Despite numerous hurdles, the Bangladesh hockey had a memorable year as the Under-21 men鈥檚 hockey team qualified for the Men鈥檚 FIH Junior World Cup for the first time in its history.聽
Bangladesh鈥檚 fifth place in the Men鈥檚 Junior Asia Cup 2024 in Muscat with three wins, two draws, and one loss opened their door to the global stage.
Meanwhile, the Under-21 women鈥檚 hockey team made their debut in the Women鈥檚 Junior Asia Cup but managed only a consolation 8-0 win over Sri Lanka in the place decider after four pool-stage defeats.聽
These achievements came just 20 days after the National Sports Council approved ad-hoc committees for nine sports federations, including hockey, on November 15.聽
Lt Col (rtd) Riazul Hasan was named BHF鈥檚 general secretary, following significant reforms in sports administration.
Earlier, on September 10, the ministry for youth and sports dissolved the heads of 42 sports bodies, initiating widespread structural changes across sports organisations in response to the government鈥檚 ouster on August 5 amid student uprisings.聽
The sports ministry also dissolved all the committees of the divisional, district, and upazila sports associations across the country and all committees of the same local-level women鈥檚 sports associations.
Meanwhile, it was a bittersweet year for the Bangladesh Chess Federation as Grandmaster Ziaur Rahman tragically passed away on July 5, aged 50, during the 12th round of the National Chess Championship 2024. 聽
The 13-year-old Manon Reja Neer achieved the third IM norm to become Bangladesh鈥檚 youngest International Master after beating India鈥檚 IM Sambit Panda in the eighth round of the Six Days Budapest Two Years 2024 GM in Hungary in October.
Bangladesh鈥檚 recurve archer Sagor Islam earned direct entry to compete in the Paris Olympics 2024 and has become the country鈥檚 third athlete after golfer Siddikur Rahman and archer Ruman Shana achieved direct qualification to the world鈥檚 prestigious mega sports carnival.
But, Sagor made a dismal exit from the first round of the elimination stage in the Paris Olympics, losing to Italy鈥檚 Mauro Nespoli in the men鈥檚 recurve individual event.
The other four鈥攕hooter Robiul Islam, sprinter Imranur Rahman, and swimmers Samiul Islam Rafi and Sonia Khatun鈥攁lso had fruitless campaigns in Paris, lingering Bangladesh鈥檚 wait for their first-ever Olympics medal win since their first appearance in the Olympics in 1984.
South Asian Games gold medallist archer Hakim Ahmed Rubel, not seeing his future, suddenly quit over an eight-year-long career, leaving the country for the USA in early October.
The national kabaddi team continued its dominance, winning all four titles of the Bangabandhu Cup International Kabaddi Tournament since its first edition in 2021, beating visiting Nepal by 45-31 points in the fourth edition final in June.
Bangladesh runner Jahir Rayhan bagged a silver medal in the men鈥檚 400-meter event while high jumper Mahfuzur Rahman won bronze in the 11th Asian Indoor Athletics Championships 2024 in Tehran, Iran.
Bangladesh鈥檚 shooting arena saw moments of pride and grief. Bangladesh girls Sajida Haque, Jafirah Chowdhury, and Moumita Riya won bronze in the 15th Asian Airgun Championship in the 10 metre air rifle youth team event in Daegu, South Korea.聽
However, the nation mourned the loss of shooter Sadia Sultana, who passed away on December 2, and 1990 Commonwealth Games gold medallist Ateequr Rahman, the first international gold medal-winning shooter from Bangladesh, passed away on July 17.
Apart from cricket and football, the sporting arena of the country revived in December as the Badminton Federation came up with hosting the Yonex-Sunrise Bangladesh International Challenge while hockey, handball, kabaddi, tennis, squash, rugby, and some other federations organised the victory day tournaments, overcoming all odds.
