Sharmin Akhter Ratna scored only 389 points in the final trial on Monday, costing her a place in the Bangladesh’s final squad for the Asian Air Gun Championship in Tehran from October 19-25. Ratna, the 10-metre air rifle gold medal winner at the 2010 South Asian Games, registered 397 and 391 in the first two trials, but could not meet the set-mark in the final trial.
Meanwhile, Sharmin Akhter, who won gold as a 16-year-old at the 2004 SAF Games in Islamabad, managed to secure her place in the team for the upcoming championship after scoring 395 in the third trial.
Abdullah Hel Baki was also selected for the championship after shooting 595 in the final trial.
The National Shooting Federation of Bangladesh submitted Sharmin and Baki’s names for participation in the championship.
NSFB general secretary Intekhabul Hamid Apu expressed satisfaction with the system used to form the team.
‘We created a set-mark because we want to send shooters who achieve a certain standard. In the past no one assessed the actual standard of the shooters so we failed to perform at the international level, but now only proven shooters will get the chance to participate in international events,’ he said after the trial on Monday.
Meanwhile, a disappointed Ratna blamed the NSFB for her omission.
‘I have nothing to say because everybody knows that they [NSFB] organised the trial without giving us enough time to prepare ourselves,’ said Ratna, whose recent performances have been better than Sharmin’s.
-With New Age input
