Chandan, Nazirul suspended

Mohammedan defender Asaduzzaman Khan Chandan and Wari Club official Nazirul Islam were each handed one-match suspensions for separate incidents of unruly behaviour during their respective clubs' Premier Division Hockey League encounters recently.

Chandan, who assaulted two Pakistani players during his club's match against Bangladesh SC on Saturday, was subsequently given marching orders during the match. That marching order, coupled with the fresh suspension, means Chandan will miss Mohammedan's next two matches.

Chandan's teammates -- Rasel Mahmud Jimmy, Rasel Khan Bappi and Zahid Hossain -- were also given warnings for their involvement in the incident. Meanwhile, Wari Club official Nazirul Islam was suspended for one match for chasing the referee during the club's recent match against Shadharan Bima.    

The decisions were made on Saturday at the league committee meeting, which also decided that only 18 players and four officials of each club would be allowed at the dugout and only the manager of the team would be allowed to step out of the dugout during matches.

It has been learnt that the league committee wanted to mete out an exemplary punishment to Chandan, but handed out a marginal punishment fearing the decision might not go down well with Mohammedan SC, which returned to domestic competitions after nearly four years.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh SC general secretary Hazi Mohammad Humayun alleged that the club was facing trouble keeping Siraj Ali and Shabaz Ali, who were assaulted by Chandan, as the two Pakistanis were eager to go back home.