Why Can't we, 160M Bangladeshis Field 10 Decent Athletes?

I recently came across a meme comparing Iceland and India in the Olympics, looking at the number of medals relative to their populations. It got me thinking—while we certainly face challenges here at home in Bangladesh, why can’t we produce at least 10 half-decent athletes every year? They don’t even need to win medals; just having the chance to compete in a few world events would be a start. I understand that sports like athletics, gymnastics, and swimming require significant upfront investment, but given the current socio-political and economic landscape of Bangladesh, the amounts surely aren’t astronomical. And I refuse to believe we lack talented individuals in this country.

Even incremental progress would be acceptable. For example, if we sent 10 athletes to this Olympics, sending 20 to the next could be considered a success. By the following one, maybe 30, and then 50 after that. Yet, our participation seems to have stagnated (I haven't seen more than 15-20 athletes qualify since I have been following sports , 2000 Sydney Olympics) . This isn’t just an issue in athletics—it’s the same with other sports like cricket or football. There’s no consistency, no visible growth.

I’m left wondering why this keeps happening. Has anyone conducted an in-depth analysis of how our sports governing bodies operate? What exactly are we lacking, and where can we improve? Research from other countries offers some clues. For instance, a 2019 study on sports development in developing nations highlighted that countries like Kenya and Jamaica excel in athletics not just because of talent, but due to targeted investment in coaching, infrastructure, and grassroots programs—areas where Bangladesh seems to fall short. It’s frustrating to think that, with a population of over 160 million, we have so little representation in world-class sports—or anything, really. I don’t want to dive into other sectors here; that’s a discussion for another time. But for now, this lack of progress in sports feels like a missed opportunity we can’t keep ignoring.