Once Bangladesh’s Star Gymnast, Now USA’s Golden Coach

Bangla Press Desk:   Born and raised in the United States but forever tied to Bangladesh through the red and green, former Olympian Quazi Syque Caesar has once again made headlines — this time as a coach.

The Bangladeshi-American artistic gymnast, who represented Bangladesh at the London 2012 Olympics and the Incheon 2014 Asian Games, has guided the U.S. men’s gymnastics team to remarkable success at the 53rd FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Championships, held in Jakarta, Indonesia, from October 19 to 25. Under Caesar’s guidance, the U.S. team clinched two golds, one silver, and two bronzes, drawing wide praise within the gymnastics community.

Caesar, born in 1990 in Florida, comes from a sporting family. His father, Kazi Caesar, was a footballer in the 1970s and 80s, playing for Arambagh, Brothers Union. while his uncle Jolly Caesar served the Arambagh club as player, coach, and organizer. Inspired by that legacy, Syque turned to gymnastics at a young age and later caught the attention of Sheikh Bashir Ahmed Mamun, then president of the Bangladesh Gymnastics Federation. Invited to represent Bangladesh in 2011, Caesar made history by winning the country’s first international gold medal in parallel bars at the South Central Asian Championships, alongside three more medals.

After retiring as an athlete, Caesar turned to coaching — first at Stanford University, and later with Team USA, where he helped them clinch Olympic bronze in Paris (2024). His latest triumph in Jakarta marks a new peak. “It’s surreal,” he said. “One of my athletes was considering retirement a year ago, and now he’s a double world champion. Moments like this remind us why we do it.”

Reflecting on his team’s recent success, he said, “We’ve worked so hard for this, and now we’re taking two golds back home. This is just the beginning toward Los Angeles 2028.”

Despite his U.S. success, Caesar’s heart remains with Bangladesh. He dreams of one day returning as a coach to lead the nation he once proudly represented, saying, “If given the chance, I’d love to coach Bangladesh. The country has real talent — it just needs the right opportunities and long-term planning.”

BP/SP