A lengthy Executive Committee (EC) meeting of the Hockey Federation, lasting over four hours, was chaired by Vice President Abdur Rashid Shikder at Maulana Bhasani Stadium on Saturday. The meeting ended by declaring Abahani and Mariners joint champions of the recently concluded Premier League.
The BHF imposed a 12-match ban on Russell Mahmud Jimmy, while several other players received lifetime bans. Both Mariners and Abahani finished the league tied on 37 points. Playoffs are mandated by the rules, but both clubs requested an extension for preparations. Despite the federation arranging two rounds of playoffs, the League Committee recommended awarding a joint title to the Executive Committee. The EC subsequently declared the two clubs joint champions.
General Secretary Mominul Haque Saeed elaborated on the decision to forgo playoffs: "Both clubs requested a two-month delay to complete formalities for the match. However, this timeframe cannot be accommodated due to other scheduled events. Based on the League Committee's recommendations, the Executive Committee has decided to declare the two clubs joint champions today."
The announcement of a joint championship was overshadowed by the federation's decision to issue bans. Hockey superstar Russell Mahmood Jimmy received a 12-match ban. Several Mohammedan players (Siam, Eamon, Saad, Nayan, and Malaysian Julpidam) were banned for various lengths, with assistant coach Bappi receiving a five-match ban. Coach Gopinathan Krishnamurthy was banned for life, and manager Ariful Haque Prince was banned for the remainder of his involvement with the club and for four years from participating in the sport. Three Abahani players (Mimo, Afnan Yusuf, and Naeem) received short bans. Additionally, Ajax coach Ehtesham received a ten-match ban, Dilkusha coach Tabib e Noor was banned for five years, police coach Habul received a three-match ban, and former players Sajeed A Adel, Tarek A Adel, Zahirul Islam Mitul, and Mohammedan director Jamal Rana were all banned for life.
Fines were also levied against Bangladesh Sporting and Azad Sporting Clubs. During the post-meeting press conference, questions arose regarding the composition of the disciplinary committee that made the recommendations, given the significance of the decisions announced at the EC meeting.
The Federation General Secretary remained tight-lipped, stating, "This is an entirely internal matter. The Hockey Federation is not obligated to disclose the identities of the disciplinary committee members. Everyone knows who sits on the committees in football and cricket, the other two major sports in the country. Even international sports federations publish the names of their disciplinary committee members on their websites. Why is the Hockey Federation so opaque?"
The unannounced final against Abahani resulted in a 12-match ban for Bangladesh hockey superstar Russell Mahmud Jimmy due to three card yellows. This decision has generated mixed reactions within the hockey community.
Regarding Jimmy's punishment, the Federation General Secretary explained, "The umpires of each match issued the punishment after reviewing reports and video footage. His behaviour caused disruptions on numerous occasions throughout the games."
Several players, officials, and coaches from Mohammedan Club were also banned. Mohammedan's joint secretary and team manager, Ariful Haque Prince, contested the decision: "I was banned for four years without any justification. The Federation appears to be settling personal scores with Mohammedan Club. Our esteemed club president and director-in-charge will provide an official statement regarding the federation's decision."
Malaysian coach Gopinathan, a prominent figure in Bangladeshi hockey, was another high-profile recipient of a lifetime ban. He joined Mohammedan after coaching the national team. The General Secretary explained, "He made disparaging remarks about Bangladeshi hockey in the media, tarnishing the image of the country and the Hockey Federation. Additionally, he repeatedly entered matches as an international coach, which is a breach of regulations."
Apart from foreign coach Gopinathan, four others were handed lifetime bans: former Hockey Federation General Secretary Sajed Adel, and former members Zahirul Islam Mitul and Tarek Adel. Mohammedan director Jamal Rana was also included in this group.
