24-year-old Bangladeshi archer Md. Ruman Shana bagged gold in Asia Cup 2019 held in Philippines last week. He defeated Chinese archer Shi Zhenqi, 7–3 to win his title.
The first set was a draw between Shana and Zhenqi. Shana lost the second set 26–29 but he turned around with a 27–25 win in the third set. He won all the sets from then on and finished the last set which turned out to be a thriller with a 28–27 victory. This is Bangladesh’s third international gold medal in archery. World Archery’s website has termed this victory as ‘Bangladesh’s best international result till date’.
The archer currently has a world ranking of 13. Ruman also led the archery team of Bangladesh to win silver at 2019 Asia Cup. A bronze medal was also won in the mixed doubles. Ruman Shana first came into limelight in Bangladesh during the 2019 World Archery Championship in Holland where he bagged the bronze medal for his country. That was the first medal for Bangladesh at the World Archery Championship. He has also earned himself a ticket to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. This right-handed archer began his career in 2010 and made his international debut in the same year.
Shana believes that perseverance and hard work is what drives his success.
“I always try to maintain consistent shooting time. I keep practicing the drill. This is how I find my rhythm.” — replied Shana when asked about his success.
The lack of enthusiasm
Bangladesh is a country where cricket and football take a lot of attention away from sports such as archery, hockey, shooting, tennis, athletics, chess or weight lifting. The lesser known sports most of the time do not have any well-functioning sports federation to support them. A blame game continues. The federation blames the players for not giving enough effort. The players complain of lack of training facilities and sponsors. Among all the not so cheerful news in Bangladesh’s sports department, Ruman Shana is a shining exception.
Still he has not received the appreciation he deserves. Authorities would rather congratulate and move on. Why not be inspired by this feat and offer him and the upcoming players more support for them to be able to add more to their achievements? The most you can expect is a monetary reward (nowhere near what cricketers receive for winning bilateral series) which Rana will actually receive a couple of years later.
“No high-ranking official has called to congratulate me. I am disappointed. Afif Hossain (Bangladesh’s national team cricketer) has received more applause by helping Bangladesh beat Zimbabwe in a T-20 cricket match. I am not as lucky as him.”– said Shana, dejected.
It’s a pity that no high officials have heartily congratulated the player for his achievements. How many times in your lifetime have you heard of Bangladesh earning a gold medal in any sport? How many such instances do you think you will hear of in the future? Given the anarchy in most federations, lack of professionalism and the downfall in sports at which Bangladesh is good at, the chances are very low.
Adoration from foreign fans
Shana probably has more fans in countries like Germany and Switzerland than he does in his motherland. But at least there are people who appreciate the sportsman that he is and are in awe of his talent.
“People in foreign countries are able to fathom the importance of winning a medal at Asian tournaments and world stages better. In our sport, if you lose one match, you are out. It’s not the same in cricket and football. Who do I tell, how difficult it is for me to earn a medal?” — said Shana, while talking about the fan reception he receives in foreign lands.
The road ahead
City Group has struck a deal with the Archery Federation of Bangladesh for Shana. The ultimate target is the coveted Olympic medal that all sportsmen dream of. An Olympic medal may be a long shot. Shana is confident. The standards of the tournaments he has excelled in are similar to those of the Olympics. Shana’s next mission is the South Asian games to be held at Nepal in December this year. Shana continues to work hard and believe in himself. He probably just wishes his countrymen believed in him and supported him more.