For the first time in 37 years, the red and green flag of Bangladesh soared across the waves of the English Channel as open water swimmers Mahfizur Rahman Sagor and Nazmul Haque Himel completed the 33.4km channel that runs from southern England to the coast of northern France in the Atlantic Ocean. After Brojen Das (1958-1961), Abdul Malek (1965), and Mosharraf Hossain (1988), who all crossed it solo, the Bangladeshi duo, three Indian swimmers, and a Mexican, formed a six-person relay team to complete the crossing. In an interview with 抖阴精品鈥檚 Tarif Akhlaq, two-time Olympian Sagor shared his journey, struggles, and goals. Here are the excerpts:
抖阴精品: After 37 years, this is a huge achievement for Bangladesh. How are you feeling?
Mahfizur Rahman Sagor: Honestly, it still feels unreal. For Bangladesh, and for our people, it鈥檚 a huge milestone. I had dreamt of it, but I never thought it would come true this way. The English Channel always felt like a fairy tale to us. Now, it feels like that story became reality. The swimmers before us, Brojen Das, Mosharraf Hossain, and others, crossed solo. It鈥檚 the first time as a team relay.
NA: You retired from international swimming in 2019. What motivated you to take this challenge?
Sagor: I retired because I couldn鈥檛 win gold in the South Asian Games. That was a big blow. I felt I had failed. Gold at聽the SA Games is a huge deal for us. So, I stepped back from international聽competition, but I kept swimming locally. That passion never left.
NA: During crossing the Channel, was there a moment that was really difficult or unspoken?
Sagor: There were times I had to stop. That鈥檚 not something usual for me. I鈥檓 not that kind of swimmer. But sometimes I had to because of vomiting and strong waves. The waves were so massive. At times, I felt it was safer to stabilise myself before going on. The cargo ships created additional waves that rocked the ocean. It wasn鈥檛 like swimming in a river or a pool. I trained at the beach, but you don鈥檛 get waves like that in pools or even rivers.
NA: Did you take any additional training?
Sagor: We did what we could. Our country鈥檚 condition is different. We don鈥檛 have cold water like the Channel. So we took ice baths to simulate the temperature. When I swam, it was about 17 degrees. We trained in pools and beaches鈥攚herever possible. We made the best of what we had.
NA: Did you receive any official support or sponsorship?
Sagor: We didn鈥檛 inform anyone until our visas were confirmed, which was about a month and a half before the swim. After that, the federation helped a little. Biman Bangladesh Airlines supported us with travel. But financially, we mostly managed everything ourselves. Swimming is expensive, and we don鈥檛 have the sponsorship culture here.
NA: When you finally reached the French coast, what went through your minds?
Sagor: It was a long-cherished dream for about 10 years. Whether solo or relay鈥擨 just wanted to cross the channel. After reaching there, it was like a fairy tale coming true.
NA: You鈥檝e represented Bangladesh in the Olympics (2012, 2016), Asian Games, and other big events. Which was your most memorable achievement?
Sagor: It鈥檚 [crossing the English Channel] definitely one of the most emotional ones. Being the flag bearer at the Olympics is a proud moment too. And every time I鈥檝e represented Bangladesh, it felt special. I鈥檝e won silver and bronze. But I gave my 100 per cent in every event, so they all are important.
NA: How did your partnership with Himel Bhai for this relay come about?
Sagor: We鈥檝e known each other since childhood. We trained at the same institution and were rivals in swimming. He was the perfect choice. He鈥檚 a triathlete. For a relay, you need the right team, and he was the best. He deserves a lot of credit.
NA: Do you have any future goals?
Sagor: I want to attempt crossing the English Channel alone. I also dream of completing the Oceans Seven鈥攕even of the toughest open-water swims in the world. But it all depends on sponsorship and support. Without that, it鈥檚 very difficult.