Bangladesh seldom gets the chance to participate in invitational hockey tournaments. The Bangladesh Hockey Federation (BHF) had hoped to send a team to Taiwan after receiving an invitation for the first time in a long while.
The team was scheduled to begin training on 8th July for the eight-nation tournament set to commence on 25th July. However, as of 14th July, there has been no news from the camp, and no visible efforts to send a team have been observed.
Manimul Haque Saeed, the General Secretary of the BHF, stated, "It has come to light that we are unable to send the team to Taiwan due to a 'shortage of funds.'"
Discussing the federation's financial crisis, he added, "The federation has no funds. I am personally trying to arrange the money. I was expecting a bill, but it didn't come through. If it had, perhaps we could have sent the team. But I don't think I can send the team." According to Mominul's calculations, approximately TK 25 lakh is needed for air tickets, and an additional TK 10 lakh for players' attire and other expenses.
Mominul when talking to the media recently told, “I could not start the camp without securing the funds. Therefore, I don't want to face the embarrassment of starting the camp without the necessary resources."
While sending the team to Taiwan is not feasible due to the financial crisis, the federation plans to send the national team to Europe next month for a two-month conditioning camp. "We will conduct a two-month conditioning camp in Europe," said the General Secretary. "Practice matches will be played against Germany, the Netherlands, and Poland. In total, the national team will play 20-25 practice matches there. I will send a team of 20-25 people around August."
Mominul also informed that the German coach Peter Gerhard Rach scheduled to come Bangladesh this week. Gerhard, who served as the director of the Coaching Staff of BHF in 2009 and then become the head coach of the national team, is expected to arrive Dhaka this week and will select players to bring in German. However, questions arise about the source of funds for the European camp when the team cannot afford to play in Taiwan. Shouldn't it be a priority to send the team to play if funds are available?
Manimul Haque did not provide a direct answer to these questions. However, he claimed that he is personally funding hockey, "I completed the Premier League with money from my pocket. I received TK 13 lakh from the sponsor, but TK 72-73 lakh was spent to run the Premier League hockey." "I gave TK 2 lakh and TK 1 lakh to each team in the first and second divisions in 2023. I also spent additional money for the federation. It is not possible for me to do everything alone. Now the state must also step in," said Maminul. He also mentioned that there is no money in the federation's fund. There is a fixed deposit of TK 2 crore, from which the BHF receives TK 6 lakh every six months. The General Secretary claimed that the federation has no other financial sources. Not even 2-3 crores are spent annually. Money is a significant problem here. I heard that General Secretary Maminul Haque contributed some funds. But how much can he give? Many come to the Federation for tea and chat. But I believe, even if the FDR collapses, a team should be sent to Taiwan.
