Bangladeshi archer Alif, who hunted birds with sling, aims for Olympic glory

The 19-year-old claims his first senior international title a week before his 12th grade exams

Bangladesh's Abdur Rahman Alif, who hunted birds with a sling before discovering competitive archery, won gold in the men's recurve in the sport's Asia Cup event in Singapore and now has his sights on the 2028 Olympics.

The 19-year-old, a student at the National Sports Institute of Bangladesh (BKSP), will sit his 12th grade exams barely a week after claiming his first senior international title.

"My father's friend told him to let me try out for archery as well, I could maybe do well and there's a good future in archery. Back then I used to enjoy hunting birds with a sling. I tried out, got through," Ali told national daily newspaper "Prothom Alo" in an interview published on Monday.

Alif, who hails from Pabna, about 140 kilometers west of the capital Dhaka, originally wanted to become a footballer.

He was inspired to take up archery by Ruman Shana, who won bronze in the recurve at the 2019 World Championships, the first Bangladeshi to win a medal in the event.

"He [Shana] won the medal at the World Championships... qualified for the Olympics. One day we can too," Alif said.

In the recurve event, archers use bows with limbs that curve away from them when unstrung.

"The Olympics are three years away... my job is to get myself ready," Alif said.