More than two weeks have already gone past since the eighth Bangladesh Games ended but the Bangladesh Olympic Association could not publish the official medals tally yet.
The technical committee of the Games could not publish the official medals table as they are yet to get the final results of Karate and wushu disciplines.Another major hurdle the committee was facing in determining the medal winners’ list was that some disciplines like wrestling had only three contestants in some weight categories in which four medals (one gold, one silver and two bronze medals) were on offer.
The unofficial medals tally awarded Bangladesh Army and BKSP one additional gold medal each about which the BOA has no clue. The list medal winners that different federations sent to the BOA showed the extra gold, but the BOA officials said in their count both the organisations got one less.
Wing commander Rafiqul Islam, member-secretary of the technical committee, said that they did not know anything about 10 medals including silvers and bronzes. He hoped to correct the list and publish the official medals table once they get the final results from the karate and wushu federations.
`We requested these federations several times but they did not pay any heed,’ Rafiqul told New Age.
`We made a primary list on the basis of media committee report and we found some anomalies in the medal numbers. We are trying to sort out the problem,’ he added.
It was alleged that the Bangladesh Karate Federation had initially informed the BOA that they would hold 20 events but they ended up with only 11 events. Independent observers said the federation showed more events as they wanted more money from the BOA.
Bangladesh Karate Federation, however, denied the allegations and claimed that they had submitted the final results after the events concluded.
`We sent the results after the events ended through e-mail,’ said Sheikh Ali Ehsan Badal, general secretary of the Bangladesh Karate Federation.
Ashikur Rahman Miku, acting secretary general of the BOA, was also concerned about the dispute.
`If any federation is found guilty the BOA should take action against them and we will publish the final medal tally of the Bangladesh Games as soon as possible,’ he said.
The BOA was also waiting for the wushu results but Abdul Matin Azad, general secretary of the Bangladesh Wushu Federation, did not contact with them.
It was learnt that Azad has been hiding for several months to avoid arrest having been accused in a case filed by four wushu players – Gaziur Rahman Shohag, Babul Ahmed Rubel, Mahbubur Rahman and Nurul Haque – who alleged that Azad took Tk 5 lakh from them promising to help them in participating in a competition in Italy.
In the absence of Azad, a federation member maintained liaison with the BOA during the Games but he did not provide them with any official results.
-With New Age input
