Franchise hockey league taking shape
Amid massive enthusiasm among the players, the inaugural Hockey Champions Trophy (HCT) is gradually taking shape to roll onto the turf on October 28, and the logo of the franchise-based hockey league is set to be disclosed today.
As the names of participating corporate houses and the local and foreign coaches have already been named, the organisers now wait for the auction of the players, who are undergoing fitness tests -- the first time in domestic hockey competition's history -- to become eligible for the auction.
Apart from the players of the national hockey team, who in the recent past had played three international tournaments, most of the players sat idle for 11 months since the completion of the Dhaka Premier Hockey League, which ended in November last year. The extended break had prompted the organisers to make players go through a multi-stage fitness test, also known as the beep test.
"To be honest, many players had taken their initiatives to work on fitness and get the teams in the Hockey Champions Trophy. Whereas, previously the players used to get fit in the camp of the clubs during the premier hockey league," Imran Hasan Pintoo, former national defender, told The Daily Star yesterday.
As many as 194 players already had their beep tests on September 23 and 24, with more than 80 players -- including renowned ones such as Puskor Khisha Mimo, Hasan Jubair Niloy, Prince Lal, Rabbi Salehin Rocky, Abu Sayeed Nippon, Khalilur Rahman Rocky, Taher Ali, and many others – had failed to cross the standard threshold in the beep test.
Those who could not pass, however, will get another opportunity to retake the beep test on October 6. Pintoo is willing to see the positive side of the beep test.
"As the players are going through the beep test to become eligible for the tournament, I think no team will be the clear favourite in the tournament," Pintoo said. "From now on, the players will also be aware to keep themselves fit before the next edition of the HCT if they want to earn some bucks from the tournament."
Sajad AA Adel, the chairman of the players' draft committee of HCT and the Bangladesh Hockey Federation (BHF) vice president, explained the need of having the beep test for the players.
"Only the fit players will be available in the players' draft because the franchises don't want to rope in unfit or injured players since they are investing a lot. It is also being done because of ensuring quality matches as the players were out of action for a long time," said the BHF vice president.
Adel also added that the five categories of players – Icon, A+, A, B, and C – will be decided only after the completion of the beep test. Moshiur Rahman Biplob, coach of Rupayan Group, informed that they have to wait for the players' draft to rope in players as they initially planned to start their training on October 10, around 18 days before the start of the HCT.
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