The 29th National Junior Athletics Championship began on Sunday with Kishorganj district’s Uzzal Chandra Sutradhar and BKSP’s class 10 student Aysha Siddika announcing their grand arrival as the fastest boy and girl of the nation at the Bangabandhu National Stadium. In the age of 17 years and four months, Uzzal, who made his bow in a national meet for the first time, is now aspiring to be one of the top athletes of the country.
‘This is the first time I participated in a national meet. My coaching staff kept egging me on so I was confident before the sprint,’ said Uzzal, who is currently undertaking his HSC exams under the Katiadi, Gachihata College.
‘Usain Bolt is my favorite sprinter and I want to run alongside him,’ said an optimist Uzzal.
Uzzal crossed the 100-metre finish-line in 11.12 seconds while BKSP’s Asif Kumar and Irfan Khan finished second and third respectively.
Meanwhile, BKSP’s Aysha Siddika claimed the gold medal in 100-metre sprint in 12.60 seconds. Her fellow teammate Tanzila Khatun Cox’s Bazar’s Rasheda attained third position.
Aysha also took part in the national level for the first time and she is dreaming of representing Bangladesh in the Olympic Games.
‘[Shamsunnahar] Chumki apu was my idol. Now, I am following [Kamrunnahar] Beauty apu,’ said Aysha, a girl hailing from the Lalmonirhat district.
All was not well with the athletes though as they were struggling under the hot weather but the Bangladesh Athletics Federation did not take any initiative to organise the meet under the floodlights. Only the event of cycling was held earlier under the floodlights.
Also, the BAF set up the two-day long meet without electronic timing.
The first day of the meet saw two new records in the shot-put and long jump events.
After the end of day one, BKSP are leading the medals table with eight golds while Kishorganj are second with two gold medals, both of which came through Uzzal, who claimed the long jump title to go with his 100-metre sprint win.
-With New Age input
