10th South Asian Games
Colombo 2006
Golden opportunity
Sports Reporter from Colombo
The whole Bangladesh contingent will look to Rubel Rana and Shramin Akhter when the two defend their South Asian Games gold medals in their respective events today.Swimmer Rubel Rana, who carried the national flag at the 10th SA Games march past here on Friday -- an honour accorded to him for his heroics at the Islamabad Games two years ago -- will face stiff challenge from Indian and Sri Lankan swimmers to retain his 100m backstroke gold medal. India have had intensive training for the Games with German assistance while the host natants prepared in Australia but Rubel suffered for lack of modern equipment and even had to use manual timing. His timing in Pakistan was 1.02:78s and he has not improved much during the training. According to team coach Abdul Hamid, Rubel has a '50-50' chance to retain his gold medal. The coach added that butterfly specialist Jewel Ahmed, who won a silver medal in the 50m event on Saturday, could have been a bright prospect in today's 100m had he not suffered from illness during preparation. Apart from Jewel, Rafiul Islam will also take the pool at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium today in the 100m. Mahfuza Khatun, who clinched bronze in the 100m breaststroke, will compete in the 100m freestyle. Sharmin, an individual gold medallist of 10m air rifle at the age of 16 at the 9th SA Games, will team up with Suriaya Akhter as Bangladesh's shooting competition gets under way at the Welisara Navy Range on the outskirts of the Lankan capital. The shooters also struggled during preparation and only had the guidance of a foreign coach, Chin's Liu Bin, just for over a month. The only good news is that favourites India have decided to send their second-string team for the shooting competition. The hockey competition also starts today at Matale, some 15 kilometres away from the picturesque hill-station Kandy with Bangladesh facing Sri Lanka. The second ever hockey competition at the Games, first since 1995 at Madras, has lost its gloss after heavyweights India and Pakistan, who face off later today, have decided to send understrength squads. BANGLADESH IN GAMES TODAY
HOCKEY: Bangladesh v Sri Lanka (at Matale) SWIMMING (men's): Jewel Ahmed, Rafiqul Islam in 100m butterfly; Rubel Rana in 100m backstroke and (women's): Mahfuza Khatun in 100m freestyle SHOOTING: Sharmin Akhter and Suraiya Akhter (women's 10m air rifle) CYCLING: Aslam Bishwas, Mominur Rahman (men's individual time trial) WEIGHTLIFTING: Azizur Rahman (85kg), Biddyut Kumar Roy (94kg) OTHERS: Boxing, squash, table tennis
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