Given the trend of yesteryears, it was almost inevitable that a common question will unify the two separate press conferences involving the athletics and swimming federations yesterday.

It thus came as no surprise that whether the electronic scoreboard would be in place this time was the main topic of discussion ahead of the junior athletics and swimming championships, set to begin today and tomorrow, respectively.

Bangladesh Athletics Federation (BAF) was pleased to announce that their 38th age-group athletics championships would be held under a newly installed electronic scoreboard at Bangabandhu National Stadium (BNS). On the other hand, Bangladesh Swimming Federation (BSF) expressed their inability to hold the Saif Powertec 36th age-group swimming championships without hand-timing despite the availability of a new scoreboard at Syed Nazrul Islam Swimming Complex in Mirpur.

Over the years, competitors in both athletics and swimming developed a false notion of their true timing recorded in a hand timer, leaving them struggling to be judged at the international level.

While the renovation of BNS includes a new track and a new electronic timer for athletics, swimming has been left in the dark due to a defective electronic timer built in 2019 at a cost of Tk 5 crore.

"Everything is ready for the junior athletics championships, and we want to run all events on an electronic timer if we can accommodate the time in a three-day competition. However, all sprint events such as the 100m, 200m, and 400m of various age groups will be held under an electronic timer," said BAF general secretary Abdur Rokib Montu, adding that a record number of approximately 600 junior athletes will compete in the championships, with the possibility of receiving Tk 10,000 for each national record made.

Meanwhile, BSF general secretary MB Saif reiterated his powerlessness to resolve the broken electronic timer through the National Sports Council (NSF), the country's sports governing body.

"We don't know much about the technical aspects, and we couldn't get the right time by scheduling the trials at different times. So, because we have not taken over the electronic timer from the NSC, we are forcing the meets to be held in the hand timer," MB Saif stated at the press conference.

He added, "We had previously filed a complaint with the ministry [of Youth and Sports] and the parliamentary standing committee for youth and sports, and they promised us that they would take action after the investigation, but nothing happened. However, we are still working to make the electronic timer functional."

Some 550 swimmers from 65 teams, including BKSP, Bangladesh Ansar, DSAs, and swimming clubs, are expected to compete in the championships, which has been sponsored by Saif Powertec since 2013.