Koko National Summer Athletics Begins Friday

The 18th Koko National Summer Athletics Competition will begin on Friday in memory of late sports organiser Arafat Rahman Koko. The three-day event will end on Sunday.

The best athlete will receive a 100cc electric motorcycle, while athletes who set new records will be awarded Tk 20,000 each.

The Bangladesh Athletics Federation is organising the event in memory of Koko, the younger son of former President Ziaur Rahman and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia.

President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir is scheduled to inaugurate the competition at the Dhaka National Stadium at 4pm on Friday. State Minister for Youth and Sports Aminul Haque will attend as a special guest. Federation President Mohammad Abdullah Zaber will preside over the ceremony.

The federation announced the details at a press conference at the National Sports Council Tower on Wednesday. Federation General Secretary Ali Imam Tapan and other officials attended, along with Galib Mohammad, general manager (marketing) of sponsor Anwar Group of Industries.

A total of 565 athletes from 57 organisations will compete, including 431 men and 134 women. They will contest 40 events—22 for men and 18 for women.

The first-, second- and third-place finishers in each event will receive Tk 6,000, Tk 5,000 and Tk 3,000, respectively. Athletes who set new records will receive Tk 20,000. The motorcycle for the best athlete is expected to be a major attraction.

The federation also plans to identify promising athletes and provide them with long-term support. Lakshmipur and Jashore have been selected for a pilot talent-development programme, which could be expanded to 11 more districts based on the initial results.

A lack of accommodation and training facilities remains a major obstacle to developing athletes, federation President Mohammad Abdullah Zaber said. The federation has sought the authorities’ help to build a four- to five-storey facility on vacant land beside the Handball Stadium near the National Stadium.

The proposed building would provide separate accommodation for male and female athletes, as well as residential facilities for talented athletes selected from different districts. The federation also plans to help them enrol in nearby educational institutions so they can continue their studies.

The federation has also restored its long-inactive electronic photo-finish system with assistance from engineers at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), General Secretary Ali Imam Tapan said. The system was repaired free of charge and will be used to record times and determine results in track events.

Seven engineers with bachelor’s degrees will operate the system, while three to four display boards will show results. Results are expected to be published within 10 to 15 minutes of each event, Tapan said.

The seven throwing events will be held at the Bangladesh Army Stadium from 8am to noon on Friday. A marathon will take place on the 300 Feet Road in Purbachal at 5am on October 24.

Dhaka South City Corporation is the title sponsor, while Anwar Ispat is the powered-by sponsor.