Let’s say, there is no such thing as Bangladesh Sports Education Institution (BKSP) in this country. If this is the case, there would be something called hockey in the country! The question is being raised recently. Especially after 27 months of playing domestic hockey last February, it is seen that clubs are having trouble building teams without players from the country’s only sports training institute. Especially the smaller groups.
The number of players was 202 in the 11 clubs that played in the Premier Hockey League this time. Among them, 119 are former and current students of BKSP. There were 24 present. 83 players outside BKSP and foreign players. In the country’s highest level of hockey, the number of former and current players of BKSP is about 59 percent. Dilkusha Sporting Club participating in this year’s Premier League was not the only BKSP player. The national team also has no players outside BKSP after 2017. Questions have also been raised about the quality of players coming from outside BKSP in this league.
Statistics say that without BKSP players, the country’s hockey is quite stagnant. Once upon a time old Dhaka was the center of hockey. Hockey was a tradition in the old part of Dhaka. The country got many hockey stars from Armanitola school in old Dhaka. In the past, there was an excess of players from old Dhaka in the highest level of hockey in the country. Hockey players regularly came from other parts of the country. Faridpur, Rajshahi, Dinajpur, Jessore were the places where hockey players were sourced outside old Dhaka. But now that supply is about to stop. The reason is the decrease in hockey practice, no regular league, lack of infrastructure. There is hardly any hockey talent scouting program in the country; Neither the club nor the federation is interested in scouting for talent.
BKSP is the only institution which is engaged in selecting and training talented hockey players from all over the country. Without BKSP players, the future of hockey in the country is bleak.
Mahbub Haroon, former captain and coach of the national team, came from Faridpur. He is quite disappointed with the hockey activities in his district Faridpur, “Hockey is not practiced in Faridpur like before.” Not only kids are interested in hockey. And those who are interested, come to play, BKSP is taking them. Now BKSP has players from Faridpur, Rajshahi, Jessore – everywhere. But the number is not very high.
BKSP seats are limited. They don’t have the opportunity to get too many players from one district even if they are scouting for talent. According to BKSP sources, every year the institute admits about 30 children in hockey. It is not that they all survive in the end. Currently, the number of hockey trainees in these two branches of BKSP, Savar and Dinajpur, is 135. The number of boys in Dhaka is 66, girls 34. 35 students in Dinajpur. This number is not very high in a sport like hockey.
Rafiqul Islam Kamal, one of the best hockey strikers in the country, who hailed from Armanitolo School in Old Dhaka, does not want to see BKSP’s impact on hockey in the country in a negative light. But he fears, without BKSP, the supply of hockey players is dwindling fast. He thinks the role of hockey federation and clubs is important to get out of this situation, “BKSP is doing a good job. At least they saved the game of hockey. Few federations have to look for talent from outside the BKSP to maintain player supply. Academy should be done like cricket and football. Hockey clubs sit idly by. They can scout for talent, form their own age-based teams.
Many hockey players came out holding the hand of Fazlur Rahman, the hockey coach of Armanitola School. Still he continues the work of making players. Fazlur Rahman admitted that children are less interested in hockey than before. They may be enrolling in hockey training to pass the time but they have no future plans for the game. That’s when many players are pulled by the club. There has been no league for the last three years. However, there is less hockey practice in Armanitola School or Old Dhaka. Some go to BKSP. Federations or clubs should come forward to produce players.
Former national team player Ashikuzzaman also said the same thing. This player, who emerged from Jessore and established himself at the national level, said, ‘The work of the clubs is only to spend money and make teams, they are not producing players. I don’t see any initiative of Hockey Federation. The league is played every three years. No one would be interested in hockey then. BKSP has at least saved the game. But this will not last long. If the hockey program is not right, no one can be made interested in hockey even by force.
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