The head coach of the Bangladesh national hockey team Pakistani Naveed Alam believes Bangladesh can go far in international hockey if the infrastructure and the federation go through positive changes.
Speaking about the team’s performance at the Asia Cup and his three months in the country, Naveed said that all the ingredients for development already existed but the system had to change before the team’s results improved. “I felt some indiscipline in the team and the major problem behind this is Bangladesh national hockey team does not have a pipeline of players. There are some players whose places appear to be cemented and because of that, they try to dictate terms. If there are a pipeline of the players, there would have been competition slots in the national team and the players would have been on their toes, a coach then would have the power to omit the players who are not disciplined,” he said.
The coach thought that young players should be groomed more thoroughly. “All over the world where hockey is played, there are the shadow national teams. I mean the youth team, the A team and the age level teams. Players get groomed though these teams and are ready when the call comes to put on the national jersey.
“They have to change their playing habits. Hockey is a team game and a moment of selfishness can destroy momentum. You need long term training and the players would have to start from an early age. I have prescribed a development program based on time phase to the hockey federation. Unless you get under a long tern system, it will be almost impossible to change the scenario,” he said.
The coach also noted the lack of proper training facilities. “There are no gymnasiums. Nowadays, the goal keeping practice machine is more than essential to prepare the goalkeepers to cope with international challenges. I would say that Bangladesh conceded seven goals against India off penalty corners and I felt the vacuum when the goals were scored,” he said. “Coaches with the concept of modern hockey is also a major requirement.”
Naveed, who had been contracted for six months, is scheduled to leave Dhaka for a month long vacation on Saturday. He is supposed to return to Dhaka after the Eid-ul Azha. “I have conducted a coaches training program and worked with the U-16 team. I believe that Bangladesh can go further, you have to start the re-modeling process and the sooner that happens, the better.”
