Bangladesh head to Commonwealth Games 'to protect membership'

A 35-member Bangladesh contingent, including 15 athletes, will take part in the 23rd Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, with officials admitting the country's primary objective is to maintain its presence at the event rather than challenge for medals.

The Games will be held from July 23 to August 2, featuring around 3,000 athletes from 74 nations competing in 10 sports. Bangladesh will be represented in athletics (five athletes), swimming (four), boxing (three) and gymnastics (three).

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The Bangladesh Olympic Association (BOA) has proposed a budget of Tk 3.90 crore for the Games, allocating Tk 1 crore for training and Tk 2.90 crore for participation. Officials said they are awaiting the release of government funds.

"We will lose our membership if we do not participate in the Games," BOA secretary general Jubaidur Rahman Rana told a press conference on Wednesday.

"We had the opportunity to send more athletes but chose not to. You can say this is a token participation."

Bangladesh have won only eight medals -- including two golds -- since making their Commonwealth Games debut in 1978. All of those medals came in shooting, a sport that is not included in this year's programme.

Rana acknowledged that expectations are low, pointing to the lack of long-term preparation.

"Two and a half months of training is not enough to achieve good results. We need year-round training programmes, and I urge the media to draw the government's attention to this issue," he said.

Among the athletes, England-based sprinter Imranur Rahman and US-based boxer Jinnat Ferdous are the most notable names. The athletics team also includes Shirin Akter, Swapna Khatun, Lushad Islam and Najimul Hossain Roni. Boxers Rakib Hossain and Ruhin Reza complete the boxing squad.

Swimmers Sonia Akter, Kajol Mia and Samiul Islam Rafi will compete in the pool, while Shishir Ahmed, Rajib Chakma and Abu Saeed Rafi will represent Bangladesh in gymnastics.

Athletics coach Farid Ahmed said the athletes' main goal is to improve their personal bests, while boxing coach Shafiul Azam expressed hope of a strong showing. Gymnastics team leader Habibur Rahman believes his gymnasts are capable of reaching the finals following encouraging performances at the recent Asian Gymnastics Championships.