The Bangladesh Olympic Association has decided to manage the preparation of two youth sprinters, Ashik Kumar Halder and Irin Akter, itself for the Youth Asian Games,
scheduled for August 16 to 26 in Nanjing, China.
The BOA was disappointed with the athletes’ performances at the Asian Track and Field event in Pune, India in first week of July and subsequently sent a letter to the Bangladesh Athletic Federation to prepare the two youth sprinters properly. The BAF, however, did not heed the BOA’s letter, according to the training and development committee of the BOA, which has decided itself to provide the athletes with technical and financial assistance.
‘The BOA already provided financial assistance to the federation for the training of the youth athletes, but we were informed that the BAF had not allocated DA [daily allowances] to those two sprinters, so we are thinking of providing them with assistance ourselves,’ said Wing Commander Rafiqul Islam, member secretary of the BOA’s training and development committee.
‘The athletes are training themselves at the BKSP but we were told that the no BAF officials have asked them about their preparation,’ he added.
Meanwhile, Ayman Ibn Zaman, the Bangladesh Games badminton gold medal winner, has been confirmed to take part in the Youth Asian Games. Swimmers Nazma Khatun and Asif Reza, weightlifters Reshma and Shimanto and golfers Afnan Mahmud and Liza Akter will also represent Bangladesh at the games, as will Risatul Islam and Hasanul Banna, two 10 meter air rifle shooters selected on the basis of their strong performances in the Junior National Meet. Rabbi Hasan Munna, the Bangladesh Games gold medalist in the same event, will miss out however, because the BOA submitted the participants’ names before the Bangladesh Games.
A total of 17 Bangladeshi athletes will participate in the Youth Asian Games in eight different disciplines.
-With New Age input
