The upcoming edition of the Indo-Bangladesh Bangla Games will commence on April 2 next year in Dhaka. The date was finalised yesterday in a joint meeting between the Bangladesh Olympic Association (BOA) and the Bengal Olympic Association at BOA house. The last edition of the bilateral games was held in 2010.
This time there will be 10 disciplines as usual – athletics, shooting, swimming, volleyball, boxing, badminton, kabaddi, football, weightlifting and gymnastics. Among the 11 disciplines, football will only feature the women. The games conclude on April 12.
Bengal Olympic Association president Ajit Bannerjee welcomed the initiative. “The games was disrupted in the past few years but we are eager to revive the process. We are happy to see that the date has been finalised. The games of friendship between two neighbouring countries should be undisrupted.”
BOA deputy secterary general Ashikur Rahman Miku, treasurer Kazi Raziv Uddin Ahmed Chapal and other officials were also present on the occasion.
Bangladesh clinched 27 gold, 31 silver and 24 bronze medals in the third Indo-Bangladesh Bangla Games four years ago in Kolkata. Hosts West Bengal had topped the medal-list with 34 gold, 27 silver and 24 bronze medals in the four-day event. Back then there were 10 disciplines – athletics, badminton, basketball, football, judo, kho kho, swimming, shooting, gymnastics and kabaddi.
In the first edition of the Indo-Bangladesh Bangla Games in Kolkata in 2007, Bangladesh garnered 30 gold, 34 silver and 18 bronze medals from eight disciplines. In the second edition of the event in Dhaka six years ago, Bangladesh secured 45 gold, 29 silver and 18 bronze medals from nine disciplines.
