Hosts’ gold rush

It was a gold rush for Bangladesh on the tenth day of the 11th South Asian Games yesterday. And believe it or not the ladies picked up more than the men on a day Bangladesh crossed their previous best effort in the regional showpiece event by winning six gold — an astonishing four in karate, one in taekwondo and the last but not the least — a dream gold in cricket.
Jaw U Pru led the way of a never-seen-before golden day for Bangladesh by winning the women’s individual kata event after defeating India’s Sadhya Chandrakar. She also combined with Munni Khanom and U Chinu Marma to lift the team event gold at the National Indoor Stadium in Mirpur.
Moreom Khatun Bipasha then emerged from nowhere to win the Under-45kg category kumite gold at the expense of India’s Velena Valentina.
The men’s team of Syed Nuruzzaman, Hasan Khan Sun, Hossain Khan Moon also joined the golden party after defeating their Pakistani counterparts in the gold bout of kata event.
Bangladesh, who had never won four gold in a day in one discipline in the regional gala, hardly stopped there. News spread from the National Sports Council Gymnasium that Shammi Akhter won the second gold in taekwondo in 49kg category.
When the karatekas danced in glory at the Indoor Stadium, a few blocks away at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur, Bangladesh cricketers were fighting for gold against Sri Lanka. And they also did not deprive the nation. The cricketers won the gold with a six-run win in a nail-biting final.
The gold in cricket improved Bangladesh’s collection to 14 gold 19 silver and 44 bronze. Bangladesh’s previous best in the Games was 11 gold, also on home soil in 1993.
Runaway leaders India might have lost the battle in the hockey filed against bitter-rivals Pakistan, who won the final 4-3 on penalties after the match had ended 1-1, but they continued to dictate the track and filed events, shooting and swimming. At the end of the day India improved their tally to 67-40-22. Pakistan still held the second position with a tally of 17-23-27.
Sri Lanka, who excelled in athletics, followed Bangladesh closely with 13-26-36.
However, all eyes will be fixed on the Bangladesh-Afghanistan men’s football final at the Bangabandhu National Stadium today, the penultimate day of the 12-day spectacle.

Courtesy of The Daily Star