Bangladesh Navy swimmer Samiul Islam Rafi continued his domination as seven new national records were made on the second day of the 34th National Swimming, Diving and Water Polo Championships at the National Swimming Complex in the city on Tuesday.
Rafi, who set up records in the men鈥檚 50m backstroke and shared another record in the men鈥檚 100m freestyle relay on Monday, extended his tally to six, setting up four more records on Tuesday.
Rafi, who has been training in Thailand on an Olympic scholarship for the past two years, set a new national record in the 200m individual medley, clocking 2:08:92 seconds to break his own previous record of 2:09:99 seconds in 2024.
Rafi set a record in the men鈥檚 50m butterfly event, clocking 00:25:15 seconds to break the previous record of 00.25.69 seconds that was set by Mahmudunnabi Nahid in 2022.
He made the third record when he clocked 52:42 seconds in the men鈥檚 100m freestyle event to break the 12-year old record of 52:88 seconds that set up by Mahfizur Rahman Sagor.
The fourth and final record of the day came in the men鈥檚 200m backstroke when he broke his own record of 2:10:87 seconds by clocking 2:10:46 seconds on the day.
Rafi was disappointed for not having a electronic scoreboard during the event.
鈥楨lectronic scoreboard does not only determines the correct time, it also help to maintain the international standard. Hand timing is not acceptable anymore at the international stage. Our swimmers are missing out many scholarship opportunities because of using hand timing in the national competitions,鈥� said Rafi.
Apart from Rafi, Army鈥檚 Romana Akhter set two new records - in the women鈥檚 200m individual medley and in the women鈥檚 200m breaststroke while Navy鈥檚 Juthi Akhter made a mark in women鈥檚 200m backstroke.
Navy maintained the top spot with 20 gold, 13 silver and seven bronze medals after the second day.
Army are in the second place with five gold, 11 silver and 17 bronze medals followed by Bangladesh Krira Shikkha Protishtan with two gold, three silver and three bronze medals.
