Bangladeshi youngster Arafat attending ‘Ironman 70.3 World Championship’

Mohammad Shamsuzzaman Arafat, a central banker by profession, who is the first resident Bangladeshi to become an 'Ironman', is going to attend 'Ironman 70.3 World Championship'.

Arafat crossed the Bangla Channel, a 16.1-kilometre long swimming path of the Bay of Bengal, for the sixth time in a row. He marched from Teknaf to Tetulia in only 20 days which means that he literally ran across the country.

An Ironman 70.3, also known as a Half Ironman is a prestigious international competition organized by the World Triathlon Corporation (WTC).

It is one of a series of long-distance triathlon races where "70.3" refers to the total distance in miles (113.0 km) covered in the race, consisting of a 1.2-mile (1.9 km) swim, a 56-mile (90 km) bike ride, and a 13.1-mile (21.1 km) run. All these races are done within 8.5 hours.

Shamsuzzaman Arafat is going to be the first Bangladesh ever to participate in this competition on 18 September in the city of St. George, Utah, United States, said a press release on Wednesday.

He has participated in competitions like Ironman Malaysia'17, Ironman European championship'19, Ironman Malaysia'19, and Ironman 70.3 Bangsaen, Thailand.

Arafat is a relentlessly hard worker and achiever. He has been preparing himself for this competition for seven years now. He aims to finish the races within 5.5 hours. To participate in the completion, Arafat has already left the country today. He aspires to make the entire nation proud.

On this occasion, on 31 August 2021, the flag of Bangladesh was handed over to Arafat by the Chairman of Palli Karma Sahayak Foundation (PKSF) Dr Qazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmad.

 Meghna Group of Industries, Akash DTH, DHS Motors and Bangladesh Finance Limited are providing financial support to Arafat's campaign.