NEWS Desk
Major Chaklader(retd) : Hockey game was introduced in Dhaka in the year 1919-20 era by Nawab Sir Salim Ullah. The hero of creating modern Dhaka.
He first saw playing hockey at Calcutta and purchased hockey sticks for Nawabbari juveniles. Thats the start of hockey in this region. Yusuf Reza , a member of Nawabbari hockey team was nicknamed as ‘malmal’for his attractive stick works.he was included in the hockey wizard Dhanchad’s Indian Olympic hockey team due to world war the Olympics was not held and we lost a Olympic Gold as because Dhanchad hockey team at that time the world’s best.
Dhanchad was at Dhaka PEELKHANA with his unit Jhashi Heros in 1930’s era and practiced hockey at Dhaka university grounds. My father Samsuddin Chaklader was the team captain of Dhaka University hockey team and also hockey ‘blue’, he spoke about the stick juggling of the great Dhanchand.
Ours hockey never had same intensity , in 1978 we lost to Pakistan by 17-0 goals. Team selection was not up to the story. A second division hockey player also included in the National team and player like us are dropped.
We first play on astro turf in 1982’s First Asia cup at Karachi. In the first game I was injured at the left knee, I reqo Abdus Sadeq , team many but he emphasised on my requirements and with that injury I had to play all the matches. On return
x-ray revealed that I had a knee fracture. Any one with knee fracture play matches probably I’m the only one in hockey history.
In 1985 second Asia cup’s venue was Dhaka. I was the team Captain.
We beat Iran Drew with china &Japan Lost to Pakistan by a second half last minute solitary goal.
We were surprised to see the field was mergers with ankles deep water by grounds committee head Protap Sankar hazra , he brought fire service vehicles and flooded the ground, at that time we play with cades shoe, but Malaysian team played in their country on Astro turf and they have turf-boots. We can’t run on water mergers field with normal cades and lost to Malaysia by 5-0. If we managed to make a draw we will go to quarter finals. Because of that stupid activity Pratap was banned from sports arena for whole life and after admitting his involvement and apology his banned was reduced to one year.but it’s proved pratap a slippery person.
To improve hockey we require artificial turf , one artificial turf cost around 4/5 crore of taka. In the whole country we have 3/4 artificial turf and all located at Dhaka.
On natural grass one run on toe but on turf run on flat footed, it’s created pressure on calf muscles and only physically strong players do well in this ground.
To make the turf playable it’s required to pour 4000 gallon of water before the match and in between rest time required to pour 2000 gallons. Huge cost is the set back for popularising hockey in the county like Bangladesh.
Sports environment was lost in our country because all stadium is made with shops .
We earn rent from shops but except football and cricket all the federation was poor even they have financial problems to send team for international matches. Where the rent-money goes?
Main obstacle is that we have no practice ground for any type of of games. We can use some areas of race course for practicing different sports.
We are now a sports person in sports ministry. Hope he understands the need of sports development and changes the game arena for future betterment.
Writer: recipient of the National sports award, National hockey team captain and member of the sports press association
adminpublic
