Bangladesh’s fastest man Imranur Rahman failed to reach the final of the men’s 60 metres at the Asian Indoor Athletics Championships on Friday after finishing ninth overall in the semi-finals.
Three semi-final heats were held, with the first two athletes in each heat and the next two fastest across all heats qualifying for the final. Imranur clocked 6.75 seconds, placing him third in his heat and leaving his qualification hopes dependent on results from the other races.
Imranur had progressed from the preliminary round with a time of 6.73 seconds, but was unable to improve in the semi-finals, where faster times were required. His 6.75 seconds proved just short of the cut, as athletes in the other heats posted quicker finishes.
China’s Jin Jian, who finished second in Imranur’s heat, qualified for the final as the eighth-fastest athlete with a time of 6.74 seconds. Imranur was edged out by 0.01 seconds and eliminated at the semi-final stage.
The result marks a setback compared to Imranur’s earlier success at the championships. In 2023, in Kazakhstan, he won gold in the 60 metres with a time of 6.59 seconds, improving his performance in each round. He reached the final in Tehran the following year but finished outside the medals. This time, he was unable to advance to the final.
In a message sent to the federation from China, Imranur expressed his disappointment. “Unfortunately I could not do it and I am sorry,” he said. “I had been out of international competition for almost two years. I was hopeful of doing something good here and I tried. I hope I can do better in the future and I ask for everyone’s support.”
Bangladesh’s absence from the medal table was confirmed by Imranur’s elimination. In the 2024 championships in Tehran, Jahir Raihan won silver in the 400 metres and Mahfuzur Rahman claimed bronze in the high jump. Jahir is currently not in contact with the federation, while Mahfuzur remains active but was not selected for this year’s event.
Bangladesh sent only one athlete to this edition of the championships, placing their hopes solely on Imranur, and will leave the competition without a medal.
