DHAKA, May 24, 2023 (BSS)- A five-member of Bangladesh junior gymnastics team

will participate in the Asian Junior Gymnastics Championship scheduled to be
held from June 9-12 in Singapore.

The Bangladesh team has already completed the final preparations for the
tournament.

Ahead of the upcoming tournament, the Bangladesh Gymnastics Federation (BGF)
organised a two-day demonstration competition which was concluded today
(Wednesday) at the National Sports Council gymnasium in the city.

Talking to BSS, team's Korean coach Cho Song Dong said this competition was
basically organised with an aim to dispel fear of mind among the young
gymnasts who have no international experience.

The six gymnasts have been selected for the tournament and they showed their
skills in front of the judges and also in presence of the top officials of
the federation. Cash prizes were also given to the winners'.

In the competition, Mongching Pru Tripura emerged top position, Prenthai Rowe
and Md. Rafeel Ahmed finished second and third position respectively.

Besides, Rajeev Chakma, Menton Tony and Wuhaimong Marma finished fourth,
fifth and sixth position respectively. Apart from Rafeel of Bangladesh Krira
Shikkha Prothistan (BKSP), who got the third place, all the rests are hailed
from Bandarban Quantum Cosmo School and College.

All the participants will leave for Singapore on June 6. Five of them will
participate in the competition while one has been kept as standby.
 
After the competition, BGF's president Sheikh Bashir Ahmed Mamun handed over
the prize to the winners while its general secretary Ahmedur Rahman Bablu was
present.

For the last 11 months, the gymnasts have been practicing under the Korean
coach Cho Song Dong. At the moment, the tournament in Singapore is the
priority, but Bangladesh's goal is far-reaching. Bangladesh aims to win a
medal in the Olympics after the next year's Paris Olympics.

BGF's general secretary Ahmedur Rahman Bablu told BSS that they are eying to
reach top eight spot in the upcoming Asian Junior Gymnastics Championship.

Bablu informed that Bangladesh junior gymnastics team will compete in six
events -- floor exercise, pommel horse, still rings, vaulting table, parallel
bars and horizontal bar -- in the Asian Gymnastics which will be held with
the participation of 44 countries.

The team has good possibility to do well in vaulting table and pommel horse
events in the championship, the BGF's general secretary said.

He said making place among the top eight in the championship will be
considered as big achievement for the team. If the gymnasts able to achieve
the target, it will bring Bangladesh a limelight in the World because Asian
superpower countries, dominating in the world ranking, like China, Japan,
Taiwan and Korea are going to participate in the championship.

Bablu said the country's gymnastics have reached a standard height in the
last 11 years. The credit must goes to federation's president Sheikh Bashir
Ahmed Mamun.

After taking charge of the federation, the current president focused on the
development of the federation with his own initiative. He collected modern
equipments with money from his own pocket. Currently, our practice is
equipped with international standard equipments, he said.

"We have already participated number of int'l matches, including two Games in
central South Asia. Among the two, one was held in 2021. First we focused on
recruiting coach for the gymnastic team and secured all kinds of facilities
according to coach's needs," he added.

The development of gymnastics, which the federation achieved in the last 11
years, was not even seen in the last 40 years. Now our reputation has spread
internationally. Many countries have now begun to recognize us because we are
now participating in many competitions and the boys are showing good
performing. Everyone understands that Bangladesh is now a potential country
in gymnastics.

The BGF's general secretary said if this junior team has been groomed in
proper way, then it'll be possible to get results from international
tournaments within the next two years. We're targeting to bring medal from
the Olympics after the next France Olympics. We want to win medals from
there.

At this moment, Bangladesh is going to participate in the junior event of the
Asian Championship. The BGF is going to send the junior team instead of
senior one in the Asian Championship because the performance of senior team
is not up to the mark. The coach emphasized practice and kept the gymnasts
busy in a regular practice twice a day for the upcoming tournament, the BGF's
general secretary informed.

Meanwhile, Suinu Ching Marma, mother of gymnast Mongching Pru Tripura, who
came from a remote place in Bandarban, is very happy with the success of her
boy.

She said: "Actually, we never imagined in life that our boy will achieve such
a feat."

Suinu Ching Marma has come to Dhaka at the expense of the federation to watch
her boy's performance in the competition. She said that her visit in Dhaka
has been beneficial for her after the success of his boy in the competition.