Dhaka: The 17th National Summer Athletics competition, organized by the Bangladesh Athletics Federation (BAF), is scheduled to commence at the National Stadium on Friday. Youth and Sports Adviser Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan is anticipated to inaugurate the three-day event as the chief guest.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the competition will feature a total of 40 events, including 22 for men’s and 18 for women’s categories, divided into two groups. The event will employ an electronic photo finishing machine to accurately record the results and timing of the running events. The marathon segment of the competition is slated for Friday morning at the 300-feet road in the capital’s Purbachal area, while all other throwing events, except for the javelin throw, will take place at the Bangladesh Army Stadium.
The BAF has decided to honor 40 national sports awardees in athletics across both athlete and organizer categories. The chief guest will present mementos to the recipients following the opening ceremony on Friday. Additionally, athletes securing the first, second, and third positions in the competition will receive cash prizes of Taka 5,000, 3,000, and 2,000, respectively, from the federation. Record-holding athletes will be awarded a cash prize of Taka 20,000.
Further incentives include a cash prize of Taka 40,000, provided by American expatriate and former fastest athlete Shah Jalal Mobin, to the top three athletes in the 100-meter sprint in both men’s and women’s events. These details were revealed at a press conference held at the National Stadium’s conference room. Present at the briefing were BAF vice-president Iqbal Hossain, general secretary Md Shah Alam, and joint secretary Kitab Ali, among others.