The Bangladesh national hockey team will leave here for India tomorrow to take part in two separate tournaments in New Delhi as part of their preparation for next February's World Hockey League (Round-2) which will also be held in the same city.
Striker Pushkor Khisa Mimo has returned to the 18-member fold while young striker Moinul Islam Kaushik, the highest scorer of last season, has been excluded from the team, which will first play in the Nehru Cup (Nov 14-25) and then Lal Bahadur Shastri Hockey Tournament (Nov 25 - ) as Bangladesh have been given direct entry from the second round in both tournaments.
Coach Mahbub Haroon wants to ascertain the right combination and identify the loopholes before the World Hockey League through experimenting in these tournaments even through he wants to put up a good performance.
“Even though the club sides are taking part in these tournaments, It will be tough to become champions because those club sides are almost as good as the national team of India,” said Haroon on the eve of their departure
at a press conference
at the BOA auditorium yesterday.
Bangladesh will play against Air India, Panjab National Bank, ONGC in the second round of
Nehru Cup and two
victories in three matches will put them through to the semifinal.
In the Lal Bahadur Shastri Hockey Tourna-ment, Bangladesh will have to play against two clubs from Pakistan
and Malaysia, Oman national team and four local clubs.
Meanwhile, Rahim-afrooz, Nitol-Niloy and Farr Ceramics are sponsoring the national teams for both tournaments.
SQUAD
Zahid Hossain (captain), Rafiqul Islam, Imran Hasan, Tapash Barman, Assaduzzaman Chandan, Kamruzzaman, Sheikh Mohammad Nannu, Rasel Mahmud Jimmy, Krishna Kumar, Jahid Bin Talib Shuvo, Irfanul Haque, Iqbal Nadir Prince, Pushkar Khisha, Hasan Jubair Niloy, Sarwar Hossain and Abdul Malek.
Officials: Kazi Moinuz-zaman (manager), Jafrul Islam (asst manager), Mahbub Haron (coach) and Jahirul Islam Mitul (asst coach).