22nd National Long-Distance Swimming Competition set for Kaptai Lake on Monday

The 22nd National Long-Distance Swimming Competition 2026 is set to be held at Kaptai Lake in Rangamati on Monday,16 November, with 20 swimmers, including 10 men and 10 women, taking part in the event.

Organised by the Bangladesh Swimming Federation under the patronage of the Bangladesh Navy, the competition will feature a 10-kilometre race for men and an eight-kilometre event for women. The races will start from Magban Tila in Kaptai and finish at the Tourist Facility Landing Ghat in Rangamati.

The participants were selected through an open trial held on September 30, with nine swimmers chosen in each category. One male and one female swimmer from the host district, Rangamati, were also included.

In the men's category, the competitors are Jewel Ahmed, Faisal Ahmed, Asif Reza, Rabiul Islam, Palash Chowdhury, Md Toufiq, Imran Hossain, Mahfuz Ali, Niloy Sutradhar and host swimmer Hafizur Rahman.

The women's field includes Mukti Khatun, Sonia Akter, Poly Khatun, Nijhum Akter, Arna Akter, Nurjahan, Aditi Nag, Swarna Akter, Farzana Rumi and host swimmer Sadia Khatun.

Bangladesh Swimming Federation President and Navy Chief Admiral Khondkar Misbah-ul-Azim has agreed to attend the prize-giving and closing ceremony as the chief guest. Rangamati-1 MP Dipen Dewan will attend as the special guest, while Rangamati Deputy Commissioner Nazma Ashrafi will preside over the programme.

The top three finishers in both categories will receive crests and certificates. The champions will receive Tk 20,000, while the runners-up and third-place finishers will be awarded Tk 15,000 and Tk 10,000 respectively. Each swimmer who successfully completes the race will also receive Tk 5,000 and a certificate.