Queens boxer faces challenge representing Bangladesh in 2024 Olympic Games

Queens boxer's aims for gold at 2024 Olympic Games

anding at 5'4 weighing 110 pounds - the light flyweight packs a voracious punch. By day, a Global Program Manager for GOOGLE, running a $120 million program. Good Day Wake Up anchor Tashanae Whitlow has the story.

With the Paris Olympics set to begin in weeks, Queens native, Zinnat Ferdous, is on a quest for gold.

"I was ranked number seven. I've won two-time New York City ring master’s tournaments, and I'm a two-time national Golden Globe medalist. I've won the USA women's boxing championships back in 2023. I've won the 2024 Dominican Republic Open, the Copa Independencia Tournament, and the inaugural Mandela South African Boxing Club just a few months ago, so seven, seven big tournaments," said Ferdous.

Her husband, a former boxer, took her to her first match in 2017.

Despite having never played a sport before, in 2019, she started boxing and went professional two years later. As a first-generation Bangladeshi, she is hoping to represent the country in the 2024 Olympics.

"It's making history. I'd be the first woman boxer to ever represent Bangladesh in the Olympics, and the first athlete from Bangladesh to potentially … win a medal."

Standing at 5'4 weighing 110 pounds, the light flyweight packs a voracious punch. By day, a Global Program Manager for GOOGLE, running a $120 million program.

Her trainer, Colin Morgan of "Bout Fight Club NYC," a professional boxer with 40 years of experience training top international champions, trains Zinnat six days a week.

The two met in 2019 when Zinnat was sparring with an opponent 50 lbs. heavier.

Morgan was impressed with "how she moved."

"I'm like, I think that she got something here."

A week later, he approached Zinnat with an unbelievable proposition. "What if I tell you in two and a half years in the Olympics and I could get you there? And she says, I’ll be done for that. I'll be in."

Now it was go time.

"I chose to, to represent Bangladesh, because as a first generation American, it allowed me the opportunity to get me closer to my heritage and help elevate sports and women athletes in Bangladesh," according to Ferdous.

The nation has never won a medal in the Olympic Games.

With her husband and family on board, her path to the Olympics seemed certain.

Until, she received a letter from the Olympics Federation stating her registration wasn't received.

Therefore, the entire Bangladesh Boxing team was disqualified from participating in the Paris World Qualifying Tournament in Bangkok.

Devastated Ferdous continued to train with hopes of securing a Wildcard, a system allowing international federations to invite promising athletes who do not meet the usual qualification criteria to compete.

That last resort was dashed after Bangladeshi Boxing Federation, missed a deadline. Earlier this year, they missed registrations for two world qualifying tournaments, citing "technical shortfalls."

Zinnat sent us a statement, saying, "This situation highlights the challenges athletes face, where factors outside our control can derail years of hard work."