Dhaka: Although squash is not as widely popular in Bangladesh as sports like football or cricket, young squash player Nabila Tasnim believes that the sport has great potential if it receives proper support and patronage. The current committee of the Bangladesh Squash Federation (BSF) is working relentlessly to promote the game. As part of its efforts, the BSF recently organized a women's squash coaching camp under a Pakistani coach to improve the skills of local players. Nabila firmly believes that squash will soon gain popularity comparable to other mainstream sports.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Nabila, born in 2011 in Dhaka, began playing squash at the age of nine, inspired by her father, a physical education teacher. Currently, she is training under a local coach in preparation for an upcoming international tournament at home and the South Asian (SA) Games. In an interview with BSS, the 14-year-old, a student of Class Ten at Nirjhor Cantonment Public School and College, shared her hopes of achieving good results in the upcoming SA Games.
When asked why she chose squash given the popularity of football and cricket in the country, Nabila explained that she started playing squash in 2020 after being inspired by her father. She developed a love for the game after participating in a few competitions and winning prizes, realizing that squash has good potential in Bangladesh, which motivated her to continue.
Nabila's achievements include being the individual champion at the 4th National Squash Championship in 2024 and finishing runner-up in the open group of the 2nd Victory Squash Tournament in 2023. She also won gold medals in both singles and doubles at the 2nd Bangladesh Youth Games held the same year. On the international stage, she represented Bangladesh in the NSRA Inter-Club International Squash Championship held last year in Nepal, where Bangladesh finished runners-up.
Discussing the future of squash in Bangladesh, Nabila expressed optimism due to the dedication shown by BSF General Secretary Brigadier General (retd) G M Kamrul Islam. However, she emphasized that the sport needs proper support, especially financial assistance, as squash is struggling to grow because of financial limitations. With sufficient funding, she believes squash could develop much faster.
Regarding her goals for the upcoming SA Games, Nabila stated that every athlete sets a target for major events, and she is preparing with a goal in mind. She aims to achieve good results in both individual and team events at the SA Games.