The ad-hoc committee of Bangladesh Hockey Federation (BHF) is set to start its work by holding Victory Day Hockey Competition with four services teams, BKSP and Hockey Players' Welfare Unity, a team comprising national, age-group and former national players.

Star-studded Bangladesh Navy will play against BKSP in the opening match today as six teams, split into two groups, will fight for the title, which will be decided on December 30.

Services teams like Navy, Army, Air Force and Police usually take part in invitational tournaments regularly but the inclusion of Hockey Players' Welfare Unity caught everyone's attention due to the presence of current and former national players.

"Players who are not involved with services teams requested us to include them in the competition. They will play under the banner of Hockey Players' Welfare Unity, a move we welcomed," BHF general secretary Lt Col (Rtd) Riazul Hasan said at a press conference at the Maulana Bhasani Hockey Stadium yesterday.

National forward Pushkor Khisha Mimo informed that they have just got together to play the tournament as there has been no competition since the Dhaka Premier Division Hockey League ended in April.

"Bangladesh Navy, Army, Air Force, Police and even BKSP have some fixed players but there are also many players outside of those teams. They would have been sitting idle. So we have taken the initiative to play the competition because of our love towards hockey," Mimo told The Daily Star over phone.

Mimo also informed that a couple of individuals promised them to provide them with expenditures of jerseys, food and running of the camp as the players won't benefit from this tournament.

The national forward also urged the new committee to keep hockey on the ground.

"We want the continuation of hockey from the ad-hoc committee through the premier hockey league and franchise league. The committee should think of the players who are not involved with the service teams instead of thinking only about the services teams," said Mimo.

BHF general secretary Riazul said that they want to run the sport without any interruption and the victory day tournament is the first step towards that goal.