The name of Bangladesh was mostly uttered in an international level of sports by cricket. No doubt about that. But cricket is not that much popular in the entire world. If you want to highlight your nation’s name, you have to perform on cosmopolitan occasions. In that case, we are not prepared enough for Olympic or World Athletic Championship.
Commonwealth Games is that multinational sports event, where Bangladesh had somebody mark his name on the medal chart for the very first time. This happened for more than once. Shooters from Bangladesh made that happen for their country on few occasions in Commonwealth Games.
Bangladesh attended their first ever Commonwealth Games in 1978. But they start to compete regularly from 1990.
Bangladesh won their first ever biggest multinational medal by shooter Atikur Rahman (gold) and Abdus Sattar Nini (Bronze) in that year’s Auckland Commonwealth Games. In Manchester 2002, shooter Asif Hossain Khan won gold for his country after a frustrating era of the international arena of sports. Bangladesh succeeds in the team event of shooting by silver and bronze respectively in Melbourne 2000 and Delhi 2010. And last medal (silver) also came from shooter Abdullahel Baki in Glasgow 2014.
In this year, Bangladesh sent a team of total 42 members to Australia for Gold Coast Commonwealth Games. Here, 27 are athletes and rest 15 is officials. 15 officials for only 27 athletes! Does it sound awkward? Then I must tell you, that’s a pretty common sight for Bangladesh team on a global event. Some people make their wish of foreign tour by pure nepotism and misuse of power.
Literally, Commonwealth games is more likely a Shooting world cup to Bangladesh. Because they have sent 13 Shooters and 5 Shooting officials. Those shooters are- Abdullahel Baki, Sovon Chaudhury, Risalatul Islam, Rabbi Hasan Munna, Shakil Ahmed, Anowar Hossain, Armin Asha, Ardina Ferdous, Amira Hamid, Sayada Atkiya Hasan, Umme Zakia Sultana, Suraiya Akter, Sharmin Shilpa, Coach Klavs Christensen and Marco Shafik.
Second largest representatives are in weightlifting. Weightlifter Shimul Kanti Singh, Fulmati Chakma, Mabia Akter, Zahura Khatun Nisha, Fahima Akter went there alongside their coach Bidyut Kumar Ray.
Swimmer Ariful Islam, Mahmudunnabi Nahid, and Nazma Khatun went with their coach Rezaul Hossain Badshah. From Athletics, athlete Mesbah Ahmed and Shirin Akter and their coach Khurshida Khatun. In the Boxing Team, there is boxer Al Amin, Robin Mia, and coach Kazi Abdul Mannan. Wrestling Coach is with two wrestlers Ali Amzad and Shirin Sultana.
Shooters will take part in 8 events. Entekhabul Hamid Apu, Secretary General of Bangladesh Shooting Sport said, “We will participate in more events for better probabilities of winning, we are hoping the most from Shakil Ahmed, Armin, and Atkiya.”
We hope so, but our hope is for every individual sports team of Bangladesh of this Gold Coast Commonwealth games 2018. Good luck Bangladesh.