Germany abandoned, China mission set

Visa complications have officially put an end to Bangladesh’s dream training camp in Germany, but the hockey federation has wasted no time in triggering its 'Plan B ': a six-match practise campaign in China to fine-tune preparations for the upcoming Asian Games in Japan.

With European travel stalled by red tape, the Bangladesh Hockey Federation (BHF) swiftly redirected all its resources towards Beijing, ensuring the national team gets the crucial match practice they need before landing in Japan.

Officials are expecting their travel documents by Thursday (27 August), with the squad scheduled to fly to China by 29 or 30 August. A packed fixture list is already locked in, featuring three games against the China ‘A’ team on 2, 3, and 5 September, followed by a two-day break and three heavyweight clashes against the Chinese national side on 7, 9, and 11 September.

"After the Germany trip fell through, our entire focus shifted to China," said BHF joint secretary Ariful Haq Prince. "We already have the match schedule from the Chinese federation. Playing six high-intensity matches gives us exactly the test we need."

The senior squad’s mission remains entirely separate from Bangladesh’s junior teams. The boys' and girls' junior sides are slated to leave earlier, around 25 or 26 August, heading to Guangzhou for four warm-up games before crossing over to Macau for the Junior Asia Cup. Meanwhile, the senior team will wrap up their Beijing tour on 11 September, return to Dhaka the following day to complete Olympic administrative formalities, and fly out to Japan on 14 September.

The venue change has also reshaped the coaching staff’s travel itinerary. Foreign coaches Oliver Kurtz and Paul Lissek will bypass Dhaka completely, flying straight to Beijing to take charge of the team on the turf.

"Two of our coaching staff are likely coming directly to China," Prince added. "If our visas are done by Thursday, they will not come here for these seven days. They will join us directly in China. Oliver Kurtz and Paul Lissek are joining us in China. After that, they will decide if they will return to Bangladesh with us or go straight to Japan. Since it is closer from there, it might be that they do not need to come here and will just go straight there. We have to come back because of some formalities. The Olympic association is providing our tickets from here, so we must return to catch that flight."

Despite the sudden location change, German head coach Peter Gerhard Rach remains firmly focused on the pitch, stressing that the quality of the opposition is what truly matters.

"What matters is that we have games," Rach said. "Whether we play against top clubs in Germany with international stars or face the Chinese national team in Beijing, the objective is the same. It must be a strong side, and China gives us that test."

Senior forward Russell Mahmud Jimmy welcomed the backup tour, emphasising that stepping onto foreign turf against quality opponents is the only real way to fix tactical weaknesses before tournament pressure kicks in.

"Practice matches are all about ironing out errors before the big tournament starts," Jimmy explained. "In the past, we often stumbled right at the start of a major campaign, and by the time we corrected our mistakes, the tournament was over. Whether it is in Germany or China, having these games is essential for us to be ready from day one."