PHL still not in the works
Since the elected committee took over Bangladesh Hockey Federation (BHF) in April, there has been a loud demand to stage the Premier Hockey League (PHL)immediately. However, the activities of the game’s governing body over the last six months have given little or no indication that the league, which is the lone source of bread and butter for hockey players, would be staged.
It has been nearly 17 months since the last edition of the PHL ended in June 2018, but no initiatives have so far been taken following a power struggle between two groups of organisers’ that was finally settled through the April 28 polls.
Unfortunately, the newly elected committee has already spent nearly six months on indoor and women’s tournaments, neither of which have been mainstream events in hockey. Meanwhile, there were no signs of staging the much-demanded premier hockey league until the BHF executive committee formed a League Committee on Monday by naming former player Khaza Taher Latif Munna the secretary.
“We will all sit together and then take the decision about the premier hockey league. We will be trying to hold the league as soon as possible but it is certain that the league will not be held this year. Besides, we are planning to hold two tournaments -- school hockey and national hockey league -- and then hold the league sometime in next year,” Munna told The Daily Star over the phone yesterday.
However, it has been learnt that no discussion about staging the premier league took place during Monday’s executive meeting, although a member tried to raise the issue but failed to draw the attention of those present.
General secretary AKM Mominul Haque Shaeed, who went abroad following the casino scandal, had earlier promised to stage the league in between in September-October but the league seems a distant possibility as club officials, who are also in the executive committee, are reluctant to hold the league.
“I doubt whether the league will be held even next year as no one is interested in staging the league. Everyone was busy discussing school hockey, national and international hockey and the preparation of the U-21 national team,” said a BHF executive member who preferred not to be named.
He also added that the departure of Shaeed made the situation worse as some six to seven premier league clubs, including champions Mohammedan SC and Dhaka Mariner Youngs, heavily depend on the financial assistance of the general secretary, who may not come forward to help those clubs to form the squads.
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