No Premier Hockey League in near future

Although the introduction of franchise-based Hockey Champions Trophy (HCT) last November presented a new ray of hope to revive the sport in the country, the Bangladesh Hockey Federation (BHF) officials have not yet chalked out a plan regarding when the next edition of the Premier Hockey League (PHL) will take place.

Over 12 months have already passed since the last PHL was held in November, 2021, courtesy of the financial assistance provided by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to the participating clubs. And after a four-year hiatus, which had left the hockey players in tatters, the latest edition of the much-anticipated PHL finally rolled onto turf .

It is being said that the continuation of the HCT and the PHL can set the platform for Bangladesh hockey to reach new heights as players can earn their bread and butter regularly. Also, the budding players will be able to grow their interest in the sport. But with only the HCT taking place, the revival of hockey in Bangladesh seems a distant dream.

The BHF officials have instead prioritised staging the first division hockey league – set to take place for the first time since 2018 – in a bid to pave the way for holding the next PHL. Their other primary agenda is holding the next BHF polls as the tenure of the existing committee expires in April.

"There is no discussion of holding the Premier Hockey League at the moment because we can't talk about it until we complete the first division hockey league, from where the promoted clubs will take part in the Premier Hockey League," said Mohammad Yousuf, BHF acting general secretary, who has been operating at the post for over three years after elected general secretary AKM Mominul Haque Shaeed fled the country in late 2019 following his involvement with casino scandal.

It has been learned that the first division hockey league is supposed to get underway after January 15. However, despite the completion of the players transfers, it is likely the competition will defer further. It results from the uncertainty of financial support involving the 12 participating clubs, who were each pledged by the federation officials to provide two lakh takas.

"We have been searching for sponsors to hold the first division hockey league. After the league completion, we have to start the procedure of the BHF elections in February. So, we are not thinking of the Premier Hockey League," said Yousuf, who has been accompanying the national U-21 hockey team in Oman.

The BHF vice president, Zaki Ahmed Ripon, said, "There is no chance to hold the Premier Hockey League under the existing committee. I think the new committee will take the initiative of holding the next Premier Hockey League, which is likely to get underway after June, though it depends on the type of BHF executive committee being formed."

Ripon, also a representative of Abahani, informed that there is not even any discussion among the clubs to take part in the premier division hockey league, rather the officials are gradually shifting their focus on the next BHF elections.

For decades, the BHF had been struggling to hold the PHL regularly, either due to the obstacles from the clubs or the reluctance from the federation. As a consequence, the country's once prosperous hockey remains in dire straits as budding players keep losing their interest to aspire for excellence and, alarmingly, many resort to switching the profession merely for the sake of earning livelihood.