Bangladesh shooter Robiul Islam is set to compete in India after receiving government clearance from two separate ministries, ending uncertainty over his participation in the Asian Rifle and Pistol Shooting Championship.
The tournament will begin in Delhi on 2 February, with Bangladesh represented by a two-member contingent comprising Robiul and coach Sharmin Akter. Approval from the Ministry of Youth and Sports was granted earlier in the week, while final clearance from the Ministry of Home Affairs arrived on 29 January, allowing the trip to go ahead.
The decision comes amid wider debate over Bangladesh’s sporting engagements in India, particularly following the government’s refusal to allow the national cricket team to travel for the T20 World Cup due to security concerns. In contrast, officials assessed the shooting championship as low risk, noting that events will be held indoors within a restricted and secured zone, with assurances provided by the organisers regarding athlete safety.
This will mark Bangladesh Shooting Federation’s first appearance at an international event since the 2024 Paris Olympics. Preparation has been far from ideal, with training camps disrupted over the past year. After a long break, the camp resumed briefly, giving Robiul limited time to fine-tune his form ahead of the competition.
Despite the challenges, both the shooter and coaching staff remain hopeful. Robiul has produced encouraging scores in training and views the Delhi event as an important opportunity to regain competitive rhythm rather than focus solely on results.
Bangladesh’s participation will be modest in scale, with just one athlete and one coach travelling. Robiul is scheduled to compete in the 10m air rifle event, which begins on 6 February.
