Sports ministry to financially support triathlete Mariya’s Ironman Championship dream

Bangladesh’s first female triathlete Ferdousi Akter Mariya is set to receive financial assistance from State Minister for Youth and Sports Aminul Haque to compete in the Ironman 70.3 Championship in France this September.

The financial aid will be officially handed over to Mariya at the National Sports Council on Monday afternoon.

Mariya became the first woman from Bangladesh to qualify for the Ironman Championship by competing in the Ironman 70.3 race in Langkawi, Malaysia in October 2024 at just 19 years of age.

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No gym, no problem: How Mariya from Rangpur became Bangladesh's first female Ironman 70.3

As part of the race, she swam 1.2 miles, rode a bicycle for 56 miles, and then ran on foot for 13.1 miles and finished second.