Bangladeshi teen captures silver and bronze at World Powerlifting Championship

Raiyan Rahman, a Bangladeshi teen has been honoured at the "World Powerlifting Championship 2022", placing fourth. The event took place this August in Istanbul.

Powerlifting is relatively a young sport in Bangladesh, that has slowly been gaining popularity amongst the people. Powerlifting comprises of three activities: squats, bench press and deadlifts. In the championship event, Raiyan was able to capture the silver medal in squats, a bronze medal in the deadlifts, and was ranked sixth worldwide in bench press.

In a candid interview, the athlete shared his experience at the World Powerlifting Championship.

"Staring at the screen of phones and computers or playing video games has never quite attracted my attention," said Raiyan. "I always felt the need to do something more physical and substantial. I believe that's why powerlifting became a passion for me rather than just a new sport."

"At the World Powerlifting Championship, I was participating in an event that all powerlifters dream of," added Raiyan. "I could feel the adrenaline rush with every heartbeat as I stepped into the venue."

"Powerlifting is a new sport in this nation, and is yet to be included into the list of government recognised sports in Bangladesh," said Mostafizur Rahman

Raiyan Rahman competed in the sub-junior category (59kg weight limit) of the World Powerlifting Championship 2022.

"On stage, I was immensely nervous, especially about the fact that I was representing Bangladesh at the championship," mentioned the athlete. "It was like I could feel the gaze of my homeland on my back and I gave it my all."

The athlete was greatly surprised by the difference in equipment at the World Powerlifting Championship, which left an adverse impact on his results. "Most of the equipment in Bangladeshi gyms are not up to the international standards," noted Raiyan. "This was my first time using international-standard equipment, which made the competition quite a bit more difficult for me."

"The training equipment I had used so far gave me much more support, which was non-existent at the championship," continued Raiyan. "If I had access to international-standard equipment during my training, I could have done much better."

"Powerlifting is a new sport in this nation, and is yet to be included into the list of government recognised sports in Bangladesh," said Mostafizur Rahman, Raiyan's father. "So, Raiyan lacked much support from Bangladesh that he deserved as an athlete representing the nation."

"I believe Raiyan and the kids who are going towards physical sports like powerlifting should be appreciated as it helps them keep fit and away from ill influences," added Mostafizur.

"I am glad that I didn't let my nation down on the international stage. However, I do believe I can do better and will strive forward to take Bangladesh to the top of the international powerlifting stage," concluded Raiyan.