Bangladesh first competed in the Asian Games in 1978, but it took them eight years to win their first medal, a bronze in boxing by Mosharraf Hossain in 1986. Bangladesh then went on to win at least one medal in each of the next seven editions of the Asian Games, all of which were in kabaddi or cricket.

Bangladesh has sent more athletes to the Asian Games since 2010, which is the same year that they hosted the successful South Asian Games in Dhaka. This is likely due to the increased interest in sports and the improved facilities that Bangladesh has built since then. Bangladesh returned home from the previous Asian Games in Jakarta without any medals. This time, the organizers are hoping for better results from a few sports, such as archery, shooting, kabaddi, and cricket.

Bangladesh’s participation in 2023

Bangladesh participated in 17 disciplines at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou, with the women’s football team making their debut. The men’s cricket team finished fifth in the T20 event, losing to India in the semi-finals. The women’s football team finished fourth in their group, failing to qualify for the knockout stages.

Bangladesh women’s football team

Bangladesh’s archers and shooters have also had mixed results. Diya Siddiqui finished 25th in the women’s individual recurve event, while Siddikur Rahman finished 14th in the men’s 10m air rifle event.

Despite these disappointing results, there are some reasons to be optimistic about Bangladesh’s chances of winning medals at the 2023 Asian Games. The country’s athletes have shown some improvement in recent years, and they are competing in more sports than ever before.

Asian Games: Bangladesh finishes 14th in shooting

However, it is important to be realistic about Bangladesh’s chances of success. The country is still a long way behind the top countries in Asia in terms of sports development. It will take a lot of hard work and investment to close the gap.

Why Bangladesh is still lag behind in games?

Here are some specific reasons why Bangladesh is struggling to perform well at the Asian Games:

  • Lack of investment in sports: Bangladesh spends a fraction of what other countries in Asia spend on sports development. This means that Bangladesh’s athletes are at a disadvantage when competing against athletes from countries with more resources.
  • Lack of a strong sports culture: Sports are not as popular in Bangladesh as they are in other countries in Asia. This means that there is less competition for spots on Bangladesh’s national teams and less pressure