology. The Vice-Chancellor sir, along with the other teachers and coaches, always support me there.'

Shirin added that after completing her master's, she wants to go abroad for a PhD in higher education, and that preparations towards that goal are currently under way — a plan that reflects her long-term ambitions alongside her success on the track.

This year's competition was organised in memory of the late Arafat Rahman Koko, son of former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia. The competition was inaugurated on Friday afternoon.

President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir attended the inaugural ceremony as the chief guest and inaugurated the competition. State Minister for Youth and Sports Md. Aminul Haque was present as the special guest.

In a run of continued success, Shirin's 18th title stands as a bright example of consistency in the country's women's athletics. Remaining the best at the national level again and again, while also improving her own timing, has raised expectations for her upcoming competitions.

Attention will now turn to her next meets — how she maintains her speed on the track, and how her preparation to go abroad for a PhD after completing her master's progresses, will remain subjects of interest for her fans and the sporting community.