9th SAF Games, Islamabad 2004
Another cheerless day
Sports Reporter
It was another disappointing day for Bangladesh at the 9th SAF Games with only bronze medals to show for efforts at the regional meet in the Pakistani capital Islamabad yesterday. And to make matters worse Nepal overtook Bangladesh in fourth place with a total of sixth gold medals. The first of four was won by Nazmun Nahar in the 400m women's final at the Jinnah Stadium when she clocked 55.48 seconds. Indians Geetha and Chitrak claimed the first two positions with 52.25 and 52.43 seconds respectively. Elsewhere Bangladesh's shooting team of Noor Uddin Salim, Altamash Kabir and Iqbal Salim won bronze in the skeet team event with a total score 303 at the Pakistan Sports Complex Shooting Range. Pakistan won the gold medal scoring 342 and India totalled 2313 for silver. Noor Uddin later managed third place in the skeet individual competition. But the main focus was on whom would win the coveted titles of fastest man and woman of South Asia, and that went to India's Piyush Kumar and Jani Chathu-rangan of Sri Lanka. Piyush sprinted to gold with a time of 10.44 seconds. His compatriot Vilash Nalgunde was second in 10.62 seconds while Muhammad Shahbaz of Pakistan took 10.67 seconds to get the bronze. Bangladeshi sprinters Abu Abdullah and Shahidul Islam finished fifth and sixth. Abdullah took 11.06 seconds while Shahid was timed at 11.14. In the women's final, Chathu-rangan stole the limelight in the absence of her favourite and fellow Lankan Susanthika Jayasinghe. Susanthika, regarded as the sprint queen, was ruled out due an injury she picked up during a practice session. Chathurangan finished in 11.81 seconds to clinch the gold ahead of KM Greeshma of India, who ran 11.96. The another Indian Poonam Tomer picked up bronze in 11.98. Bangladesh's Shansun Nahar finished fourth with 12.40 seconds while Foujia Huda, who made headlines with a silver in the long jump a few days ago, was sixth with 12.57. Taekwondo finally came into the reckoning when Mizanur Rahman lost in the semifinals to Pakistan's Muhammad Akhtar to secure a bronze. Earlier, Mizan overcame Nepal's Ghanshyam in the middleweight division at the Rawalpindi Army Gymnasium. In kabadi Bangladesh secured another victory when they downed Sri Lanka 30-11 at the Army Stadium.
| 
