Hockey team leaving for Europe today

The national hockey team will leave today for Europe to play nine practice matches against Poland and Austria as part of the team's preparation for November's AHF Cup.

Of the 19-member squad, nine players are already in Germany playing for different German clubs, and they will join the squad in Poland. Local coach Mahbub Harun and BHF members Ehsan Rana and Ariful Islam Prince will accompany the squad during their nearly three weeks of stay in Europe. 

The national team will play six practice matches against Poland national team from Oct 19 to October 26 before heading to Austria to play another three matches from Oct 27 to 30, informed Bangladesh Hocket Federation's vice president Shafiullah Al Munir at a press briefing at the Maulana Bhasani Hockey Stadium yesterday.

Though Bangladesh will have to compete in comparatively warm weather at the AHF Cup in Hong Kong in November, the players will be preparing and playing practice matches in cold weather of Europe. The justification of such a preparation camp and hectic match schedules gave rise to a few questions at the press briefing.

“It was my promise to send the national team to Europe for preparation. Besides, hockey is now a game based on technology and there are some technological loopholes in our team. So we want the players to adapt to these techniques and technology by the German coaching staff which we have appointed,” Munir said, adding that they also want more Bangladeshi players to get an opportunity to play different leagues in Germany, which is another reason they are sending the team to Germany.

When asked whether nine matches in 12 days would help the national team, Munir said: “I have asked the players who are ready to play successive practice matches. I think if we play practice matches in the morning, then the training session will be held in afternoon session and most of the players are used to such schedules in Germany.”

Having played the practice matches, the squad is supposed to return to Dhaka on November 6 and they will have a 10-day preparation camp before leaving for Hong Kong.