Women's hockey project enters new phase

Bangladesh women's hockey is set for a major expansion this year after corporate backers doubled funding to Tk2 crore for a nationwide development programme aimed at transitioning grassroots talent to the international stage.

The "BRAC Bank Aporajeyo Alo Women Hockey Development Programme", in partnership with the Bangladesh Hockey Federation (BHF), expands on last year's inaugural Tk1 crore project.

The scheme will provide professional training, specialised coaching, and scholarships to more than 500 female players across the country, building on the success of the first edition which saw several players called up for the historic women's national hockey team camp.

BHF general secretary Lt Col Riazul Hasan (retd) confirmed to Daily Sun that intensive development camps will commence next month to lay the groundwork for an expanded national tournament later this year.

"We are preparing to organise the BRAC Bank Aporajeyo Alo tournament on a larger scale with extensive planning," Riazul said. "The development programme and camps will begin next month. Across various districts. It will likely commence after 10 July. Training camps will start in phases six districts at a time, followed by 10. The tentative time for the main tournament to roll onto the pitch is next September."

The enhanced financial backing will allow the federation to pivot toward long-term player development, rather than just short-term tournament preparation.

"We have received double the budget compared to last year. So, we will now try to organise more training camps alongside the tournament," Riazul explained. "This will facilitate greater development work."

To maximise competitive exposure and match time for the emerging athletes, the BHF has redesigned the competition layout into a multi-tiered system.

"We are actually trying to conduct this tournament in two phases, taking proper time," Riazul added. "We will try to elevate one phase - the final tournament - to a national level. That means there is a plan to increase the number of matches. There will be several matches at the district level again. After all the matches, there will be a camp, followed by another tournament. We want to increase the number of teams in that tournament."

The federation is also expanding its scouting network into new geographic regions, including remote areas, to broaden the talent pool beyond traditional hockey hubs.

"Last time, 17 districts from across the country participated in the tournament. Besides them, there was Bangladesh Krira Shikkha Protishthan, making it 18 teams in total. However, we want to increase that number this time," Riazul remarked. "Our target for this edition is 20 districts, excluding BKSP. Furthermore, we particularly want to involve the Chattogram Hill Tracts. It will very likely be in Rangamati. It is not finalised yet; we are observing where we can find a higher number of players and will divide it accordingly. If needed, we will organise it in two locations."

The year-round initiative is expected to culminate in the final tournament in September, forming a structured pipeline designed to sustainably improve the competitiveness of the Bangladesh national women's team.