Bangladeshi swimmer Mahfizur Rahman Sagar received a perfect boost to make his case stronger for a wild card in Rio de Janeiro Olympics when he put an impressive performance in a recent tournament in Thailand. Sagar, who is currently in Thailand for a one-year long training course funded by Islamic Solidarity Games authority, secured a gold medal in 200-metre freestyle in All-Thailand Swimming Championship at the Assumption University, Bangkok, Thailand.
To win the event Sagar clocked 1.54.05 seconds, which is better than the Bangladesh national record in the corresponding event.
Sagar, however, failed to show his best performances in his favourite 50-metre and 100-metre freestyle as the man from Bangladesh Navy finished in fifth and fourth respectively in those events.
’My favourite events are 50-metre and 100-metre but after South Asian Games I concentrated more on 200-metre and got the result,’ Sagar told New Age over the phone.
The-28-year swimmer, who also represented Bangladesh in 2012 London Olympics, claimed seven bronze medals in the South Asian Games held in the last February in India.
Bangladesh is expecting at least one wildcard in swimming for Rio Olympics.
Though it is yet to be decided who will be given the wildcard, Sagar appeared to be a prime contender.
‘I hope this performance will help me to put some quality performance in the Olympic Games if I get a chance,’ he said.
-With New Age input
