Beauty's long journey from Bangladesh

By Azad Majumder

SAVAR, Bangladesh (Reuters) - Nazmunnahar Beauty's journey to the Olympics is typical of her many fellow Bangladeshi athletes at the Beijing Games.

Orphaned as a child, Bangladesh's fastest woman was taken in by her next door neighbors and later encouraged into athletics by a coach who spotted her potential.

"I never thought of (the) Olympics. It's like a dream come true," said Beauty, who will participate in the 100 meters.

"It was a long struggle, but still I have no regret. I have got the opportunity to represent my country in an Olympics."

Beauty, like the other five members of the country's team, have made Beijing after struggling through abject poverty.

Swimmer Dolly Akthar, who competed at Sydney and Athens, learned to swim in ponds, while sprinter Abu Abdullah, placed his athletics career on hold to join the Bangladesh army and was a member of the United Nations peacekeeping force in Ivory Coast.

"I knew if I join the peacekeeping mission, I may be out of athletics forever," said Abdullah, who will also run the 100 meters.

"Still I had no choice as financially it was a huge reward."