The 15th National Summer Athletic Championship 2019 will begin from today at the Bangabandhu National Stadium with 36 events including 14 in the women’s category. Bangladesh Athletics Federation (BAF) is organising the meet while Trust Bank is the title sponsors of the two-day national meet. A total of 500 athletes including male and female from different districts, divisions, universities, education boards, BJMC, BKSP and other affiliated service teams are expected to take part in the meet.

This time organisers hope to use the electronic timer as in the previous editions including the last one, the electronic timer either was not set up or didn’t work, president of the BAF SM Ali Kabir said in a press conference yesterday that there were some mechanical defects last time but this time they are working on to prepare the electronic timer.

“If everything is okay, hopefully the events will be held through photo finishing, though previous editions we could not maintain the electronic timer because there were some problems with the mechanical defects.” Replying to a query, general secretary of the BAF Abdul Rakib Montu informed they expected 32 teams would turn up for the championship.

Montu also said that some new teams, RUET, Agricultural University of Mymensingh will take part in the meet while replying to a query he said that new talents from this meet will be included for the ongoing SA Games camp and it is also one kind of trial for the SA Games.  

BAF also announced to award Taka 5,000 to the record holders of the event.