Bangladesh’s participation in the Asian Road Cycling Championships ended before it began on Thursday in Al Qassim, Saudi Arabia, after the national team was unable to travel because visas were not issued in time.
The continental championships, one of Asia’s premier cycling events, got under way with nearly 1,500 male and female riders from around 40 countries competing across men’s, women’s, junior, youth and Para-cycling categories. Despite receiving official invitations, Bangladesh failed to field a team, with visa complications preventing travel. Cyclists from Pakistan and the Philippines were also unable to attend for the same reason.
Abu Hena Mostafa Kamal, general secretary of the Bangladesh Cycling Federation, confirmed the issue and criticised the lack of clarity from the host nation.
“We were officially invited to take part in the championship, but the Saudi Embassy in Dhaka did not provide any clear guidance regarding visas. Eventually, we failed to obtain them and could not travel,” Kamal said.
He added that cooperation from the organisers was limited, even for federation officials planning to attend the Asian Cycling Confederation congress held alongside the championships.
“Normally, organisers at least bear accommodation costs for officials attending the congress. This time, Saudi Arabia is not covering any expenses. Even then, we agreed to manage the costs ourselves, but without visas, nothing was possible,” he said.
Bangladesh had planned to send four cyclists to the event. Rakib and Shahadat Hossain Alif from Khagrachhari, along with Bangladesh Army rider Suborna Barman and Border Guard Bangladesh cyclist Rahela Khatun, had spent weeks preparing and training, only to miss out on the opportunity to compete at continental level.
The Asian Road Cycling Championships feature 24 events held on specially prepared road circuits and are considered an important benchmark for Asian nations as they assess athlete readiness ahead of major international competitions, including the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi Nagoya, Japan.
