Bangladesh weightlifting icon Bidyut Kumar Roy called time on his 27-year illustrious career with a silver medal in the 34th National Weightlifting Championship held at the National Sports Council gymnasium yesterday.
Bidyut, whose journey started off with a silver medal in 1988, thinks it is high time for him to retire from the sport he loves and make way for the newcomers and guide them.
“It is enough. I have been playing for 27 years and now I want to give the new ones some space. I want to distribute the light of ‘Bidyut’ among the others,” he said indicating his interest to take up coaching.
The 43-year-old, however, has no regret for not signing off with a gold while he was lifted and cheered on the shoulders by his co-athletes and was later drowned in flower garlands.
“I have played and won enough. The body is not working like before. The decision is mine and my family. Now I want to utilise my talents upon the newcomers. If the federation or Ansar give me a chance I want to coach them,” added the veteran weightlifter from Mymensingh.
Bidyut’s achievements speak for itself as he won gold medals across different categories in the past 27 years and is on the verge of writing his name in the Guinness book records.
“I submitted my documents to Guinness book last year. They are working on it. I am confident of having my name in the book as I played in many tournaments in abroad too,” said Bidyut who won his 25th consecutive gold in the national event last year.
However, a gold in international events remains a wish unfulfilled for Bidyut who bagged bronze in three editions of the South Asian Games and won silver in the 2012 Commonwealth Weightlifting Championship and the 2012 South Asian Weightlifting Championship.
