Anik grabs glory

Anik Islam of BKSP strokes his way to winning the 200m butterfly event at the National Swimming Complex in Mirpur yesterday.Photo: STAR

BKSP's Anik Islam hogged the spotlight on the opening day when the Keya 24th National Age Group Swimming Championships got underway at the National Swimming Complex in Mirpur yesterday.
The inaugural day was marked by four new national records and Anik made one in the 400m individual medley in the 18-20 age group competition as he clocked 5min 09.16sec to eclipse the previous best of 5min 10sec.
Besides, the sports institute boy became champion in the 200m butterfly with a timing of 2min 23.41sec and in the 200m freestyle with a timing of 2min 08.50sec while finished second in the 100m breaststroke (1min 16.36sec) where Mehedi Hasan from Nikli Swimming Club was much better with the timing of 1min 15.69sec.
Anik managed third place in the 200m breaststroke (3min 12.14sec) where his teammate Asif Reza clinched the first place with a timing of 2min 59.18sec.
His efforts helped BKSP to dominate the table by securing 11 gold, 11 silver and 3 bronze medals while Bangladesh Ansar followed them closely with 10 gold, 5 silver and 5 bronze.
Josna Khatun was the star for Ansar as she finished first in the 100m breaststroke and 200m freestyle and 200m butterfly in the 18-20 age group.
Nikli Swimming Club of Kishoreganj was a distant third with two gold, one silver and three bronze and Chandpur Swimming Club bagged one gold and one silver medal to secure the fourth spot.
Jewel Ahmed of Bangladesh Ansar made the day's first new national record in the 200m individual medley in the 15-17 years boys' group competition when he achieved the timing of 2 min 30.34sec to eclipse the previous 2 min 30.59sec.
In the same age group, Mohammad Sagar Ali from Chandpur Swimming Club rewrote the 400m freestyle record as he clocked 4min 54.51sec to erase the previous best timing of 4min 54.66sec. Sagar also became champion in the 400m freestyle.
The other new record was created by BKSP's Naima Akhter who clocked 1min 32.90sec in the 100m breaststroke in the 11-12 age group.
A total of 34 events were decided on the opening day of the three-day meet where 517 swimmers including 132 girls are taking part.
The champions in the other events are Nazma Khatun of Ansar in the 100m freestyle and 100m butterfly of 11-12 age group, Titu Miah of Nikli Swimming Club in the 100m freestyle of 11-12 age group, Rozina Khatun of Ansar in the 100m freestyle of 15-17 age group, Ariful Islam of BKSP in the 100m freestyle of 15-17 age group, Shanta Haider of BKSP in the 100m backstroke of 13-14 age group, Palash Chowdhury of BKSP in the 100m backstroke and 200m freestyle of 13-14 age group, Alauddin Titas of BKSP in the 100m butterfly of the 11-12 age group, Babita Khatun of Ansar in the 200m individual medley of the 15-17 age group, Laki Khatun of Ansar in the 200m breaststroke of the 13-14 age group, Shikha Khatun of BKSP in the 400m freestyle of the 15-17 age group and Arifa Khatun of Ansar in the 200m freestyle of the 13-14 age group.