New Delhi:
The Bangladesh government has formally approved the travel of its national shooting team to India for the upcoming Asian Rifle and Pistol Championships, even as it recently declined to send its cricket team to India for the T20 World Cup citing security concerns.
The continental shooting championships will be held at the Dr Karni Singh Shooting Range in New Delhi from February 2 to 14. The event is expected to feature over 300 shooters from 17 countries. In contrast, the T20 World Cup is scheduled to be hosted across India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 8.
Bangladesh will be represented by two rifle shooters—21-year-old women’s shooter Arefin Shaira and 26-year-old Olympian Md Robiul Islam. Both athletes will compete in the 10m air rifle individual events and later pair up for the mixed team competition.
Uncertainty had emerged over Bangladesh’s participation in the shooting championships following its withdrawal from the T20 World Cup. However, the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) confirmed that the Bangladeshi contingent is set to arrive as scheduled.
NRAI Secretary Rajiv Bhatia stated that there is no doubt regarding Bangladesh’s participation. He added that the Indian Ministry of External Affairs has granted the necessary clearance, which has been forwarded to the Indian embassy to facilitate visa processing.
According to reports from Dhaka, Bangladesh’s Ministry of Youth and Sports issued an official government order approving the team’s tour of India. The government reportedly assessed that the shooting championship does not pose any significant security risk, as it will be conducted indoors at a highly secured venue.
The contrasting decision follows the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s move to withdraw from the T20 World Cup, citing security concerns amid a controversy involving fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman and his exclusion from an IPL franchise squad.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) later clarified that there was no verifiable security threat to Bangladeshi players, officials, or fans in India. The ICC also stated that altering the tournament schedule at a late stage was not feasible, leading to Scotland being named as Bangladesh’s replacement.
The episode highlights differing security assessments across sporting disciplines and underscores the complexities of international sports governance and diplomacy.
