UNB, Phuket (Thailand). :
The 4th Asian Beach Games is set to begin at the Saphan Hin Public Park in the Thai resort city of Phuket on Friday amid huge enthusiasm by holiday crowd with Bangladesh participating in the event eyeing women’s kabaddi medal.
Representative of Thai Royal Family and Privy Councilor Surayud Chulanont will inaugurate the meet with a one and half hour long opening ceremony. Olympic Council Asia (OCA) president Sheikh Ahmed Al Fahad Al Sabah will be present.
The opening ceremony will feature some eye-catching programs — miracle of the merry land, miracle of pearl of the Andaman sea, miracle of the unity sand, miracle of the charming sunshine, and miracle of the 4th Asian Beach Games.
Meanwhile, the first batch of the 52-member Bangladesh contingent for the 4th Asian Beach Games-2014 consisting of basketball, handball, swimming and wrestling teams reached Phuket on Thursday morning.
Chef-de-mission of Bangladesh contingent Mohammad Abdul Karim will join the teams on Friday morning to take part in the opening ceremony.
Bangladesh volleyball team was due to arrive here later on Thursday while kabaddi and athletics teams on Sunday (Nov 16).
Basketball player Mithun Kumar Biswas will carry the Bangladesh flag at the march past of the games opening ceremony as bronze medal winner because the women’s Kabaddi team will leave for Phuket on Sunday (Nov 16).
Some 5,000 Asian athletes and officials will join the battle for 169 gold medals of the 26 disciplines of sports at seven different beach venues of Phuket — Patong Beach, Karon Beach, Naiyang Beach, Saphan Hin Sports Centre, Anthem Wake Park and Chaofa Mine — on November 14-23.
Of the 26 disciplines of sports in the continental games, Bangladesh will compete in seven beach sports — Athletics, Marathon Swimming, Basketball, Handball, Kabaddi (Men’s & Women’s), Volleyball and Wrestling. Bangladesh contingent comprises 33 athletes, 11 team officials and eight contingent officials.
Bangladesh team will start their 4th Beach Games campaign on Friday in the Wresting event with Mohammad Dipu competing in under-70 kg category and Sheikh Shipon in under-80 kg category, both at Patong Beach, followed by Beach Marathon Swimming to be participated by Mahmudun Nabi Nahid in 5-kilometer competition on Saturday at Karon Beach.
