‘It’s troubling to juggle all these expectations’

Ali Kader Haque, born in Australia and living with his family in New Zealand, became the second expatriate gymnast to represent Bangladesh on the international arena after US-born Syque Caesar. Although Caesar won Bangladesh's first gold medal in gymnastics, he could not shine on bigger stages like the Olympics and Asian Games. There are now hopes that 19-year-old Haque, who underlined his potential by grabbing four gold medals in age-group international competitions before delivering a silver medal at a senior competition this year, can change that as the Bangladesh Gymnastics Federation aims take the sport to new heights. Haque spoke about his love for his homeland, his ambitions and the weight of expectations during an interview with The Daily Star's Anisur Rahman.

The Daily Star (DS): How are your preparations for the upcoming Birmingham Commonwealth Games? What do you hope to achieve in your second appearance in a senior international competition for Bangladesh?

Ali Kader Haque (AKH): Preparations are going well. I am having trouble juggling work and studies alongside training but I am doing my best and it is paying off in the gym. I am slowly feeling more confident and prepared. I aim to go out and do my best. No matter what result I achieve, if I tried my hardest then I have done myself and others proud.

DS: Bangladesh gymnastics appeared to be going nowhere but there are hopes that you can do something on bigger stages. Do those expectations align with your dreams?

AKH: I find it troubling having to juggle all these expectations, but I try my best to just focus on training and enjoy the process. As long as I do that, I will achieve the best result possible, even if it doesn't measure up to other people's expectations.

DS: How is the Bangladesh Gymnastics Federation helping you?

AKH: I had lots of support and encouragement from the BGF. I have been given funding for training equipment as well as to compete at the recent Singapore Open, which gave me useful experience on the international stage.

DS: Since 2019, you have represented Bangladesh in the 5th Junior Budapest Cup, the 16th and 17th Singapore Open and the Junior World Cup. How does it feel to represent your homeland?

AKH: I couldn't wear the flag with more honour. I feel proud and grateful that I made my father's sacrifice of moving away from his family worthwhile.

DS: You grew up in New Zealand with better training facilities compared to Bangladesh. Why did you choose to represent Bangladesh at the international level despite having the opportunity to represent New Zealand after good results in the national gymnastics championships in New Zealand?

AKH: To make my father and family proud. I found it hard to connect with my culture because I was living in New Zealand. I thought that competing for Bangladesh would be the perfect opportunity for me to have a better understanding as well as being something I could do for my family.

DS: We know coach David Michael Colvin has had a significant role in your development. But what sort of influence have your parents Akramul Haque and Nicky Jenkins had?

AKH: They supported me through everything. I have had various injuries throughout my career and every time they paid for physios or surgeries. They let me keep training and working to get back to competing. They have done so much and were the catalysts to my success.

DS: What drove you to become a gymnast and how long do you spend training?

AKH: My favourite part of gymnastics is the feeling of power. Being able to flip and land successfully is a unique skill that I absolutely love. My love for the sport is the biggest driving force.

DS: Do you have any favourite events?

AKH: My favourite event is floor exercise. I value the flipping part of gymnastics and power more. Past injuries also make other events like pommel horse harder to train for, so floor exercise is my favourite.

DS: Some may not know that your career was threatened after an unexpected accident that led to you dislocating your elbow and chipping your ulna bone. Would you tell us briefly about the rehabilitation process?

AKH: I was so young that I did not realise how badly damaged my elbow was. I spent six weeks in a cast and months rehabilitating, waiting for the strength to return to my arm and trying to straighten it. Even now it still doesn't straighten all the way, which puts extra pressure on it when I am on floor exercise or pommel horse. It has been and will continue to be a problem that I have to manage in order to keep training to the best of my abilities.

DS: What is your ultimate target?

AKH: My biggest goal was the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, so that has been my focus for a long time. After this I will have to see, but Worlds and Olympics are in the back of my mind.