Ahead of the national hockey team's preparation camp for April's AHF Cup, the Bangladesh Hockey Federation (BHF) has taken its first step by appointing a three-member coaching panel on Monday. However, the decision to exclude veteran player Rasel Mahmud Jimmy from the upcoming fitness test has sparked debate within the country's hockey fraternity.

Citing concerns over his age, the BHF sidelined 38-year-old Jimmy from the fitness test (Cooper test) on February 20, while around 60 players were selected. The preparation camp is set to begin on March 1 at Maulana Bhasani Hockey Stadium, with the AHF Cup scheduled in Jakarta from April 17-25.

In an effort to bring professionalism to the team, the BHF's newly formed ad-hoc committee interviewed eight of the 11 shortlisted candidates before selecting the coaching panel. New contracts aim to clarify the roles and responsibilities of both the coaches and the federation.

Asked about the exclusion of Jimmy, the committee's general secretary Lt Col (rtd) Riazul Hasan said, "We have been given the responsibility by emphasising development. If we talk about development, it consists of both the present and future.

"Besides, the international calendar is going to be busy in the coming days, so we have to think about the younger players.

"It doesn't mean we don't prefer senior players. We also have many senior players in the list, but Jimmy is no doubt much more senior than them. If you look at other countries like India and Pakistan, the average age of their players is between 30 and 33, because much older players can't cope physically at the international level."

The ad-hoc committee is prepared to shoulder the controversy for the sake of hockey's development.

"What we have tried to do is development. Perhaps, in striving for development, there will always be some sacrifices that have to be made at times. At times, you have to get into some controversies," Hasan said.

"As long as we are here, we will do what we think is best for the development of hockey. If controversy arises from it, we will shoulder it because we don't have any individual interests here," added the former hockey player.

Asked about the possibility of Jimmy retiring officially at the AHF Cup, setting a precedent, Hasan admitted, "Personally, I haven't thought about it this way," adding that their primary focus had been securing funds for the preparation camp. However, joint secretary Kazi Abu Jafar Tapan said the committee may consider the option and discuss it further.