After a long gap of 11 years, the eighth edition of the Bangladesh Games is all set to hit the big bowl of the Bangabandhu National Stadium today. Due to an acute financial crisis and poor organisation, the Games did not see its light since 2002. Though the volatile political situation of the country casts a huge shadow over the Games, one can only wish a successful meet is on the horizon in the coming nine days from April 20-28. Mehedi Hassan Sujan looks back into the past seven editions starting from 1978
1978
Bangladesh Games began its glorious journey on March 15 in 1978. Then it was named in the mould of the Olympics Games and torched off the biggest sporting event of the country called the ‘Bangladesh Olympic Championship’.
In the first championship, 1,239 of athletes including 219 females from 21 teams participated in 10 disciplines at the then Dhaka National Stadium.
Legendary swimmer Mosharraf Hossain Khan sealed his radiant mark by grabbing the highest 10 gold medals.
Mosharraf Hossain Shamim and Sufia Khatun were crowned as the fastest man and woman in the track and field events.
BTMC emerged as the champions by clinching 49 gold medals while Bangladesh Army and Dhaka division became second and third with 23 and 11 golds respectively
1980
The second gala of the Games took place in just two years time and on this occasion 1,427 athletes from around the country competed in 11 disciplines, one more than the inaugural edition.
The disciplines were – athletics, swimming, volleyball, basketball, wrestling, weightlifting, gymnastics, hockey, boxing, shooting and cycling.
BJMC’s Sufia Khatun emerged as the top athlete after collecting four gold medals while Bangladesh Army, BTMC and BJMC earned the top three positions in the medals table with 31, 21 and 20 golds respectively.
1984
In its third edition, the name of the Games was changed from Bangladesh Olympic Championship to Bangladesh Games, as per the rule of the Olympic charter.
The word ‘Olympic’ could not be used without the involvement of the International Olympic Committee.
The new era had begun and instead of the previous two-year gap, it was decided that the Games will be a quadrennial event.
For the very first time, the opening ceremony of the event took place at the Army stadium instead of the Dhaka Stadium where 1,500 athletes took part in 11 disciplines in the newly named Games.
BTMC clinched 47 gold medals to top the medals tally while Bangladesh Army and BJMC earned 28 and 25 golds respectively to take second and third spots.
1988
The fourth version of the Games will be remembered for inclusion of the then most popular game of the country – football – as 3,000 athletes of 20 teams from across the country participated in 20 disciplines.
Dhaka University clinched gold in the beautiful game and Bangladesh Army claimed silver.
Nazma Haider Rafeza of BJMC was the star of the show after earning four gold medals as BTMC finished at the top of the medals table with 40 golds.
1992
This time the Games was back again at the heart of the premier sporting arena of the land – the Dhaka National Stadium. The opening ceremony took place on December 18 and 3,214 athletes from 53 teams participated in 21 disciplines in the eight-day gala event.
Swimmer Munira Rahman Dalia stole the limelight by clinching six gold medals to be adjudged the queen of the Games.
Ansar and VDP topped the medals table with 50 golds.
1996
The sixth Games will be remembered as Rehana Zaman’s games as the swimmer of the Bangladesh Ansar grabbed no less than 10 golds to seal her status as the best athlete of the Games.
3,679 athletes from across the country participated in 22 disciplines of the Games where Bangladesh Ansar
were the overwhelming leaders in the medals tally with 69 golds while Bangladesh Army secured second position with 31 golds.
2002
The last edition of the Games saw three new disciplines in karate, golf and taekwondo as the eight-day event was participated by 3,000 athletes in 25 disciplines, which took place in 12 different venues in Dhaka.
In the track and field, Maruf Reza and Fowjia Huda Jui of the BKSP were crowned king and queen respectively, while swimmer Rubel Rana of Bangladesh Army created history by clinching eight gold medals with six national records to become the star of the show.
At the end, Bangladesh Navy topped the medals tally with 19 golds while BJMC and Bangladesh Ansar were second and third with 13 and six gold medals respectively.
-With New Age input
