The long-lasting crisis of local hockey was finally resolved on Friday after Khwaja Rahmatullah resigned from the position of Bangladesh Hockey Federation general secretary.
\nAbdus Sadek, the veteran vice-president of BHF, was given the charge of general secretary during an emergency meeting of the federation\u2019s governing body while Rahmatullah was made vice-president.
\nRahmatullah took the position of Sabbir Yusuf, who died last year.
\nThe BHF also announced that the inter-club players\u2019 transfer for the next Dhaka Premier Hockey League will be held from December 13 to 15.
\nThe resignation of Rahmatullah and the subsequent announcement of transfer date appeased all aggrieved parties, signaling the end of the crisis that began way back in 2013.
\nFour clubs, who included local hockey giants Mohammedan Sporting Club and Mariner Young\u2019s Club, refrained from participating in any competitions under Rahmatullah.
\nAs a result, the BHF could not organise any league since February 2014, which hit the players hard. With their backs firmly on the wall, players refused to join the national team camp for the forthcoming South Asian Games unless the crisis was resolved.
\nBHF president Air Marshal Abu Esrar, also the chief of air staff, looked to be a relived man after the crisis was solved.
\n\u2018I think that the decisions that we have taken here in the GB meeting nobody will oppose them,\u2019 Esrar told reporters after the meeting. \u2018I am sure that the decisions that we have taken, all clubs will agree with us and will come forward for the betterment of hockey.\u2019
\nBoth Mohammedan and Mariners have accepted the decisions.
\nLokman Hossain Bhuiyan, director in-charge of Mohammedan, said that they have taken the decisions positively.
\n\u2018We appreciate the decisions. This is what we were demanding for the last two years,\u2019 Lokman told New Age.
\n\u2018We will now accept any decision that will be made by the federation. Also, we will participate in the players\u2019 transfer.\u2019
\nHasanullah Khan Rana, the general secretary of Mariner Young\u2019s Club, echoed the same words and also thanked prime minister Sheikh Hasina and Bangladesh Cricket Board president Nazmul Hasan for resolving the crisis.
\nUpon instructed by the prime minister, Nazmul last week took an initiative and managed to convince Rahmatullah to relinquish his position.
\n\u2018I like to thank honourable prime minister for her concern over the matter,\u2019 said Rana. I am also personally thankful to Papan Bhai [Nazmul Hasan] for his role in solving the problem.\u2019
\nRahmatullah, the outgoing secretary, said he accepted the decision for the sake of hockey.
\n\u2018I took the decision sportingly,\u2019 Rahamtullah told reporters. \u2018The big thing is that hockey is going to roll on. We have taken all the decisions for the greater interest of hockey.\u2019
\nRahmatullah said he worked sincerely during his two-year time as general secretary.
\n\u2018I did my job with utmost sincerity,\u2019 he said. Now other people will judge if I was successful.\u2019
\nThe former national player denied that he was forced to resign.
\n\u2018There was no scope for forcing me to resign, because I didn\u2019t do anything that would require me to resign.
\n\u2018There was no specific allegation against me. Some clubs boycotted all kind of hockey activities, but they could not specify the allegation against me,\u2019 he said.
\nPlayers said they are now planning to join the national team camp as soon as possible.
\n\u2018As the federation accepted our demand, we don\u2019t have any problem to join the camp now,\u2019 said national team forward Moinul Islam Kowshik.
\nNewly appointed general secretary Sadek said his first initiative will be to make the teams ready for the AHF Under-21 Cup and the SA Games.
\n\u2018My first preference will be running the training camp properly,\u2019 Sadek told New Age.
\n\u2018I requested all the players to join in the camp immediately because we have to take part in the AHF U-21 tournament in next month.
\n\u2018If we can finish among the top-four in this tournament, we have chance to qualify for the World Cup, which I think will be a great honour for us.\u2019<\/p>\n

-With New Age<\/strong> input<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The long-lasting crisis of local hockey was finally resolved on Friday after Khwaja Rahmatullah resigned from the position of Bangladesh Hockey Federation general secretary. Abdus Sadek, the veteran vice-president of BHF, was given the charge of general secretary during an emergency meeting of the federation\u2019s governing body while Rahmatullah<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_editorskit_title_hidden":false,"_editorskit_reading_time":0,"_editorskit_is_block_options_detached":false,"_editorskit_block_options_position":"{}","footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[9772,9148,12641],"yoast_head":"\n