For Afra, the ring is always a family affair

Banglapress Published: 23 September 2025, 10:25 AM

For Afra, the ring is always a family affair

Bangla Press Desk: As the announcer called out her name for the final bout of the 52kg category at the women’s National Boxing Championship on Thursday, Afra Khandaker stood quietly in one corner of the ring. Her opponent was Zinnat Ferdous, a heavyweight powerhouse. But Afra had something even stronger in her corner: her family. From the moment she stepped into boxing, Afra’s story was never hers alone. It was shaped, driven, and held together by her family—by her father’s relentless belief and support, her younger sister’s presence, and the quiet sacrifices that tied them all together. Afra’s boxing journey began not out of ambition, but affection. “I wanted to get into BKSP with Pranti [Afeida Khandaker],” she told Daily Sun.

“Since that didn’t happen through football, when Pranti got admitted to BKSP in 2016, she was very young—just in class five. She used to cry a lot being alone there and would call home in tears every couple of days, which made our parents cry too.” Her father, Khandaker Arif Hassan Prince, couldn’t bear to see both his daughters in distress. So he found a way to bring them together—Afra would also join BKSP, even if it meant switching sports. “It was through my younger sister... wanting to take care of her is how my boxing journey began at BKSP,” she recalled. “I even trained in cricket and shooting with the hope of getting in.”

Their father didn’t just guide from afar—he became their coach, mentor, and the ever-present motivator. “Our father is the same at home as he is on the field,” Afra smiled. “When we’re home on holidays, he doesn’t let us rest for a single day. He’ll drag us out of bed at six in the morning and say, ‘Why are you sleeping so much at home?’ Even if we resist, he’ll take us anyway. And if we still say no, then mom scolds us too!” It’s a household built on discipline, and more importantly, dreams.

Afra and her sister Afeida—now the captain of Bangladesh women’s football team—were raised with belief and structure. Their father even runs a football academy in Satkhira, where both sisters trained. Her father had been at the venue on Wednesday morning, even after the final was postponed. He returned again on Thursday morning, waiting for her daughter's turn, eyes glued to the ring, passing instructions. “When I sat beside him before the match, he was giving me instructions—‘See, you’ll fight Zinnat like this. Keep your guard like this, throw punches right and left. Move forward, don’t back away.’ He was even coaching me from the gallery.” Her sister Afeida was more animated during Afra's bout—nervous, supportive, and loving. “Prapti [Afra] Apu, be yourself, play well,” Afeida had told Afra before the bout.

And during the match, she screamed, “Sister, hit!” only to cover her face with her hands when Afra got punched. Their cheers weren’t just noise. They were years of shared struggle, sacrifice, and mutual belief echoing from the gallery. For years, Afra had been known as “Afeida’s elder sister.” But boxing gave her a name of her own. “I’m enjoying it—being recognised as a boxer,” she said. “It felt good being known as Afida’s sister, and now having my own identity also feels good. Now people will know me too—there’s a boxer named Afra.” Afra’s dream is to fight internationally, eyes set on the upcoming SA Games in Pakistan next year. “I definitely want to compete internationally,” she said, her voice steady. “I’m working hard to do something good there.” Afra may not have won gold this time, but her real victory is deeper than medals. It’s in the way she held her ground in the ring. It’s in her father’s hoarse voice from the gallery. It’s in her sister’s hands hiding her eyes, and the pride on their mother’s face. Boxing, for Afra, isn’t a solo sport. It’s a family pursuit. A shared fight. A love letter written in jabs, sweat, and silent sacrifices. And through every punch she throws, one thing is clear: her family isn’t just in her corner. They are her corner. This article was originally published on Daily Sun.

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[Bangla Press is a global platform for free thought. It provides impartial news, analysis, and commentary for independent-minded individuals. Our goal is to bring about positive change, which is more important today than ever before.]