Bangladesh Navy clinches top slot in 48th National Athletics

Dhaka, 19 Feb  - Bangladesh Navy clinched the top slot in the three-day 48th National Athletics Championship 2025, which concluded on Wednesday at the National Stadium in Dhaka.

The sailors’ team emerged as champions, securing 21 gold, 17 silver, and 12 bronze medals. The Bangladesh Army team finished as runners-up with 19 gold, 19 silver, and 19 bronze medals, while BKSP became a distant third, collecting 3 silver and 3 bronze.

Bangladesh Athletics Federation President Maj Gen (retd) Dr Mohammad Nayeem Ashfaque Chowdhury declared the closure of the three-day event on Wednesday afternoon.

Nazmul Hossain Ronny of the Bangladesh Army was adjudged the best men’s athlete, while Borsha Khatun of the Army was named the best women’s athlete. Farid Khan Chowdhury was recognised as the best coach-cum-organiser.

Six new national records were created during the 3-day meet: one on the first day (Monday), three on the second day (Tuesday), and two on the last day (Wednesday) — in the men’s shot put, men’s 400-metre hurdles, women’s 400-metre hurdles, women’s 4x100-metre relay race, men’s pole vault, and women’s 4x400-metre relay.

M Sourav Miah of the Bangladesh Army set the day’s first and overall the 5th national record in the meet in the men’s pole vault, jumping 4.50 metres to improve the event’s old record of 4.35 metres set by Humayan Kabir of the Navy in 2006.

The Bangladesh Navy relay team, consisting of Shirin Akhter, Sabiha Al Soha, Nusrat Jahan Runa, and Nathera Khatun, set the day’s last and overall 6th record of the meet in the women’s 4X400-metre relay race, clocking 3:51.62 seconds to better the event’s 31-year-old record of 3:55.55 seconds, set by BJMC in 1993.

On the first day (Monday) of the meet, Golam Sarwar of Bangladesh Navy set the meet’s first record in the men’s shot put, throwing 15.50 metres.

Nazmul Hossain Ronny of the Bangladesh Army set the meet’s 2nd record on Tuesday in the men’s 400-metre hurdles with a timing of 50.84 seconds, improving the event’s 31-year-old record of 51.87 seconds set by Abdur Rahim Naim in 1993.

Borsha Khatun of Bangladesh Army created the meet’s 3rd record in the women’s 400-metre hurdles, also on Tuesday, clocking 1:04.61 seconds to clinch the gold medal, bettering the event’s previous record of 1:04.70 seconds set by Libya Khatun of Bangladesh Army in 2022.

The Bangladesh Navy team, consisting of Shirin Akhter, Sonia Akhter, Sumaiya Dewan, and Kabita Roy, set the meet’s 4th record on Tuesday in the women’s 4x100-metre relay race with a timing of 46.43 seconds, bettering the event’s old record of 48.10 seconds set by the Bangladesh Army team in 2022.

Earlier on the first day of the meet, Mohammad Ismail of Bangladesh Navy regained the country’s fastest man crown after three years in the absence of injury-hit Bangladesh-origin English athlete Imranur Rahman, who had clinched the 100-metre sprint gold medal four times in the National and Summer Athletics over the last three years.

Ismail secured his 5th gold medal in the 100-metre sprint after three years, clocking 10.61 seconds on the first day of the three-day athletics event on Monday, while Rakibul Hasan of the same team finished as runner-up to win the event’s silver, clocking 10.63 seconds.

Another Navy athlete, Shirin Akhter, celebrated her 16th 100-metre gold medal in the National and Summer Athletics, maintaining her fastest woman crown with a timing of 12.01 seconds, while Sumaiya Dewan of Bangladesh Navy, who had won the 100-metre gold medal two years ago, beating Shirin Akhter, won the event’s silver, clocking 12.15 seconds.