Gilded young gymnasts worry for future
Grabbing 14 gold medals from an international competition may be a bit far-fetched for most Bangladeshi athletes, but junior gymnasts made it happen at the Singapore Open Gymnastics last year. Those talented youngsters were accorded a reception by the Bangladesh Gymnastic Federation (BGF) at Dhaka Club yesterday.
Their achievement may not have made headlines at the time, but gymnasts like Tanu Roy Tripura, Menton Tony Mro, Mong Ching Pro, Kileng Murang, Sajid Haque and Ali Quader Haque showed glimpses of something special, with Tanu Roy clinching five gold and two silver medals in the U-12 to 14 age group. Together, they bagged 14 gold, six silver and eight bronze medals. The BGF gave away Tk 20,000, Tk 15,000 and Tk 10,000 for each gold, silver and bronze medal respectively.
Of the successful gymnasts, five are from Bandarban's Quantum Cosmos School, one from BKSP and one, Ali Quader Haque, is a New Zealand-based Bangladeshi gymnast.
"I didn't have the belief that I could win so many medals but I started the competition with hope in mind," said class-VIII student Tanu. "I have been in gymnastics for five to six years and I'm really enjoying it. I have big hopes because I love gymnastics."
Menton Tony, who grabbed two gold and one bronze, said: "I was a bit scared because it was my first international appearance. At the same time, I had a belief that I could do well because we had seven months of training at the National Sports Council."
"It was my first international appearance and I gained a lot of experience which will help me in future. The competition was difficult for us because nine countries participated. However, we believed in ourselves and succeeded," Sajid, a student of BKSP in class nine, said.
Gymnastics is a popular discipline worldwide but Bangladesh have struggled due to a lack of facilities and financial constraints, with the BGF often unable to send gymnasts abroad and judge their standards.
Selected gymnasts are trained in a crowded gymnasium at the NSC, sharing the venue with six other disciplines like taekwondo, weightlifting, wrestling and martial arts.
"It is possible to win medals in senior international competitions but we need more facilities. If we are given the opportunity to train aboard, then we can turn into better gymnasts," said Tanu.
"We need good equipment if we want improve more and do well at the senior level. Coaches are also very important in gymnastics so we need foreign coaches," said Menton.
Mentioning their limitations, BGF president Bashir Ahmed Mamun said they had been trying to send them aboard but added that they could not afford to employ a foreign coach.
"We never found a good coach like other countries who are good in gymnastics. That's why we train our gymnasts under local coaches and send them aboard for participation. We are good at age-group events, but we can't carry it to the senior level because of a lack of facilities and financial constraints," Bashir said.
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