Shooter or official?

Bangladesh's shooting contingent for the upcoming Common-wealth Games in Gold Coast has caused a bit of controversy after a young shooter was included as an official.

Amira Hamid, daughter of Bangladesh Shooting Sport Federation (BSSF) general secretary Enthekhabul Hamid, has been drafted in as one of six officials of the 18-member squad featuring 12 shooters. Different quarters have raised allegations that the BSSF general secretary is using his power to promote his daughter while overlooking other talented shooters.

When contracted, Mr. Hamid asked this reporter to call him later, but he did not receive any calls later. Meanwhile, BSSF president Nazimuddin Chowdhury had on Sunday said that Amira would participate in the games as an athlete if she gets the permission from the organising committee.

BSSF chief executive officer Mustaque Waiz, however, said that he had no idea how Amira was selected as an official. He said that she was in the initial 15-member shooters' list, but the BSSF later decided to send 12 shooters, dropping three which included Amira from that list.

Waiz also claimed that Amira is going to the games at her own expenditure.

Although 16 members of the contingent have already left for Australia, Mr. Hamid is supposed to leave today while Amira is scheduled to fly out on March 30.

The 16-year-old made her shooting debut not too long ago, but she has already played in a couple of international tournaments, namely the 2016 South Asian Games in Assam and the 2017 World Cup in Delhi. She was also supposed to take part in the Junior World Cup in Australia this month, but the BSSF executive committee did not approve of Bangladesh's participation in that tour. She had bagged two silver medals in the Youth Shooting Championships in 2016 and 2017, but skipped the event this year.

It has been learnt that the BSSF used to choose shooters through performance evaluating competitions, but in recent times such competitions are not being held as the selection is done mostly by head coach Klavs Christensen and GS Hamid.

“We could have won a bronze medal in 50m prone in the South Asian Games in Assam had Amira not been given the opportunity in place of Zakia Sultana Tumpa,” alleged a local coach seeking anonymity. “Now we are worried whether someone else will be dropped from the Commonwealth Games to pave the way for Amira.”

The coach also claimed that there are a few other brilliant shooters who have been overlooked.

“If Amira participates in international events at her own cost, then other shooters should also be given such an opportunity because there are many clubs ready to bear the expenses of their shooters for international competitions,” opined the coach.

Waiz, however, denied that there was any nepotism on the part of the BSSF general secretary.

“It is not that Amira is a talented shooter just because his father is the general secretary or that the federation is flexible in case of Amira. She is really talented for her age even though we have found a couple of good shooters after this year's Youth Championships. Amira was awarded a wild card for October's Youth Olympics and she is also supposed to take part in next World Cup in Korea,” said Waiz, adding that the International Shooting Sport Federation had initially granted a wild card for the boys' event but later granted another one for the girls' event.