Zulcan turns Sanjida’s darkest days into a new dawn

Unbeaten minimumweight Sanjida Jannat has turned the Zulcan Indoor Arena into her absolute fortress, landing back-to-back mega victories to ignite a dramatic surge up the rankings. The 21-year-old seized the WBC Asia Continental title at April’s ‘ZFC 1: The Takeover’ against Thailand’s Pornpimon Pongpaew, before outclassing Malaysia’s Meredy Michael at ‘ZFC 002: Pride of Bangladesh’ in September. Holding an immaculate 7-0-2 record, Bangladesh’s number one fighter is now ranked fifth in Asia and 21st in the world. She sat down with the Daily Sun's Kamran Ahmed to reflect on her spectacular rise.

Daily Sun: Boxing is a gruelling sport, both physically and mentally. What was the driving force that first pushed you towards the ring?

Sanjida Jannat: I lost my father when I was very young. After he died, life became a daily struggle for my mother and us three sisters. My mother raised us alone, working incredibly hard through difficult times. Growing up in Dhaka without a father meant facing cold reality and plenty of hardship. While going through that, a fire grew inside me to stand on my own feet and break out of the usual mould. I chose boxing purely out of a stubborn desire to protect my family and make myself strong. That was where it all started.

Daily Sun: Your rise has been incredibly fast stepping into a gym in 2022 and making your pro debut just a year later. But I understand the start of your professional career was far from smooth. What exactly happened behind the scenes?

Sanjida Jannat: In August 2022, I officially stepped into the ring and began training at Edge Boxing BD. Boxing felt like the best way to push both my physical and mental limits. After putting in the hard yards in the gym, I won an exhibition bout in 2023, which gave me real confidence inside the ropes. Later that year, I took part in the Bangladesh Youth Games, getting my first taste of national amateur competition. That experience made my switch to professional boxing much smoother, and I made my pro debut in 2023.

The early professional days were not easy at all. I had issues over sponsors and payments with my first promotional company. Moving past that, I fought three times under Xcel Sports Management & Promotion. My first two bouts ended in draws, but after that, I won every single fight, including two wins by direct knockout. Those wins made me an undefeated fighter.

I fought my first seven bouts under two different promotional groups, but then hit the biggest roadblock of my career. The first promoter showed open hostility and created complex problems, which forced me out of professional boxing for a year and a half. It was a dark, frustrating phase, and I wondered if I would ever step into a professional ring again. But I refused to break. I never skipped a single day of training. To keep my fitness sharp and my mind in fight mode, I joined the Bangladesh Army boxing team for five to six months. That stint helped me pull through that rough patch.

Daily Sun: After such a dark period away from the sport, you found a lifeline with the Zulcan Indoor Arena. How crucial was that intervention for your career?

Sanjida Jannat: Honestly, Bashundhara Group stepping in has completely changed the landscape of combat sports in Bangladesh. For fighters like us, it feels like a dream and a total game-changer for boxing across the country. International promoter Arvind Lalwani got in touch with me through my manager on behalf of the Zulcan Indoor Arena and offered me a fight contract.

Having an international promoter like Arvind Lalwani and the backing of a massive group gives you the power to take on any challenge, both at home and abroad. After all the dark times and uncertainty, getting back into the ring with their support was the biggest turning point of my life. It gave me the technical backing and proper structure to build myself into an international professional fighter.

Daily Sun: You announced your return in style this year with two massive wins at the ZFC, including the WBC Asia Continental title. What do those victories, and your leap in the rankings, mean to you?

Sanjida Jannat: Beating two tough fighters from Thailand and Malaysia and taking the WBC Asia Continental title belt gave my self-belief a massive lift. These wins showed that if you put in the honest work and training, you can mix it with the best at the top level. Representing Bangladesh on the international stage is both a challenge and a massive honour. Climbing to fifth in Asia and breaking into the top 20 globally is one of the proudest moments of my career. It shows the world that Bangladesh can hold its own in professional boxing.

Daily Sun: Behind every fighter is a strong corner. Who has been your anchor through all these ups and downs?

Sanjida Jannat: The biggest credit for shaping who I am today goes to my coach and manager, Md Yousuf, the founder of Edge Boxing BD. He built a world-class gym entirely on his own grit and effort, with every tool a fighter needs for top-level skills, fitness, and conditioning. I started from absolute scratch there and grew into an unbeaten fighter. Beyond training my technique, he handled promotional messes and legal hurdles with calm thinking and foresight. Without him in my corner, I would never have made it past those roadblocks.

Daily Sun: Combat sports still carry a massive social stigma for women in Bangladesh. How did you handle the outside noise and the pressure from society when you first put on the gloves?

Sanjida Jannat: In Bangladesh, there is a strong social taboo around women in sports, particularly in a combat sport like boxing. Society often tries to box girls into set roles, and I was no exception. Right from the start, people threw ugly comments at me. They would say, "Why does a girl need to fight?", "Girls cannot do this," and "If you get your face smashed in the ring, who is going to marry you?"

Because we did not have a father at home, people passed comments about our family too. My mother and sisters were naturally scared about injuries, my future, and the harsh words from neighbours. But I refused to let any of that stop me. I made up my mind to let my fists and my performances inside the ring do all the talking.

I put in the long hours, kept my discipline, and kept winning. When people started showing respect to the fighter in me, my family's fear melted away. The same society that once tried to drag me down now takes pride in me. Today, my mother and sisters are my greatest pillar of strength.

Daily Sun: You have built incredible momentum. Looking ahead, what is the ultimate target for Sanjida Jannat?

Sanjida Jannat: My immediate goal is to break into the world top 10 and capture an Asian title. Alongside that, I want to win medals for Bangladesh at the South Asian Games and World Championships, while blazing a trail for the next generation of girls to follow.