The scenes at the Cox’s Bazar International Airport were both jovial and melancholic.
At around 4:00 PM on Monday, Bangladesh’s Asian Games-bound surfers – Mohammad Mannan and Fatema Akhter – posed for a few pictures at the Cox’s Bazar International Airport, before beginning their long and winding journey to Japan.
The duo was all smiles, proudly displaying the Bangladesh flag, the same green-and-red flag they will represent in the Aichi-Nagoya Games.
Their coach Rashed Alam, who had guided their journey to the continental stage, was also there, brimming with pride, posing with his pupils.
But hidden beneath the smiles lay a sense of sadness.
As Rashed, who has been training Mannan for 14 years and the 15-year-old Fatema for seven, won’t be there in Japan to guide them from the shores, for reasons neither of the three still quite comprehend.
Surfing is still alive in Bangladesh is because of a few passionate surfers like me who love the sport. We don’t make a dime off it. I have to work five days a week. Mannan works till 2 in the morning every day while Fatema’s family has to endure a lot of financial hardships.Rashed Alam, surfing coach
“As athletes, we don’t know about this [reason behind Rashed’s omission]. We don’t know what happens in Dhaka. We are always in Cox’s Bazar.”
Mannan told Daily Waadaa over the phone after arriving in the capital in the evening.
Mannan and Fatema were scheduled to board a flight from the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport which would take off at 2:00 AM, have a layover in Hong Kong for a layover, and then finally land in Japan.
After that, they would have to journey by train for another four-five hours before reaching their hotel.
Both of them have never travelled this far from home before.
Mannan, who runs a business selling seashell jewellery, and Fatema, a class 10 student from a struggling household, will venture into unfamiliar waters, combat waves higher than the ones they tame in Cox’s Bazar, and will have to do so without the guidance of their coach.
On September 5, Waadaa reported how Rashed, who had coached Mannan and Fatema to the Asian Games by guiding them through the qualifiers in 2025 in Tamil Nadu, had been overlooked for the Games.
In his place, Md Saifullah Sifat – a surfer and a treasurer of the Bangladesh Surfing Association (BSA) – was named the coach.
Saifullah had been the team lead in the qualifying tournament, dealing with managerial responsibilities, but in Japan, he was named as coach, a decision that shocked Rashed and his students.
When Rashed inquired, he was told the decision had been made by the Bangladesh Olympic Association (BOA).
Over two weeks have passed since then, and Rashed is no wiser as to the reason for his removal.
“There has been no communication since then from the surfing association or the Olympic association,” Rashed told Waadaa on Monday.
This neglect from both the BSA and BOA has been consistent, as neither offered any special training for the surfers even after they qualified for the Games, said Rashed.
“No surfer in Bangladesh has come up with training from the association. Even after qualifying [for the Games], they provided no special training.
“Surfing is still alive in Bangladesh is because of a few passionate surfers like me who love the sport. We don’t make a dime off it. I have to work five days a week. Mannan works till 2 in the morning every day while Fatema’s family has to endure a lot of financial hardships.
“Surfing could’ve progressed a lot in Bangladesh had there been some logistic and financial support.”
Even though Rashed won’t be there with his pupils at the Akabane Long Beach in Tahara, that didn’t stop him from training them till the last possible day.
“We had an extensive training session on Friday morning. On Monday morning too, we trained for four hours.
“I told them I will be in regular communication with them. I will guide them on video calls. I encouraged them to give their best and make the nation proud. Inshallah, they will do well.”
Mannan shared the parting advice from Rashed before they left for Dhaka.
“He encouraged us. He said, ‘It doesn’t matter whether I’m there or not. Just focus on the game. Just imagine that I’m there with you. Try to do free surfing like you do in Cox’s Bazar, don’t think too much about the competition.’”
Mannan and Fatema are heading to Japan at the last minute, leaving them a day and a half at best to train at the beach before the opening round heats begin on September 25.
Moreover, Typhoon Dujaan is currently impacting the coastal areas of Japan, causing massive waves, which is worrying Rashed.
“We couldn’t practice on high waves here in Cox’s Bazar. Because of the cyclone, the waves could be much bigger. I have told them to first observe the weather, observe the waves, look at what the local surfers are doing, and then get in the water.”
This is the first time surfing has been introduced in the Asian Games, and through mere participation, Bangladesh is already part of history.
Up against surfers from countries where the sport is much more established, who have had extensive training and even arrived in Japan weeks ahead to acclimatise, Mannan and Fatema’s chances look slim.
But Mannan remains hopeful, setting his sights on the medal.
“We are both very excited. We are hoping to achieve something good. We will fight to win a medal.”