National hockey players are optimistic about their Germany tour as a part of their preparation for the upcoming Asian Games as the players of the preliminary squad reported to assistant coach Barkatullah Chapal at the Bangladesh Hockey Federation yesterday.
Of the 29-member squad, some 18 players are supposed to the leave for Germany in the last week of this month to play in the German second division in different clubs.
After staying there for almost two months, the national hockey players will return home and travel to Guangzhou, China for the November 12-27 Asian Games.
Before leaving the capital, they will however start practice today as all players excepting Rajon, Limon, Ashiq and Shuvo reported and stars like Jimmy, Biplob, Chayan and Mimo confirmed their presence over the phone.
“If everything goes properly in Germany, I think the players will gather valuable experience and it will help us in the Asian Games,” said striker Maksudul Alam Habul, who missed the SA Games but played the Asian Games’ qualifying round at home.
As a part of the SA Games, the hockey players were also taken to Europe last year for different clubs. But on their return the players alleged that German coach Gerhard Peter Rach did not take care of them an they had to sweat over managing themselves before each exhibition match since they were scattered across different clubs.
However, it has been learnt that this time ten of the players will play in a single club and the rest — two each at two different clubs in Bonn and the remaining four in Austria — will play in separate clubs.
Gerhard is also planning to bring the players staying in Germany under training for two days a week.
“In our first tour, there was no guidance for us, but this time the coach has ensured the guidance and a fitness coach to be appointed,” said Sheikh Mohammad Nannu.
“This time if we get to have practice together and get enough match-practice, I think we can recover from our poor performance of the qualifying round and do better in the finals in China.”
Meanwhile, favourites Bangladesh finished fifth ahead of Sri Lanka on better goal difference in the seven-team qualifying round of the Asian Games Qualifiers when they handed a 4-1 defeat to eventual champions Oman in the last match at home in May.
Habul blamed them for that disappointing performance and believed Bangladesh are still better side compared to those qualifying nations and they will play to retain the seventh place in the Games where Bangladesh finished seventh in the 2006 Doha Asian Games.
Bangladesh have been drawn into Pool B along with Pakistan, India, Japan and Hong Kong according to the Asian Hockey Federation website.
Coach Chapal also believed the tour of Germany will increase the individual toughness of the players and help them collectively during the competitive matches.
Some 11 players will stay home and follow the schedules prepared by German coach Gerhard, said Chapal.
