ZCZC
BSP-24
HOCKEY-CAMP
Camp for Bangabandhu Junior Asia Cup hockey in full swing
DHAKA, Feb 8, 2020 (BSS)- The national hockey camp for the next edition of
Bangabandhu Junior Asia Cup-2020 going in full swing under the supervision of
head coach Mamunur Rashid.
The Bangabandhu Junior Asia Cup is scheduled to be held on June 4-14 in
Dhaka with the participation of 10 countries. The tournament will be held
with the name of Bangabandhu to celebrate the birth centenary of Father of
the Nation.
The 10 participating countries are India, Pakistan, Malaysia, Korea, Japan,
China, Oman, Chinese Taipei, Uzbekistan and host Bangladesh.
The camp began on November last year and again resumed in December after
the Victory Day Hockey competition. The camp will again take a 12-day recess
from February 12 due to Shaheed Smrity Hockey competition starting from
February 15.
Talking to BSS today (Saturday), Mamunur Rashid said the BHF had called the
camp through open trial in November last year where initially 80 players were
picked up.
He said the camp was eventually trimmed to 46 players after giving those 15
days training and now it is undergoing with 36 players who are going through
rigorous two sessions training at Moulana Bhasani National Hockey Stadium.
When asked their target in the Junior Asia Cup Hockey, Mamun firmly said,
“Off course we’re hoping to play the final of the tournament but our main
target is to qualify in the Junior World Cup Hockey as the four best teams of
Junior Asia Cup tournament will qualify in the Junior World Cup Hockey.”
He informed that the Junior World Cup Hockey would be held in 2022 though
the venue of the World Cup is yet to announce.
Acting General Secretary of Bangladesh Hockey Federation (BHF) Mohammad
Yousuf said as the hockey team played a series against Oman in November last
year so the BHF also have plan to send the team to Oman in March for taking
part a four-nation hockey tournament as a part of preparation for the
upcoming Bangabandhu Junior Asia Cup though the date of the meet yet to
confirm.
He said they are also discussing Malaysia to arrange a tournament for the
team while a Korean coach recently visited to Dhaka offered the BHF to
arrange a tournament, though all are under processing.
Yousuf said, “Actually we have a plan to organise more tournaments ahead of
the Junior Asia Cup to make the hockey team ready but due to fund crisis we
have been facing difficulties to arrange those tournaments.”
BSS/SG/SSS/1817 hrs