Shana wins gold medal in recurve men’s singles

Dhaka – Bangladeshi celebrated archer Mohammad Ruman Shana clinched the first-ever gold medal in ther ecurve men’s singles of the Asia Cup-World Ranking Archery Tournament (Stage-3) beating Shi Zhenqi of China by 7-3 set points in the final at Clark City of the Philippines on Friday.

This is the 3rdindividual international gold medal for meritorious archer Ruman Shana, who earlier bagged two more gold medals in the International Archery Tournament in Bishkek in 2017 and in the 1st Asian Archery Grand Pix in Thailand in 2014.

Ruman Shana is the first Bangladeshi archer qualified for the Tokyo Olympics’2020 directly by winning the first-ever bronze medal in the World Archery Championships’2019 held in the Netherlands this year.

The 24-year-old Bangladeshi archer also won two more medals, one silver medal in the recurve men’s team event and a bronze medal in the recurve mixed team event of the ongoing Asia Cup World Ranking Archery on Friday.

On the way to the Asia Cup Archery final, Shana beat Thiha HtetZaw of Myanmar by 6-0 sets in the round of16, ThepnaDenchai of Thailand by 6-0 sets points in the round of eight, outplayed Yang HuieJhe of Chinese Taipei by 7-1 sets points in the quarterfinal and La Ta of China by 6-4 set points in the semifinal.

Bangladesh recurve men’s archery team comprising of Shana, Tamimul Islam and Hakim Ahmed Rubel clinched silver from Asia Cup Archery after conceding 3-5 set points defeat to Chinese team comprising of Xiangshuo Qi, Zhenqi Shi and La Ta in the final on Friday.

Bangladesh recurve mixed team comprising Shana and Beauty Roy bagged bronze medal beating Yu-Chen Yeh and Zih-Siang Lin of Chinese Taipei by 5-1 set points in the 3rdplace-deciding match at the same venue on Friday.

In a post-match reaction, Shana said, “This is really good, I’m so happy. It is a great achievement for Bangladesh, We are trying to promote Bangladesh on the world stage. We hope we can keep this up.”

“I always try to follow my shooting, timing and want do the same in future, this kind ofcompetitiongives me confidence and will inspire me to do better in Tokyo (Olympics).”

Heclaimed bronzeinthe World Archery Championship inthe Netherlands in June this year beating Mauro Nespoli of Italy by 7-1 set points in abronze medal deciding match after confirmed his place for Tokyo 2020 as the semifinalist beating Van Den Berg Sjef of Netherlands by 6-2 set points in the quarterfinal.

State Minister for Youth and Sports ZahidHasan Russell MP and Chairman of the Modhumoti Bank Limited Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh, MP and Secretary General of Bangladesh Olympic Association Syed Shahed Reza congratulated Rumon Shana for his feat.

Shana, who started his career as an archer in 2008, bagged a total of seventeen medals in international levels and eleven medals in national levels.

He bagged his first international medal at the 1st Asian Youth Archery Championship in 2011 by winning team event silver medal in Dhaka.

The 24-year-old archer from Khulna alsobagged three individual golds in national levels in the 8th Bangladesh Games in 2013, in the 8th Archery Championship 2016 and in the 9th National Archery Championship in 2017. UNB