A 240-member contingent will represent Bangladesh
in the 17 disciplines in the 19th Asian games scheduled to be held in
Hangzhou, China from September 23 to October 8.
Bangladesh contingent included 104 of men's athletes, 76 of women's athletes,
55 men's trainers and officials and five women's trainers and officials.
The disciplines are archery ( men's and women's), athletics (men's and
women's), boxing ( men's and women's), cricket( men's and women's), football
( man's and women's), bridge (men's), Gold ( men's and women's), hockey
(men's), kabaddi ( men's and women's), shooting( men's and women's),
swimming( men's and women's), weightlifting (men's), gymnastics (men's)
karate (men's and women's), chess, fencing and taekwondo.
Grand Master Niaz Morshed and Bangladesh women's football team's Captain
Sabina Khatun will carry the Bangladesh flag during the opening ceremony
march-past of the Games.
The Bangladesh's mission in the Asian Games will begin with football event on
September 19, four days before the formal opening ceremony while the cricket
event will commence from September 22. The men's football team and women's
cricket team will leave for China on September 16 and 18 respectively. The
athletes of other disciplines will leave for China in phases.
BOA's Treasurer and Bangladesh Basketball Federation General Secretary AK
Sarkar and BOA Member Brigadier General Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman Siddique, also
the chairman of sports regulatory board of Bangladesh Army, will lead the
Bangladesh contingent in the games as Chef-de-Mission and deputy Chef-de-
Mission respectively.
Nearly 12,000 athletes from 45 countries of Asia will gather to participate
in the mega event. The athletes will compete in 481 events of 61 disciplines
in the Games.
Bangladesh Olympic Association's (BOA) Secretary General Syed Shahed Reza
expressed his high optimism for the positive result in the Games.
"We're going to participate in the Asian Games with the best possible teams
ever than before. Archery and shooting disciplines have been under the
training round the year and the athletes of the two disciplines took part
different international events... We also hope good result from cricket....
So, we can expect positive result from these disciplines," said the BOA
Secretary at a press conference held today (Sunday) at BOA auditorium.
Shahed said there is also scope for getting good result in boxing and
athletics events because two expatriate athletes -- female boxer Zeenat
Ferdous and England-based Bangladeshi sprinter Imranur Rahman -- will
represent the country in the largest sporting event in Asian.
"We're expecting good results compared to the previous occasion in the Asian
Games...We are quite positive for the results and hope the athletes would
bring good result for the country from the Asian Games, he added.
Games Chef-de-Mission and deputy Chef-de-Mission and BOA's member Siraj Uddin
Md. Alamgir were also present in the press conference.
Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha