Asia Cup triumph fuels Alif’s ambition as Bangladesh targets team quota for LA28

Abdur Rahman Ali’s gold medal victory in the second leg of the Asia Cup this summer signalled that maybe he won’t be the only Bangladeshi recurve men’s archer at LA28.

He became only the second Bangladeshi archer to win an Asia Cup – the first being Ruman Shana at Clark City 2019 – however his campaign in Singapore was tinged with slight sadness as he couldn’t repeat the same in the recurve men’s team category.

“Our target [before Singapore] was team. We focused on our team, lot of practising went into the team, but we lost,” said Alif on losing to Chinese Taipei 5-3 in the bronze medal match. “Before Singapore a lot of competitions, practise and focus was on our team because we’re trying to make our team better.”

Following two silvers in the men’s team event at the competition in Sulaymaniyah 2022 and Baghdad 2024, Alif, 19, is still searching for a taste of team gold.

Germany-born Martin Frederick – formerly head coach of Chile – is tasked with qualifying Bangladesh’s first full team Olympic quota for LA28 and Alif picking up a major honour like the Asia Cup makes him join Sagor Islam as archers with world credit in the bank.

That is two out of a required three and although the jubilation back home in Bangladesh was worth it for Alif, he said making history for his country – much like Md Emdadul Haque Milon did in London 2012 as the maiden Bangladeshi Olympic archer – in team is his priority.

“We are connected. Of course we’ll be better hopefully. We’ve been trying for a while to change and better the next generation so, we need a little time and do harder practise,” he added.

Md Sagor Islam starred in all the Bangladesh archery press and group chat talking last year when he qualified himself as the country’s only archer at Paris 2024.

A proud moment for the then 18-year-old athlete especially considering he was one of just five sportsmen and women overall from the nation to compete at the grandest sports event of all. Proud, but perhaps lonely also, as he was surrounded by swathes of full athlete quotas at Les Invalides.

Triumphing in Singapore itself though was obviously still rewarding for Alif, especially considering it was his first individual international medal as a senior.

“It was so good because my father was there, my friends were there, and I got some sweets, some flowers and a lot of generosity,” said Alif, who beat Madrid 2019 World Archery Youth Championships silver medallist Liu Tai-Yen en route to the final. “Everyone was happy so I’m happy and I’m proud of my country.”

“I was less positive because I had put myself in a nice place [to end match earlier], but I still believed in myself.”

“My coach behind me helped get my confidence. Thankfully I did my job and I won the match.”

The most fascinating element of Alif’s performance came in the last two ends due to the contrary scores from long holds.

In the fourth, at 4-2 against Japan’s Gakuto Miyata, he had the chance to seal Asia Cup gold there and then at Bukit Gombak Stadium, but his drawn-out shooting process – which included a slight flinch in the arms – caused a wayward arrow in the upper range of the eight-ring.

It completed an impressive comeback from Miyata, who was 4-0 down at one stage, to equalise proceedings, and it looked as if he might emerge victorious in his first tournament in international archery. But another long hold from Alif – which lasted for 10 seconds – this time ended in the 10-ring.

Despite coach Frederick counting down in the box behind him, the second arrow of the fifth end proved pivotal as Miyata could only hit a nine and a seven in his last two shots, whilst Alif’s long 10 and nine – which was held far shorter at two seconds – brought Bangladesh the gold.

“Long holds I don’t like, so I was a little bit surprised by the shot, because Martin says, ‘little holds then no problem.’

“You continue your short finish, and the arrow will go in the middle, and my arrow did go in the middle, but you saw my next shot which was only two seconds. That’s my shot and with it I won the match.”

To follow in the trails of archers like Emdadul or ‘s-Hertogenbosch 2019 Hyundai World Archery Championships bronze medallist Shana is on the mind of both Alif and Islam.

But both their predecessors’ successes were in individuals – these two and Frederick are aiming to carve out their own piece of history in the team event.

At 19 years of age, the time and scope to improve as a collective up to LA28 – and Olympics beyond – is certainly on their side.