Imranur and Shirin Retain Sprint Titles

The 18th Koko National Summer Athletics Competition opened in grand style at the National Stadium in Dhaka on Friday. President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir inaugurated the competition as the chief guest in the presence of State Minister for Sports Md Aminul Haque.

The most exciting events of the opening day were the men’s and women’s 100-metre sprints. Bangladesh Navy athletes Imranur Rahman and Shirin Akter won the respective events, retaining their titles as the country’s fastest man and woman.

Imranur, a London-based athlete, won gold in the men’s 100-metre sprint with a time of 10.53 seconds at the National Stadium on Friday afternoon. With the victory, he reaffirmed his status as Bangladesh’s fastest man.

It was also the first time he had received a medal from the country’s president at a domestic athletics competition.

“Alhamdulillah, this is a special moment for me. I am proud to win gold. I ran reasonably well, but my main focus was on securing the victory because I still have the 200-metre and 100-metre relay events ahead of me. I wanted to conserve my energy,” Imranur said after winning gold.

Mohammad Ismail, also representing the Navy, finished second in 10.66 seconds, while army athlete Tarek Rahman took third place in 10.73 seconds.

Imranur believes receiving a medal from President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir was significant not only for him but also for athletics in Bangladesh. He said the presence and support of such a high-ranking state figure were important for the development of sports.

“Receiving an award from the president is certainly an honour. It is also a special occasion for athletics. Our sport needs greater exposure and support. If important figures in the country continue to stand beside us in this way, it will be possible to organise competitions on a larger scale in the future,” he said.

After competing at the Asian Games, Imranur also faced questions about his timing in the domestic competition. Responding to the issue, he said athletes could not always perform according to expectations, as inadequate preparation and other factors could affect their times.

He added that athletes could not deliver equally strong performances in every competition.

Imranur is now targeting a strong performance at the upcoming South Asian Games. However, he stressed the need for proper infrastructure and quality training to achieve success. He believes that with adequate facilities and thorough preparation, he can compete for gold at the regional event.

Meanwhile, Shirin Akter won the women’s 100-metre sprint in 12.08 seconds. Army athlete Sharifa Khatun finished second in 12.23 seconds, while Navy athlete Sumaiya Dewan came third in 12.33 seconds.

Shirin continued her dominance in women’s sprinting in Bangladesh, claiming the national title for the 18th time. The athlete is now focused on improving her timing and performing well at the upcoming South Asian Games.

She also wants to continue her higher education alongside her sporting career. Shirin is preparing to pursue a PhD abroad and is also seeking opportunities for advanced training overseas.

The sprinter acknowledged the contributions of her coach, family and various organisations to her success.

“Alhamdulillah, it was an amazing feeling. Every success is not achieved alone,” Shirin said about winning the title for the 18th time.

She added, “I have not set a target for how many times I want to become champion. However, I want to improve my timings further. My coach can say more about the plans he has for me.”

With the South Asian Games approaching, Shirin recognises that she needs to reduce her timings to perform well. She is already working towards that goal and hopes planned training will help her achieve better times in the future.

Receiving a medal from the president at this year’s Summer Athletics Competition was also a special experience for Shirin. She believes that the importance attached to sports at the highest level of the state encourages athletes.

“It is an amazing feeling. It shows that the government is trying to advance sports, and we are also encouraged. The whole of Bangladesh is watching to see who becomes the fastest woman. Having the head of state come and present us with awards was truly an extraordinary experience for me,” she said.

Among those present at the opening ceremony were Acting Secretary of the Ministry of Youth and Sports Md Mahfuzul Alam Khan, National Sports Council Executive Director Mohammad Daulatuzzaman Khan, Athletics Federation President Mohammad Abdullah Jaber, General Secretary Advocate Ali Imam Tapan, Joint Secretaries Md Manjur Morshed and Mahbubul Alam Tuku, and other officials.