Girls carry flag high as SA Games ends [ Tritiyo Matra News ]

Girls carry flag high as SA Games ends

Local February 17, 2016

The curtain on the 12th SA Games in Guwahati, India fell on Tuesday with Bangladesh claiming fifth position in the overall medal tally, declining by two spots from the previous edition in Dhaka.
Bangladesh, who sent second largest contingent in the meet comprising 370 athletes and nearly 200 officials, claimed 75 medals, which include four gold, 15 silver and 56 bronze medals.
Female athletes saved the blushes of Bangladesh, who spent nearly Tk 20 crore for preparation and participation in the meet only to gain very little success compared to other countries.
Female athletes won 36 medals, which is nearly half of Bangladesh’s overall success, though Bangladesh sent only 147 female athletes against 223 male athletes.
Three of their four gold medals were earned by female athletes, which underlined the success of Bangladeshi girls in the meet. Female athletes also earned 10 silvers among 15, to announce a clear superiority over their male team-mates.
Mabia Akter Simanta, a 17-year-old weightlifter, won the hearts of millions of Bangladeshis when she won the first gold medal for the country in the meet and then broke down in tears in the podium while saluting the national flag.
‘I faced many obstacles when I was training for the meet in Dhaka,’ Mabia told New Age on Tuesday. I am glad that I got some success. If the government and the federation can ensure security and better facilities I’m sure women athletes will bring more success from international level.’
She was quickly followed by Mahfuza Khatun Shila, who created a piece of history by becoming the first female Bangladeshi swimmer to win a gold medal in an international meet.
Shila, who was raised in extreme poverty at a remote village in Jessore, doubled her tally of gold medal a day later to give Bangladesh another rare moment of joy in North-East Indian city.
Her second gold came with a record timing, which was significant as only 12 records were set in all events throughout the meet. Bangladesh also achieved a considerable success in women’s kabaddi and handball.
When Bangladesh men’s team settled for a bronze in kabaddi, women won silver, an improvement from previous SA Games. They also won silver in women’s handball when men’s team could fetch only the bronze.
All but one of Bangladesh’s six medals in weightlifting also came from women athletes. Both the track and field bronzes came from female athletes as well.
‘We provided equal facilities to both men and women team but women brought the silver, which is significant. We found women are more dedicated and than man,’ said Asaduzzaman Kohinur, the general secretary of Bangladesh Handball Federation.
Mahfuza Akter Kiron, the deputy chairman of Bangladesh Football Federation women’s committee, said there are still some discrimination between men and women in sports.
‘This SA Games showed our girls can bring the success if they are given enough opportunities,’ she said. It is an eye opener for us. We see always some gender discrimination in sports. Otherwise it would have been even better.
‘Mostly girls from under privileged families prefer sports. Often they suffer from malnutrition. We need to address the issue immediately if are to expect better result from female athletes,’ said Mahfuza, a former general secretary of Bangladesh Women’s Sports Federation.