Beauty, Mohon fastest
Mohon Khan (R) flashes the V sign sitting next to Nazmun Nahar Beauty after they became the fastest man and woman in the National Athletics Championships at the Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday.Photo: STAR
Lance corporal Mohon Khan and Nazmun Nahar Beauty became the fastest man and woman in the Walton 36th National Athletics Championships amid fears of picking up injuries on the damaged turf at the Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday.
The 10-crore taka athletic turf was badly damaged during the Tri-Nation Big Show, a cultural event that involved Bollywood stars, after the gala opening ceremony of the ICC Cricket World Cup at the venue and the athletes were forced to run on the damaged turf as neither National Sports Council nor Bangladesh Athletic Federation took proper initiatives to repair the 44 damaged spots.
"There were fears of getting hurt on the damaged turf as I am returning to track after a long time. But luckily nothing happened and I finished on top in the 100m sprint for the first time," said Mohan, who was out of action after sustaining injury in 2006.
"However, I was confident to win the medal as I toiled hard in the practice," said the former BKSP student, who took 10.56 seconds to run the distance.
Beauty dethroned Shamsunnahar Chumki to regain the women's 100m gold as she recovered well from her knee injury. It was her seventh overall crown in 100m sprint.
"There was a fear of slipping on the track but I managed to run well and finish on top as I prepared well to regain the title," said Beauty, who took 12.10 seconds for the medal.
But runner-up Chumki blamed the damaged turf for her loss.
"There were a couple of holes in Lane 3 and that was in my mind and I could not finish well which allowed Beauty to go ahead of me," said the former champion, who this time took 12.40 seconds for the silver.
After the women's 100-metre hurdles, State Minister for Youth and Sports Ahad Ali Sarker and high officials of the National Sports Council and Bangladesh Athletics Federation inspected the damaged turf. Later, the sports minister avoided the journalists.
Abdur Rahman, NSC director of planning and development, informed that Modern Builders, which installed the turf in 2005, assessed the damages and recommended to repair at least 3,200 square feet at 44 spots that would cost nearly Tk 30 lakh.
Rahman said that they had already asked the Bangladesh Cricket Board, which got the allotment for holding the Tri-Nation Big Show, to pay the repair cost, but the board had yet to respond to their letter.
On the opening day, 11 events were settled with Bangladesh Army leading the table with four gold, one sliver and four bronze medals, followed by Bangladesh Ansar and VDP with two gold, three silver and one bronze medals.
Comments