Bangladesh's top two female shuttlers -- Urmi Akhter and Nasima Khatun -- have long been teammates, representing the Bangladesh Army. Both learned the sport in Pabna, yet over the years, a quiet rivalry has developed between them, especially in the finals of national and summer badminton championships.
Now 28 and working as a software engineer, Ayman Ibn Zaman spoke to The Daily Star's Anisur Rahman about his comeback, the evolution of badminton in Bangladesh, and his hopes for the sport's future. Following are the excerpts:
The squeaking of the rubber soles, the ‘pop’ sound when shuttles hit the sweet spot of badminton rackets, the frequent announcements of games’ commencements and screaming from the participants and audiences, all of it combined have apparently brought back life surrounding the newly installed wooden floor at the Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmed Indoor Stadium yesterday.
Sport was halted by the Covid-19 pandemic and although some have already come out of that slumber, other disciplines are still trying to find their feet. Finally, after a patient three-year wait, the 37th edition of the National Badminton Championship is set to take the stage at the Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmed Indoor Stadium in Dhaka today.
Bangladesh's top two female shuttlers -- Urmi Akhter and Nasima Khatun -- have long been teammates, representing the Bangladesh Army. Both learned the sport in Pabna, yet over the years, a quiet rivalry has developed between them, especially in the finals of national and summer badminton championships.
Now 28 and working as a software engineer, Ayman Ibn Zaman spoke to The Daily Star's Anisur Rahman about his comeback, the evolution of badminton in Bangladesh, and his hopes for the sport's future. Following are the excerpts:
The squeaking of the rubber soles, the ‘pop’ sound when shuttles hit the sweet spot of badminton rackets, the frequent announcements of games’ commencements and screaming from the participants and audiences, all of it combined have apparently brought back life surrounding the newly installed wooden floor at the Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmed Indoor Stadium yesterday.
Sport was halted by the Covid-19 pandemic and although some have already come out of that slumber, other disciplines are still trying to find their feet. Finally, after a patient three-year wait, the 37th edition of the National Badminton Championship is set to take the stage at the Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmed Indoor Stadium in Dhaka today.
