::: New Year Special :::

Achievers of the Year

Mohammad Isam

Alook back into Bangladesh's sporting year in 2010 would draw one's attention to some genuine hours of glory, two expensive sojourns that yielded very little and a huge surprise that changed the enthusiasts' view of sports in the country.

Bangladesh took part in three multi-sport events and while they did relatively well in the South Asian Games at home back in January, the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games were doomed campaigns.

Bangladesh were right at the bottom of the medals tally in New Delhi, winning only a solitary bronze and had it not been for the men's and women's cricket teams, the result would have been similar in the Asian Games in Guangzhou, China. The women's cricket team gave a good account for themselves but had to settle for a silver medal while the men's team, inspired by a last-ditch effort in the final, claimed gold, the country's first at the Asian level.

Only cricket, and thanks to a new star, golf, claimed the spotlight through some fantastic efforts throughout the year, so here's one final glance at the year that had gone by and the three men who brought tremendous honour for the country.

The golfer is a former CNG driver's son who wanted his dad to stop working and enjoy his retirement days. The left-handed opener moved his world from the comforts of his Chittagong home to an apartment near the Mirpur stadium, just so that he could bat whenever it pleased him. The all-rounder used to get pushed around, shy in public but always hard at work in his sports school where he has spent most of his life.

Shafiqul Islam, father of Bangladesh's first professional golfer Siddikur Rahman, is probably sitting in Manikdi this winter, reminiscing with his son of the year he's just had. After turning 'pro' in 2007, Siddikur has had the most amazing journey this year. The 26-year-old's stars have shone brighter than any Asian golfer and his story, the rise from a ball boy to a caddie to the most talked about sportsman in the country, has the quintessence.

Shakib Al Hasan, the No 1 all-rounder in the world since last year, went back to his beloved BKSP (Bangladesh Krira Shikkha Protishtan) to play a game of football with his teammates in celebration of their landmark 4-0 whitewash of New Zealand, a series in which he made his mark in every game against a top opposition for the first time.

Shakib's teammate Tamim Iqbal also isn't the sort of person who likes having dull faces around him. So he makes sure everyone, especially those less fortunate, has a smile in their face. After every big knock at home, Tamim hosts a meal for all the groundsmen who tend to the fields, some of whom are rewarded if they get the left-hander out during net sessions.

All three stories are of individuals in their early to mid 20s, who were thorough in training in their formative years and of sportsmen who are aware of the challenges that lie within themselves and beyond, in the greater world. They know that expectations would weigh them down after every good performance, but they have kept on improving and have shown, in the past 12 months, what good can be achieved in the sporting arena through sheer hard work.

Shakib, Tamim and Siddikur also represent the best of sports in Bangladesh this year, turning in all-round performances in crucial games, awaking the home of cricket from slumber and putting the country in the golfing map.

Out of the three sportsmen, two of them play a team sport that is the darling of the public. Cricket has captured the imagination of the public, who have remained loyal to the national team regardless of no consistent performers and favourable results. But in 2010, the cricket lovers started to get what they truly deserved: a fighting team, a world-class all-rounder and an opener who doesn't often get out in the first over.

His stellar role against the Kiwis in October apart, Shakib grabbed the most wickets in one-day internationals (46). He also lead the side in the absence of Mashrafe Bin Mortaza and performed in every Bangladesh win this year.

Photo: Cricinfo

More importantly, he feeds confidence into his teammates, who bat better with him (ten 50-plus partnerships). With the ball, Shakib took far-away Worcester by storm, topping their bowling charts and helping them clinch promotion. For the Tigers, Shakib took all of his 4-wicket hauls in games they won. And he has all the makings to cut himself a niche in world cricket as a spinning all-rounder of high repute.

When Shakib was raging West Midlands, little known Siddikur picked up a trophy southeast of the border in little Brunei and turned the head of the country's sporting consciousness. In the next four months, he trotted around the Asian circuit, picking up one big cheque after another and gathering an unthinkable amount as prize money (more than 1.8 crore taka) from 16 tournaments.

He began with a tie-break winning performance to lift the Brunei Open, the first ever in the professional circuit by a Bangladeshi, and then won cheques worth $47,550, $60,000, $121,250 and $57,900 among many.

How good is he? Right now he's seventh on the Asian Tour's Order of Merit, ranked 16th in the continent and a lowly 199th in the world, but as world No 24 Adam Scott said late in October, Siddikur is a fast improving golfer who has driving skills and an attitude that is impressive to the greats. It was Siddikur's one and only brush with golfing greatness and he earned enough notice for a first-timer.

While not having a financially bright year as Siddikur, Tamim did have a fine year scoring runs, making a score of at least 50 in every Test match. Though he struggled with a wrist injury, the left-handed dasher shaped his game by expanding his shot-making arc. He took the fight to India in January after Virender Sehwag's offensive comments. His 151 in Dhaka however was not his best knock, the lefty improved through two 80s against England at home, one of which very nearly became a rarity in itself a hundred before lunch on the first day of a Test match.

In England, a few months later, Tamim engraved his name on the Lord's honours board (as did Shahadat Hossain) with a century that was as glorious in its shots as it was imperious with his confidence. He followed it up with another in Manchester, an innings he rates as his favourite.

Siddikur, Shakib and Tamim are three very different individuals, something you could tell after a few meetings, but their common paths have helped shatter the concept of one-hit wonders and one-sport adulation in our country.

The country participated in two multi-sport games this year and failed miserably in both, only for cricket to pick up a gold medal in the Asian Games. But most sporting disciplines in this country and most athletes are stuck at their own comfort levels.

These three can are already in a different plane and can take their game to the next level and should, since they only know how hard it has been to begin the climb.

Only if they keep climbing will the rest look up.

Mohammad Isam is a senior sports reporter of The Daily Star.