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The girls in red and green toured Japan, South Korea, China and Singapore for different friendlies, which is the most by any Bangladesh women's team in a single calendar year. After qualifying for the AFC U-16 Women's Championship for the first time in 2016, the girls gathered immense experience playing in the final round in Thailand in September and the consequences saw them lift the Saff U-15 Championship title for the first time, that too with a 100% winning record. The eye-catching performances of Maria Manda, Srimoti Krishna Rani Sarkar, Akhi Khatun and Co not only allowed Bangladesh women's team to rise into the top 100 in the Fifa world ranking but also overshadowed the men's senior national side’s absence in international football throughout the year. The U-15 and U-19 men's teams’ positive display in the respective age-group Saff tournaments in Bhutan and Nepal meant the senior side's lowest ever position in the ranking is not the only picture of the current situation of Bangladesh football. The game of archery, that started its official journey in Bangladesh at the beginning of the millennium, had notable international activities in 2017. Starting with hosting the first edition of the ISSF International Solitary Championship in January with the participation of 15 countries, the archery federation hosted Asia's biggest archery event in November where around 300 archers from 33 countries vied for 10 titles. Abul Kashem Mamun was Bangladesh's best performer, reaching the quarter-final of the compound men's individual event. Country's golfing sensation Siddikur Rahman continued his amazing form in 2017 as well, spreading his name from Asia to Europe. The two-time Asian Tour winner finished third in the European Open in Germany at the end of July, which is the best ever performance by a Bangladesh golfer. He aggregated an overall 11-under-par 277, which was only two shots behind the champion. Siddikur also finished runners-up in the Bangladesh Open in the capital's Kurmitola Golf Club in February.
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Despite the game being new to the country's sports arena, the fourth edition of the Roll Ball World Cup brought in around 400 participants from 37 countries under the roof of Sheikh Russel Roller Skating Stadium, which was erected in the same year getting a portion of the historic Paltan maidan. Bangladesh men's team finished fourth while the women's side were placed seventh. In shooting, 11th grade BKSP shooter Arnab Sharar Ladif achieved a rare feat, securing direct entry to the 2018 Youth Olympic Games, after the young shooter won silver medal in the men’s 10m air-rifle event in the Asian Airgun Championship in Japan early December. Senior shooting duo Abdullah Hel Baki and Atkia Hasan won gold in the 10m air-rifle event in the fourth Islamic Solidarity Games in Azerbaijan. In athletics, Mohammad Jahir Rayhan achieved a brilliant feat for his country when the young athlete reached the semi-final in the 400m boys’ event of the IAAF World U-18 Championship in Kenya in July. The competition is one of the world’s biggest for the young athletes while Jahir's timing of 48s is best by any Bangladesh athlete at any age level. In chess, country's youngest Fide Master Mohammad Fahad Rahman ended the year with a third-place finish in the opening board of the World Youth (U-16) Chess Olympiad in India two weeks ago. Earlier, the Grandmaster duo of Abdullah al Rakib and Ziaur Rahman finished first and second respectively in the Asian Zonal Championship in Kathmandu in March.
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Even the Bangladesh bridge team qualified for the World Cup after finishing runners-up in the BFAMI Zonal Bridge Championship 2017 in Dubai but there were no notable international achievements from disciplines like kabaddi, gymnastics, volleyball, handball, table tennis, judo and taekwondo.Did you know?The football girls in red and green toured Japan, South Korea, China and Singapore for friendlies, which is the highest for any Bangladesh women's sport team in a single calendar year.
