Navy lead table as five natl swimming records bettered
Teen Junaina steals opening day show with two records
Sports Reporter, Dhaka
Junaina Ahmed, woman natant of Bangladesh Navy yet another stole the spotlight of the National Swimming Championship as she snatched two gold medals from as many events with new national records on the opening day of the Max Group 29th National Swimming, Diving and Water-Polo Championship at the Syed Nazrul Islam Swimming Complex in Mirpur yesterday.
Last time when she embarked on her voyage with the national age group competition two years back (2017), she surprised all by claiming 10 gold medals out of 11 disciplines of the meet.
Bangladesh Navy roped in this young and potential natant that gave a big boost in her high ambition and confidence to become an international star swimmer from Bangladesh in future.
Junaina smashed a 12-year-old national record of 02:25:56 set by Sabura Khatun in 2007 in womens 200m freestyle. She took around .6 less than Sabura to set the new national record and claimed her first gold medal in the four-day-long meet.
Sonia Akhter Tumpa of Bangladesh Navy and Sharmin Sultana of Bangladesh Army placed second and third with the timings of 02:23:89 and 02:32:01 respectively.
London-immigrant girl felt happy to set new record in the senior level competition and said that she wants to represent Bangladesh and earn accolade for the country from international arena
Im very happy to break the national record today especially in senior national competition. I have never done this before in Bangladesh, said Junaina Ahmed, who will keep her footstep at 16 on June 30 this year.
I want to participate in international games in future from Bangladesh. So, I am happy to good start, Junaina told media before her second gold medal yesterday.
I feel very glad because I came here from overseas and I saw me a very good place, first position. Hopefully the competition will go on for me in same way, she added.
Later Junaina set another national record when she finished her second 200m backstroke event with the timings of 02:40.75 that eclipsed Naima Akhters previous record of 02:44:80 what she did in 2016.
Suraiya Akhter of Bangladesh Navy and Naima Akhter of Bangladesh Army finished second and third with the timings of 02:46.56 and 02:46.93 correspondingly.
The first day of the meeting produced five new national records three by women and two by male swimmers.
Jewel Ahmed of Bangladesh Army broke the 16-year-old national record set by Rubel Rana in 2003 in 200m backstroke event. Jewel chalked out 02:16.13 in place of Rubels timings 02:16.76.
Mahmudun Nabi Nahid of Bangladesh Navy timed 00:56.82 to claim the gold medal in 100m butterfly stroke, the timings that produced the new national record. His new timings broke Jewel Ahmeds 2003 record of 00:57.50.
Sonia Akhter Tumpa of Bangladesh Navy placed first in 100m butterfly with the timings of 01:08.95 that set a new national record. She broke her own record what she did in 2014. Her previous timing was 01:10.04.
On the record-filled first day, Bangladesh Navy remained top of the medals table with six gold medal along with five silver and three bronze medals. Bangladesh Army followed them with two gold medals coupled with two silver and five bronze medals.
