Archer Hakim Ahmed Rubel gave an interview to Dhaka Tribune over phone from New York where he talked about his efforts to settle in the USA after flying there last October in search of a better future.
Bangladeshi athletes migrating to the USA is not uncommon.
However, four such occurrences in recent times from a single discipline – archery – stormed the headlines in the Bangladesh sports fraternity.
The four of them were top-ranked nationals and had not reached the age yet to consider retirement, but saw better opportunities elsewhere.
They were part of the eight-member Bangladesh contingent - six archers, one coach and a manager - for the World Archery Championship 2021 held in Yankton, USA from September 19 to 26.
One of the team members had informed that they all obtained USA visa for five years.
Four of them took the opportunity to fly there again after the tournament.
Ashim Kumar Das, the lone Bangladeshi compound archer from Yankton World Archery, was the first to pursue his fate abroad.
He let the archery federation know before his departure, unlike the rest.
Top recurve archer Hakim landed on USA soil a year after Ashim, followed by former No.1 Ruman Shana and Diya Siddique.
“There is no future (in Bangladesh). If there is no future even after so many achievements…” said Rubel while replying why he left for the USA.
The 23-year old is currently ranked 45th in his category in world archery.
Hakim started representing Bangladesh from 2016.
Since then, he clinched top-10 places in at least 11 international competitions, including 2019 ISSF International Solidary Championship (9th), Dhaka 2021 Asian Archery Championships (7th), Phuket 2022 Asia Cup Leg 1 (4th), Sulaymania 2022 Asia Cup Leg 2 (7th), Singapore Asia Cup Leg 3 (6th), Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games (9th), Baghdad 2024 Asia Cup Leg 1 (4th), Shanghai 2024 Archery World Cup Stage 1 (9th), and Antalya 2024 Archery World Cup Stage 3 (9th).
He had one gold (team), four silver (one individual, three team), and three bronze (one individual, two team) medals at different Asian Grand Prix Circuits from 2019 to 2023 and two team medals at 2021 Asian Outdoor Championships.
He won 43 matches for Bangladesh out of 72 tries.
“I got only Tk3,000 per month from the federation. People used to think I might have earned a lot in eight-nine years,” Hakim continued.
“Now I want to establish myself in the USA. I also want to be with sports. I’ll try to play for the USA archery team,” he said.
Hakim arrived in the USA in the first week of October.
He is now in New York working at a restaurant and preparing to apply for the green card.
He said he relayed his plans to Bangladesh archery and shifted his focus towards a return to the game at a new land.
“There are archery teams here. There are indoor games and open league. My boss also wants me to carry on archery,” said Hakim.
Hakim informed that he lives in the same neighborhood of Ashim, who left for the USA in 2023.
He drives a car in New York to earn livelihood.
He however, has not been in contact with Ruman and Diya yet.
The former teammates, married recently, flew to the USA at the end of last month.
Ruman and Diya were in New Jersey, according to a media report where they both cited “better future” for their decision to fly off to the USA.
From winning medals at World Championships to qualifying for the Tokyo Olympics, Ruman brought more laurels for Bangladesh than any other.
Diya was the top female archer in national recurve department.
Ashim set national record in men’s compound two years before he left.
The departure of four archers has left the Bangladesh Archery Federation concerned about the rest of the players in the current national training camp.
“They (Ruman, Diya, Hakim, Ashim) chose their future. We couldn’t stop them,” said BAF general secretary Kazi Razib Uddin Ahmed Chapol.
The federation decided to increase the monthly allowance of the national team archers, calling it as “honorarium” rather than salary.
Martin Frederick, the head coach of Bangladesh archery, said he was sad to learn about the departed archers from the federation.
“The players were leading archers in the national team,” said Frederick.
The German coach told Dhaka Tribune that he wants to fill the gap from the camp and talent scouting programs by the federation.
“I hope I’ll find some upcoming archers and that group. We will really do all to close the gaps. We have three years before the next Olympics. There is time and we have to do it,” Frederick continued.
“Of course, I will miss them but I’ll not look back. I have to look forward and give all to make a strong team,” he added.
The coach said the existing players would get the chance to grab the initiative in the international competitions, including the upcoming Asia Cup, set to take place in Bangkok next month.