Chapol eyes stronger Asian Games preparation as Bhutan-Bangladesh Archery meet ends

The Bhutan-Bangladesh Friendship Archery Tournament concluded on Saturday at the Archery Training Academy in Tongi, Dhaka with World Archery Asia and Bangladesh Archery Federation President Kazi Rajibuddin Ahmed Chapol placing the spotlight on competitive preparation ahead of the Asian Games.

The meet brought together archers from Bangladesh and Bhutan across recurve and compound events, offering both nations an opportunity to test their skills in a competitive setting and fine-tune their preparations before the continental showpiece.

Bangladesh dominated most of the individual events. Ram Krishna Saha won gold in the recurve men's individual event, while Saima Salah Uddin topped the women's category. In compound, Himu Bachar claimed the men's gold and Pushpita Jaman emerged champion in the women's event.

Bangladeshi archers also enjoyed considerable success in the team competitions. Abdul Rahman Alif and Shima Akter Shimu won the recurve mixed team gold, while Nawaz Ahmed Rakib and Pushpita Jaman triumphed in the compound mixed team event.

The host nation continued its dominance in the team events, winning gold in the recurve men's, recurve women's, compound men's and compound women's categories.

Chapol, who distributed prizes among the winners at the closing ceremony, was at the forefront of the event. Imam-ul Hasan, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Sampan Foundation, and Bangladesh Archery Federation General Secretary Syed Tanvir Rayhan were also present alongside other federation officials.

For Chapol and the federation, the tournament represented more than a medal count. With the Asian Games on the horizon, the competition provided a valuable competitive platform for assessing form, temperament and combinations under pressure. As the final arrows found their targets in Tongi, the Friendship Tournament left behind a clearer picture of Bangladesh's archery strength and, perhaps more importantly, another step on the road towards a larger continental challenge.