The country's top archer, Hakim Ahmed Rubel, left for the USA to settle down there for bread and butter, confirmed former archer Ashim Kumar on Wednesday.

"Rubel landed in New York on Tuesday morning, and as far as I know, Rubel came here to stay, as uncertainty loomed over his future as an archer in Bangladesh," US Green-card-holder Ashim told The Daily Star over the phone.

Rubel has spearheaded the national team in the recurve bow event since the suspension of Ruman Sana in late 2022.

Rubel has bagged several medals in international competitions. He was a gold-winning member of the recurve team event during the 2019 SA Games. He also won a silver and a bronze medal in team events at the Asian Championships in 2021. He was also a gold medalist in the 2023 Asian Grand Prix, in which he also bagged a silver medal in the 2022 edition.

Ashim also informed that Rubel initially communicated with him two to three months ago to express his intention to visit the USA, and that he finally contacted Ashim a week ago about his possible arrival in New York.

The former archer informed that Rubel would be starting his immigration process within a few days in a bid to get permission for a work permit in the USA.

Bangladesh Archery Federation general secretary Razib Uddin Ahmed Chapal told The Daily Star, "Rubel left the camp for a week's leave, citing that his grandmother had passed away and that he needed some time to take his sick father for treatment."

"Rubel could have left the country by informing us; we did not refrain from him, like what we did for Ashim Kumar. We may not fill the vacuum left by Rubel, but we won't get Rubel again," he added.