The swimming squad will hold a 15-day high altitude training session there ahead of the main competition, said Bangladesh Swimming Federation in a press release on Sunday.
The swimmers made courtesy callsd with President of Bangladesh Swimming Federation and Chief of Bangladesh Navy Admiral Aurangzeb Chowdhury at the Bangladesh Navy HQ in Dhaka on Sunday morning before their departure.
The 13 male swimmers are: Mahfizur Rahman, Mahmudunnabi Nahid, Asif Reza, Juwel Ahmed, Sukumar Rajbangshi, Mamunur Rashid, Nur Alam, Faysal Ahmed, Polash Chowdhury, Jamrul Mia, Ariful Islam, Shariful Islam and Anik Islam.
The nine female swimmers are: Sonia Akhter Tumpa, Soniya Khatun, Suraiya Akhtar, Nayema Akhtar, Chumma Khatun, Romana Akhtar, Khadija Akhtar, Mukti Khatun and Junaina Ahmed.
Sonia Akhter Tumpa, who bagged two bronze medals in last SA Games in 2016 in India, said, “I will compete in the 50m and 200m butterfly and 100m freestyle and I do hope I will do well in 200m.”
Country’s promising swimmer Junaina Ahmed will fly from the UK to join the team on November 29 and will compete in eight swimming events.
The British-born Bangladeshi swimmer set two new national records in the 200m women’s freestyle and 200m women’s breaststroke in the 29th National Swimming, Diving and Water Polo Competition held in March this year, and is probably Bangladesh’s best chance of a medal in the pool.