PLAYERS PRESS FOR NEW DEMANDS
No end to hockey stalemate
The national hockey players threatened to continue their boycott unless they are officially provided a written date for the players’ transfer and set a quota for the BKSP players during the transfer.
The Bangladesh Hockey Federation on Sunday announced that the players’ transfer will be held from July 2 to 4 after meeting with club officials and federation president Air Marshal Enamul Bari.
However, the players want the federation to make an official announcement when they met BHF general secretary Khawaja Rahamatullah at his office in the afternoon.
Rahamatullah insisted that he could not make the announcement as it had to come though the league committee. The agitating players, however, were not satisfied with his reply.
They also demanded that no club should be allowed the privilege of forming the team solely with BKSP students. The demand came following media reports that suggested Abahani, one of the hockey giants, took a move of forming the whole team with BKSP-based players.
The players argued that if a team like Abahani went for BKSP players, it will reduce the value of the senior players who will have to play in the other sides for a nominal payment.
The national players, who continued to boycott the Asia Cup training camp since May 15, demanded that there should be a specific quota for BKSP boys so that it could be a win-win situation for all parties involved.
The players also expressed their reservation about increasing the quota of foreign players from four to five, which was reported in the media recently.
‘We placed three demands to the federation’s general secretary [Rahamatullah], including the need for a written announcement of the transfer date, introducing a quota for BKSP players and keeping the quota of foreign players unchanged,’ said Rasel Khan Bappy, president of the Players’ Welfare Association.
‘We cannot rely upon a verbal announcement. If there is no written guarantee we are not coming back to the camp,’ he added.
BHF general secretary Rahamatullah stated that he could not possibly give any assurances regarding the quota of BKSP players and foreign players as only the league committee can take a decision about it.
He also did not see any reason for making any formal announcements of the transfer date as the federation president already made it official.
‘When the federation president says something, I think everybody should listen,’ said Rahamatullah. ‘Still I will sit with the president about their demands. Hopefully they will end the boycott and return to the camp.’
-With New Age input