Bangladesh struggle
Sajib Hossain from BKSP bettered his previous record in the high jump in the Asian Athletic Championship, but could not finish higher than his South Asian rivals from Sri Lanka and India.
Sajib, who set a new national record in last month's summer meet clearing 2.04 metre that eclipsed the previous best of 2.02 metre, this time bettered his record to clear 2.05metre in the meet that concluded on Sunday in Guangzhou in China.
Sajib was however far behind from the Sri Lankan and Indian jumpers.
Sri Lankan Wizefekara clinched the gold medal clearing 2.23 metres while Indian Rai Hori Sarkar finished 11th clearing 2.10 metre, three position above Sajib, who finished 14th out of 17 competitors.
Sumita Rani, another Bangladeshi participant in the meet, could not take part in her 100m hurdles because of the late arrival at the venue.
After the visa crisis, Bangladesh team accompanied by Bangladesh Athletic Federation treasurer Mizanur Rahman, reached Chine on the opening day (Nov 11) of the championship.
"We wasted two hours at the airport. We thought someone from the authority would receive us to take us to the venue and later we travelled to the venue in our own initative and lost few hours because of language barrier. However, we reached the venue, but in the meantime, women's heat of 100m hurdle was finished and Sumita could not take part in the meet," said Mizanur Rahman after returning from China yesterday.
High jumper Sajib is considered as a hope of bringing laurels from the 11th South Asian Games clinching the gold medal in the High Jump event, but the fact is that the Sri Lankan and Indian jumper are far ahead of Sajib.
"It is not possible for Sajib to clear 2.23 metre in this SA Games, he at least needs five years to clear the height of Wizefekara," said Mizanur. "If any officials can dream with Sajib, it is simply a daydream. But if he is guided properly in the next three months, then he can clinch the silver medal in the SA Games."
The organisers also hope that Sumita would clinch 100m hurdle gold medal in the SA Games after she set a national record in the summer meet to finish the distance clocking 13.80 seconds.
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