Uncertainty to stay even after pandemic
After the Bangladesh Hockey Federation (BHF) elections in April 2019, there were high hopes that the brand new leadership would get the Premier Hockey League (PHL) back on the right track but those fond hopes have became unfounded up to now, and the coronavirus pandemic has plunged the group into further uncertainty.
After being elected to the post of BHF general secretary, with backing from the Dhaka clubs, Mominul Haque Shaheed promised to stage the PHL -- last held in 2018 -- in October but fled the united states after his alleged involvement in the casino scandal of 'Motijheel Golf club Para' last September. Shaheed was likely to give financial assistance to five to seven clubs, and so his continued absence has dealt a large blow.
BHF officials have since been engaged found in less important activities at the trouble of the PHL -- the lone income source for players, who've been experiencing hardships amid the pandemic.
The game's governing body primarily focused on preparations for the U-21 team for the now-suspended Junior Asia Cup in Dhaka and holding the school hockey tournament. The federation has got finally started shifting emphasis to the Premier Hockey Little league for post-pandemic times, but that depends upon the will of participating clubs, a few of which always seek more time and delay the process, citing financial inability.
"Actually, there is absolutely no benefit in running tournaments other than Premier Hockey Group. We, several officials, advised the BHF president [Air Chief Marshal Masihuzzaman Serniabat] our first task ought to be to level the group when hockey actions resume and the president as well wants that," explained BHF Vice-president Zaki Ahmed Ripon, who's as well the secretary of Abahani's hockey committee.
Ripon added that he will not want to level any other tournament while the chairman of BHF's tournament committee.
Since Shaheed's departure in September, the BHF took almost five months to create the league committee, which in turn asked clubs to send representatives however in the wake of the pandemic cannot even sit mutually for an individual meeting.
BHF Vice-president Abdur Rashid Shikdar, a close ally of Shaheed, believes some clubs and the federation itself were damaged by Shaheed's absence but insisted that each stakeholder must right now come forward to stage the PHL.
"It'll be tough to carry the premier group if the clubs don't need to participate. All stakeholders, including the clubs, sponsors and players must come forward and produce some personal efforts to achieve the premier group running," stated Shikdar, as well the president of Usha KC, which was relegated to the primary division after failing woefully to kind a squad in the last edition.
"In the post-pandemic period, sponsors will not be able to donate like they did before due to the coronavirus pandemic. The clubs won't be able to be a part of the little league without donations from sponsors or individuals. So, I demand sponsors and specific patrons to come ahead with whatever volume they are able to donate and the clubs should also come frontward with whatever volume they manage. Finally, the players need to agree to receive amounts that are significantly less than they received within the last edition," explained Shikdar.
BHF Treasurer and Bangladesh Sporting Golf club Standard Secretary Hazi Mohammad Humayun said that his golf club also want the league to take place nonetheless they need financial assistance from the government.
"We will also be a part of the little league if every club participates, but we have no idea how exactly to manage funds in today's scenario. If the government gives little clubs like Bangladesh SC financial incentives to create squads, it will help us to be a part of the premier league," said Humayun.
Asked whether the federation could provide financial assistance to the premier group clubs, Abdur Rashid Shikdar explained, "The federation is not financially solvent, nonetheless it helped clubs in second and initial division leagues."
Nowadays rolling the premier hockey little league on the turf exclusively depends on the willingness of the clubs, who the title contenders may easily cut their expenditure simply by banning the overseas players this time around and everything will be cleared once the league committee begins with the golf club representatives to understand their view about the league.
