When he met a well-known journalist, he used to say, ‘One day Armanitola came to school. Watch my hockey coaching with kids. Responding to his request, many journalists went to Anturghar Armanitola Hockey School in Old Dhaka. Where Fazlul Islam used to teach hockey to small boys in the area. Day by day he became ‘Fazlu Ustad’. The dedicated hockey player, organizer, coach Fazlu Ustad passed away on September 4. His death is an irreparable loss for hockey in Bangladesh.
Such a dedicated hockey coach is not seen in Bangladesh anymore. He may not be alive anymore. However, the hockey players-organizers-umpires are hoping for a good day in old Dhaka hockey by keeping his hockey-dream alive. Fazlu Ustad’s Hockey Academy was launched on October 9 at Trinamool’s initiative.
Official inauguration of ‘Ustad Fazlu Trinamool Pathshala’ was held today on Friday at the Ekchitle courtyard of Armanitola Government High School. 65 children and teenagers from 8 schools including Armanitola Government High School, Ahmed Bawani School, Kasaituli Muslim School, Hammadia School, Birshrestha Matiur Rahman School, Mahuttuli Primary School have come to this 9-day non-residential camp.
Children from class I to VIII are practicing at the camp, which will continue till October 17. After that children will be given certificates by Armanitola School.
Many children and teenagers have said that they want to be like Kamal, Jimmy, one of the most popular faces of hockey in Old Dhaka. Some people want to grow up and play in the big team of Dhaka. Once many players from Armanitola played in the national team. Now it has decreased.
Former national team player Maqsood Alam Habul is sure to bring back that tradition, “We want to provide more players from old Dhaka to the national team again like before.” According to hockey umpire Ismail Hossain, “We will try our best to bring back Armanitola’s hockey tradition.”
Salim Laki requested the wealthy to extend their support to the academy. The international elite hockey umpire of Bangladesh, who played a role in starting the program of Fazlu Trinamool Academy, said, ‘We can be successful if we get everyone’s cooperation. We want to keep Fazlu Ustad’s dream alive. Even if he is gone, we will continue the training program he left behind.’
Kamrul Islam Kismat, a former player of the national team, one of the biggest names in hockey in old Dhaka, spoke about developing the new generation of the area through this academy. Former hockey players Jamal Haider, Maqsud Alam Habul, Shawkat Ali, Umpire Ismail Hossain, Salim Lucky are training here.
