Imranur receives country’s first-ever gold at Asian-level athletics

Bangladesh’s fastest man, the UK-based Bangladesh-origin sprinter Imranur Rahman on Sunday evening ceremonially received the country’ s historic gold medal, first ever at Asian level from the men’s 60-meter sprint of the 10th Asian Indoor Athletics Championships held at the Kazakhstan capital Astana.

This is the first ever medal for any Bangladeshi athlete at Asian level athletics competition.

President of Asian Athletics Association Dahlan Jumaan Al Hamad of Qatar handed over the glittering gold medal to Bangladeshi wonder boy Imranur Rahman at a medal distribution ceremony in Astana  Sunday evening when the national flag of  Bangladesh hoisted for the time in Asian meet and national anthem was also played. 

General Secretary of Bangladesh Athletics Federation Advocate Abdur Rakib Montu, now in Kazakhstan as Bangladesh team leader, was also present on the occasion and confirmed it to UNB over phone Sunday evening.

Imranur Rahman, the two times fastest man of Bangladesh since his appearances  in the country’s  athletics last year,  brought laurel for the country within one year by clinching the 60- meter sprint gold medal in the Asian Indoor Athletics Championship in Astana Saturday night.

The 29-year-old sprinter Imranur Rahman clinched country’s dream gold by winning the men’s 60-meter sprint title  with a record timing of  6.59 seconds.

Earlier, Imranur, took 6.70 seconds in the event’s heats to qualify for the semifinals and made an improved  timing of  6.61 seconds to move into the final as the second best on photo-finish behind a Qatari sprinter.

In the event’s final on Saturday night, the Bangladesh wonder boy  Imranur  further improved his personal best timing of 6.59 seconds to win a surprise gold medal for  the country.

Imranur’s previous best timing of  the event was 6.64 seconds, which he made in the World Indoor Athletics stage in Belgrade in 2022.

However, Bangladesh’s fastest women’s sprinter Shirin Akter was eliminated from the heats of the 60-meter sprint clocking 7.93 seconds.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, State Minister for Youth and Sports M Zahid Ahsan Russell MP, Principal Secretary to Prime Minister and Athletics Federation President M Tofazzel Hossain Miah and BOA President General SM Shafiuddin Ahmed, in separate messages,  congratulated Imranur Rahman for bring laurel for the country.