The rebelling national hockey players have finally decided to join the national camp for the Asia Cup scheduled to begin on June 10 after a fruitful discussion with Bangladesh Hockey Federation president Air Marshal Enamul Bari at his office on Saturday.
Bari assured the players that he will look after their well-being and listen to their demands personally in the future.
The president asked the players to concentrate only on their game and not get involved in any subversive activities for the greater interest of the game.
‘The players should not get involved with anything outside the field. They should only play while I will take care of their welfare and demands,’ said the BHF president after the meeting.
The players had asked for a face-to-face meeting with the BHF president to press home their three-point demand which includes holding of the players’ transfer as declared (July 2 to 4), reducing the foreign players’ quota for each club from five to three and impose a quota on the number of BKSP players allowed for each club.
Even though the latter two demands were declined in the premier league committee meeting recently, the BHF president said that he will reconsider those demands.
Enamul Bari however said that the issue of the National Sports Council’s five counselors for the election is not under his jurisdiction so the clubs should keep this subject separate from the players’ transfer.
‘The date of transfer was fixed after discussion with the club officials. So I would ask the clubs not to mix the transfer with any other issue,’ he said.
The players were satisfied after the meeting with the BHF president and confirmed that they would join the camp from June 10.
‘We are happy with the meeting as president sir assured us that he will personally look after our demands and solve any problems regarding the players in the future. So we are joining the national camp,’ said Zahid Hossain, captain of the national team.
Russell Khan Bappi, president of the Players’ Welfare Association informed that they will withdraw their boycott of the national camp due to the assurance of the BHF president.
Meanwhile, the governing body on Saturday short-listed the probable coaches for the national team as Indian
former national team coach Rajender Singh Sr., Harendra Singh and former
Pakistan national coach Naveed Alam are being considered.
Mamunur Rashid, member of BHF informed that they will have to readjust their target of the monthly salary from $3000 as all the three coaches are insisting on receiving more than that amount.
Mamun also verified that they will take a final decision on selecting any one of these three coaches within the next 10 days as the national camp is set to start from Monday.
In a different development, the BHF decided to fine Emran Hasan Pintu and Shahidullah Khokon Tk one lakh each for assaulting an umpire during the eighth Bangladesh Games in April this year.
The two players playing for Dhaka District assaulted an umpire during the third-place deciding match against BKSP.
-With New Age input
