DHAKA, – The youth hockey players will back to business as they will start their training camp tomorrow (Friday) under the supervision of youth hockey team coach Mamunur Rashid ahead of the Men’s U-21 Bangabandhu Asia Cup Hockey to be held next year.
Talking to BSS today, Bangladesh Hockey Federation (BHF) acting general secretary Mohammad Yousuf said the players would go to Bangladesh Air Force’s Bangabandhu Base tomorrow (Friday) to stay there and would have practice in the afternoon.
However the players’ will start practice at Moulana Bhasani National Hockey Stadium from Saturday five days in a week. The BHF will decide the practice schedule at a later stage, he added.
Replying to a question Yousuf informed that all the thirty six youth hockey players are physically and mentally fit for the camp after they were tested for COVID-19 negative.
Ten countries will take part in the tournament. The ten countries are Chinese Taipei, Uzbekistan, India, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, China, Malaysia, Pakistan and host Bangladesh.
Hosts Bangladesh have been pitted in the tough Group A of the ten-nation Bangabandu Under-21 Junior Asia Cup Hockey scheduled for January 21-30 at the Mawlana Bhashani National Stadium in Dhaka.
Defending champions India, runners-up Pakistan, third ranked South Korea, Chinese Taipei and hosts Bangladesh were placed in strong group A while Japan, Malaysia, China, Uzbekistan and Singapore were put in comparatively easier group B.
Asian Hockey Federation included Singapore in the last moment as Oman withdrew their name.
Bangladesh reached the quarter final of the meet in Malaysia in 2015 beating Oman by 5-4 goals, South Korea 2-0 and lost to Pakistan by 1-3 goals in group stage.
In the quarterfinal, Bangladesh suffered a 0-3 defeat drubbing against Japan while suffered a crushing 0-8 goals defeat against hosts Malaysia in a place-deciding match.
The tournament was earlier scheduled to hold on June 4-14 this year but the tournament was postponed due to COVI8D-19 pandemic.
The following players who will join in the camp are Biplob Khujur, Nuruzzaman, Mehedi Hasan, Ashraful Islam, Fazle Rabbi, Shafiul Alam, Prince Lal Shashonto, Mohammad Mahbub Hossain, Nayeem Uddin, Raju Ahmed Topu, Sarowar Murshed, Shawon, Sohanur Rahman Sobuj, Khaled Mahmud Rakin, SS Mehrab Hasan Samin, Amirul Islam, Abed Uddin, Al Nahiyan Shuvo, Mehedi Hasan, Nazmul Hasan, Mridul, Arshad Hossain, Rajib Das, Hridoy Sheikh, Sihab Hossain, Zahid Hossain, Ashraful Alam, Obaidul Haque Joy, Mohammad Mohsin, Debashish Kumar Roy, Alamin Mia, Shakib Mahmud Ovi, Yasin Arafat, Shoyeb Mollik Tonmoy, Mehedi Hasan Limon, Sabadur Rahman Mithu, M Rokibul Hasan (Rocky) and Rokibul Hasan.
