Bangladesh Army’s Jewel Ahmed proved his new training regime paid rich dividends as he rewrote a new national record in the 1500m free-style in the swimming event of the eighth Bangladesh Games at the National Swimming Complex on Tuesday.
Two new national records were created on day three with BKSP’s Papiya Akter setting a new national record in the 50m butterfly after clocking 31:96 seconds.
Meanwhile Jewel clocked 17:24:24 seconds to claim the gold in the 1500m free-style that allowed him to better his previous performance of 17:25:30 seconds at the National Swimming Championship last year.
Jewel picked up another gold medal in the 200m back-stroke after clocking 2:18:16 seconds to lead the individual medals tally with five golds and a silver.
Despite attaining his fifth gold medal of the Games, Jewel is yet to accomplish his personal goal of being the best male swimmer of the meet, a much-coveted title.
‘Probably if I can pick up six or seven gold medals, there is a chance for me to be the best swimmer in the meet for which I had prepared myself,’ Jewel told reporters at Mirpur on Tuesday.
‘The change in my training schedule ahead of the tournament can be considered as one of the major reasons behind my success,’ said an ecstatic Jewel.
Bangladesh Navy are leading the medal tally with 16 golds, 13 silvers and six
bronze medals while Bangladesh Army leapfrogged BKSP on day three to be positioned at number two.
Army have claimed seven golds, five silvers and five bronze medals while BKSP picked up five golds, three silvers and 12 bronze medals.
Navy’s Nazma Khatun achieved her third gold medal in the meet as she won the 800m free-style clocking 11:08:07 seconds while her teammate Sonia Akter Tumpa clocked 2:51:57 seconds to pick up the gold medal in the 200m back-stroke.
Navy grabbed gold in the 4x200m free-style relay as their team, comprised of Mahfizur Rahman, Rober Rana, Anik Islam and Monirul Islam, clocked 8:38:78 to attain first place.
The women’s team of Bangladesh Navy did not fare any lesser than their male counterparts as they won the 4x200m free-style relay in 10:24:38 seconds after a combined effort from Nazma Khatun, Sonia Akter , Mahfuza Khatun and Lima Akter.
Shahjahan Ali of Army clinched gold in the 50m breast-stroke after clocking 30:63 seconds while Mahfuza Khatun of Navy picked up the gold medal in the 50m breast-stroke after clocking 36:03 seconds.
Anik Islam of Navy claimed gold in the 50m butterfly as he clocked 00:26:01 seconds.
Both Sonia Akter Tumpa and Nazma Khatun picked up three gold medals in the women’s category.
-With New Age input
