It's Beauty and Masudul

THE QUEEN AND KING: Nazmunnahar Beauty of BJMC (L) and Masudul Karim of Bangladesh Army cross the finish line on way to winning their 100-metre sprints in the 34th UCB National Athletics Championships at the Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday. Photo: STAR

A new king has taken over the track, but the queen remains the same as Masudul Karim became the fastest man and Nazmunnahar Beauty the fastest woman in the 34th UCB National Athletics Championships which ended yesterday with the same old question hanging: When will modernity come to the country?
In absence of two top sprinters Abu Abdullah and Shamsuddin, who ran away from their camp in Greece last month, the ace Bangladesh Army dasher Masudul regained the crown after a two-year gap as well as achieved a rare feat of 50th national gold medal.
The 31-year-old from Manikganj, who had missed the last national meet due to illness, finished in 10.70s ahead of Emran Bhuiyan of Bangladesh Navy (10.90s) and Golam Mortuza of BKSP (11.00s) in the day's most attractive event under immense heat at the Bangabandhu National Stadium.
Masudul was well behind the timing of last year's champion Abdullah who finished in 10.30s and that's why the question was raised whether the absence of two leading sprinters provided him the opportunity to dominate the track as the hurdler-turned-sprinter also reclaimed the 200m crown and the 4x100m relay.
"In their presence I became champion in 100m in 2006 and I have won all the 200m races since 2002 except in 2005 and 2008. Everybody should understand that the world never stops for someone's absence," responded Masudul who has now won five medals in a single championships four times.
He also blasted two leading sprinters for deserting the country and said that it's was great loss ahead of next year's South Asian Games (SAG).
"It's a shame really as both were in service also. I know there are a lot of deficiencies but one can't diminish his country's image. It's a huge loss for our country ahead of the SAG but I am looking forward to leading the sprint team in the biggest regional competition. I feel that we need foreign training," Masudul observed.
The men's 100m was followed by the women's event where it was once again proved that no one could challenge Beauty yet, although her timing declined from last year's national record of 11.60sec.
BJMC's Beauty, who also won the women's 200m gold, won her fifth consecutive 100m title finishing in 11.90s ahead of Shamsurnahar Chumki of Ansar & VDP (12.00s) and Israt Jahan Iva of BKSP (12.30s).
"I made a slow start and then went down after reaching the finish line. I have not attended the SAG camps due to my [BA] exams but I came back to the track to prove I am not finished yet," said Beauty after sprinting to glory again.
"It's not true that I kept the supremacy because the young stars are not coming up, rather it's my hard work that is behind it. I must thank my coach Milon sir who enabled me to continue on the track," said a grateful Beauty.
"Now I will concentrate on the next assignment -- the South Asian Games -- but you know money is the main problem in my life. Also I have to concentrate on my education, otherwise I simply can't survive in this world," she added.
She also rued the same old practice of hand timing in national competitions and believed that without electronic timing they simply couldn't understand their position.
The two-day competition finished with one national record being broken on the final day as Rawshan Ara Putul of Ansar & VDP finished in 11:07.10s in the 3000m to better the previous mark of 11:08.15s.
Bangladesh Army dominated the medal table with 14 gold, 16 silver and 6 bronze while Bangladesh Ansar & VDP followed them with 7 gold, 6 silver and 3 bronze and Daffodil International University finished third with 4 gold and 3 bronze.
Bangladesh Navy and BJMC secured three gold each while BKSP bagged two gold and Bangladesh Air Force, Bangladesh Police and Bangladesh Athletic Federation captured one gold each.
A total of 692 athletes -- 531 men and 161 women -- from 81 teams took part in the meet.
Following are the other gold winners of Day 2:
MEN'S: 5000m: Enamul Haque (Daffodil International University), hammer throw: Mamun Sikdar (Army), 10,000m: Obaidur Rahman (Army), 4x100m relay: Masudul, Mizan, Khalil and Nurul Islam (Army), Marathon: Golam Mawla (Army), pole vault: Humayun Kabir (Navy), 400m hurdles: Afzaul Hossain (Air Force), 800m: Selim Miah (Army), 3000m steeple chase: Mujahid Khan (Army), hammer throw: Afsar Ali (Army), long jump: Sajib Hossain (BKSP), 4x400 relay: Azaharul, Mainul, Aminul, Dulu (Army).
WOMEN'S: Javelin throw: Hazera Akhter (Daffodil), long jump: Fouzia Huda Jui (BKSP), 4x100mrelay (Ansar & VDP), discus throw: Josna Afroz (BJMC), shot put: Hazera Akhter (Daffodil), 4x400m relay: Shamsurnahar, Khurshida, Rawshan and Shapla (Ansar & VDP).