The Bangladesh Hockey Federation has failed to arrange any practice match for the national hockey team ahead of the Asia Cup starting on August 24 in Malaysia.
The national team are making preparations since the first week of July and other than some trial matches dividing themselves into two teams they did not play any warm-up matches to asses their improvement.
National team coach Naveed Alam asked the BHF to organise some preparation matches ahead of the Asia Cup. The federation is trying to bring an Indian club team to play a series.
Two Indian premier league teams – Food Corporation of India and Oil and Natural Gas Corporation – had initially agreed to tour Dhaka after getting an invitation from the BHF but later denied to come here. The federation’s effort to bring the Singapore national team also went in vain.
After the BHF failed to organise any practice match at home, head coach Naveed Alam himself set up a preparation match against his native country Pakistan on August 22 in Malaysia. The BHF is also trying to arrange another warm-up match against hosts Malaysia two days before their first group match against South Korea.
‘To assess the improvement of the players, we have to play some practice matches ahead of the Asia Cup but the BHF failed to arrange any match during this time. Now we have to do it in the Pakistan match in Malaysia,’ said Mahbub Harun, assistant coach of the national team, on Wednesday.
Mamunur Rashid, a member of the BHF executive body and also a member of the selection committee, informed that they are trying to arrange some practice matches against the services teams.
Meanwhile, though the BHF failed to arrange any practice matches, they were able to find sponsors for the national team as the South East Bank Limited agreed to provide Tk 30 lakh and ATN Bangla will give the air tickets for the squad. Boutique shop Anjan’s will be the outfit sponsor of the national side for the Asia Cup.
-With New Age input
