Al Hikma clinch school hockey title
Al Hikma clinch school hockey title
Al Hikma School became the third institute from Rajshahi district to win the national school hockey title when they came from behind to beat Jessore Municipal Preparatory School 2-1 in the final of the First Security Islami Bank National School Hockey Championship at the Maulana Bhasani Hockey Stadium yesterday.
Walid Hossain Sweet put the Jessore school ahead before Abu Sayeed Hridoy levelled the margin in the first half. Ahsan Habib Hridoy scored the winning goal in the second half for the Rajshahi school to ensure that the fifth title out of seven national school hockey championships were clinched by a Rajshahi school.
Though there was no impressive performance from either of the side but it was teamwork from the players of Al Hikma School, who have been together for the last four years.
“We are committed to keep our hockey heritage intact and we did it by winning the final,” said Al Hikma coach Bappi Kumar Ghosh, who is also a Dhaka Premier Division player.
Bappi informed that most players of his side have been playing in district league and participated in the national youth championship for Rajshahi district and most of them want to build their career as hockey players.
The boys from Jessore though have no such experience and have only been together for 45 days of training and they are more or less happy with the result.
“Actually we lost due to inexperience. However, we are happy with the way the boys played throughout the tournament," said Municipal Preparatory coach Jasimuddin urging the district organisers to resume the Jessore hockey league which was last held in 2005.
The Bangladesh Hockey Federation picked up 80 players from the championship in which six players each from the champions and runners-up teams have been chosen.
Chief guest sports minister Biren Shikdar distributed prizes among the players where Shihab Hossain of Armanitola School received Tk one lakh as top scorer with 16 goals.