Sprinter Zahir handed six-month ban

Zahir Rayhan, the gold medalist in the 400m sprint at the last National Athletics Championships, was handed a six-month ban on Wednesday for misleading the media and withholding information.

The decision was made at a meeting of the executive committee of the Bangladesh Athletics Federation (BAF).

Rayhan, after failing to progress beyond the heats at the World Indoor Athletics Championships in China, told a national Bangla daily that he had not received adequate training prior to the competition. However, in a statement, the BAF clarified that Rayhan had been part of the national training camp before traveling to China and had also trained with his service team ahead of the National Athletics Championships.

The BAF further stated that Rayhan did not return to the national camp after the Eid vacation. Instead, he requested that his training be arranged at BKSP, citing inadequate facilities at the national camp.

The country's athletics governing body also issued a show-cause notice to Rayhan, asking him to respond within three days of receiving the letter. However, the national record holder did not reply.

This is not Rayhan's first suspension; he previously served a six-month ban in 2021.