Electronic scoreboards have long been the bane of swimming federations. Max Group 33rd National Swimming Competition is starting from next Saturday at Mirpur Syed Nazrul Islam Swimming Complex. As before, the competition is going to be hand-timing as the electronic scoreboard is not working!
In 2019, an electronic scoreboard was installed in this swimming complex of Mirpur at a cost of 5 crore rupees, but every year swimmers practice and domestic competitions are held in hand timing. Jatiya Krira Parishad (NSC) took the initiative to renovate Mirpur Syed Nazrul Islam Swimming Pool on the occasion of the closing ceremony of the competition to find the best swimmer in 2019. As a part of this, the old scoreboard was replaced with a new scoreboard by Daktronics Company. But the scoreboard worth Rs 5 crore is standing still like a white elephant. A press conference was held on Thursday at the Bangladesh Olympic Association (BOA) auditorium. The topic of handtiming came up again.
Since the fall of the Awami League government on August 5, Molla Badrul Saif has been the general secretary of the Lapatta Swimming Federation. Mohammad Salim Miah spoke about this in the press conference as the Acting General Secretary, 'We have discussed these issues with the Youth and Sports Adviser. I have written to the secretary of the National Sports Council regarding our electronic score board. There is no possibility of solving it for now. So we have to organize swimming in hand timing again. The electronic board has become our sorrow.'
This year 550 swimmers from 52 teams including National Swimming Divisional Sports Organization, District Sports Organization, Swimming Club, BKSP, Army, Navy, Air Force, Police and Ansar will participate. 38 events for men and women. Besides, there are 3 events in diving and 1 event in water polo in men's category.
Max Group is sponsoring this year's National Swimming. The press conference was attended by Abdul Hamid, the vice-president of the federation and Ibrahim Khalil Palash, the official of the sponsoring group.
