Bangladesh’s two surfers, Fatema Akter and Md Mannan, have started training in Japan ahead of the country’s first appearance in surfing at the Asian Games. Still, strong winds limited their practice time on the opening day.
The two surfers — Fatema in the women’s category and Mannan in the men’s — reached Japan to familiarise themselves with the competition venue and its conditions.
Visiting the venue on Wednesday morning, the Bangladeshi surfers were impressed by the scale of the international event and the opportunity to train at the same venue as experienced surfers from other countries.
‘We are very excited after coming to Japan and seeing the environment here and the arrangements for the Asian Games. Well-known surfers from different countries are taking part. Being at the same venue, watching them train and becoming part of this environment is a matter of pride for us,’ Fatema said.
She said the opportunity to learn from world-class surfers was also valuable.
One of Fatema’s favourite surfers is Kanala Grassi, whom she had previously watched on television and in videos. Meeting her in person in Japan and taking a photograph with her was memorable, Fatema said.
Fatema was also impressed by Japan’s surfing culture. She visited several surfing shops and looked at the equipment and facilities available there.
Compared with Bangladesh, Japan’s surfing culture and facilities are much more developed. We are trying to learn from them,’ she said.
However, strong winds on Wednesday created unfavourable conditions for surfing, as the waves were not ideal. As a result, the Bangladeshi surfers could not train for long and instead spent time familiarising themselves with the beach, conditions and waves at the competition venue.
Mannan said the scale and organisation of the event were new experiences for the Bangladeshi team.
‘Coming to Japan and seeing the environment and the arrangements for the Asian Games is wonderful. He said, “We have never experienced such a large-scale and well-organised competition before.”
‘There are separate opportunities for surfing training, and specific times have also been allocated for competition heats.’
The venue’s security and disciplined management also impressed Mannan. Participants need to show accreditation cards to enter designated areas, while outsiders are not allowed into the venue without permission, he said.
Mannan also trained despite the adverse weather.
‘The weather was unfavourable and the waves were small. Even so, I trained for quite some time. Hopefully, the weather will improve on Thursday, and we will get waves suitable for surfing,’ he said.
Md Saifullah Sifat, a team official and coach of the Bangladesh surfing team, said Wednesday was the team’s second day in Japan.
The team visited the competition venue in the morning, completed the necessary formalities and familiarised themselves with the designated areas and dressing rooms. Buses have also been arranged at scheduled intervals to transport the team between the hotel and venue, he said.
Sifat said the weather caused some training difficulties, as strong winds affected wave conditions. As a result, all teams were given limited time in the water, he said.
The team has also taken steps to purchase new boards as the boards brought from Bangladesh were not fully suited to the waves in Japan.
The team visited several surfing shops on Wednesday and purchased essential equipment, including leashes and wax. They also shortlisted several boards and hope to train with a new board on Thursday.
‘With the expectations we have brought from Bangladesh, InshaAllah, we hope to prepare well in line with the waves and standards of surfing in Japan and achieve something new for our country,’ Sifat said.
On Thursday, team officials, managers, and coaches will hold an official meeting. The meeting will discuss the athletes’ respective heats, schedules, competition rules, and judges’ instructions.
They will also announce any schedule changes due to weather conditions.
With their first experience on an international stage, Fatema and Mannan are now focused on making the most of the remaining preparation time before the competition and representing Bangladesh in Japan.
By Abdu Rashid Manik
Photo: Abdu Rashid Manik
