‘Bangladesh Hockey Needs Long-Term Plan for Better Ranking’
Dr. Hossain Abdul Hai, Our Voice
“If Bangladesh authority can plan for long term, it may take 15 to 20 years, but surely Bangladesh Team will get the expected result and reach the target of 2nd or 3rd position at least in Asian ranking, I believe”.
Renowned hockey player and trainer Imran Hassan Pinto expressed his hope and recommendation for Bangladesh hockey in such a way in an interview with Our Voice recently.
About the role of foreign coach Pintu added, “I think it should be with such a plan that local coaches may also learn the style, strategy and methods from the foreign coach and then they should apply it in their own team for better result. But in case of Bangladesh it has not been the situation, as the foreign coach is usually hired for short term like 2 to 3 months and also the role of local coaches was found less important. But I believe, we have also good local coaches who can lead the team to a big success.”
Born and grown up in Old Dhaka Pinto got his fascination to Hockey during his study in Armanitola School. He mentioned, “at that time we heard the fame of Isa Vai, Musa Vai and Harun Sir in Hockey. So my first inspiration came from the school and then BKSP has opened the hockey field for me to get chance to play in the national team. In the year 2002 I got admitted to Class Eight in BKSP. Under the supervision and training of Kawsar Sir I got chance to play in Bangladesh Senior National Team in 2007 and played for the first time in the Asia Cup in Chennai. Before that I played in several junior tournaments like in the Neheru Cup in Delhi, where we became champion.”
In 2008 he completed Higher Secondary School and did his bachelor in history from Titumir College and completed Masters in 2016. He started job in Bangladesh Navy. In 2012 and 2013 he performed his duty as the Assistant Captain of the national team.
For a long time Imran Hassan Pinto has been playing and training in several German hockey clubs. About his overseas experience Pinto said, “in the years from 2009 to 2012 the German Coach of Bangladesh National Hockey Team Peter Gerhard Rach helped us to play in this German Hockey and Tennis Club Black-White Bonn (HTC Schwarz-Weiss, Bonn). Since then I have been visiting Hockey events in Germany, two times every year like April to June and again from August to November, as a trainer and also as a player. Till 2012 I have only played in this club in Bonn. But since 2014 I have been playing and also coaching junior hockey team here.”
As a player of the HTC Black-White Bonn he has been playing in the A Level League in Germany, which they call Obarliga. At the same time he has been providing training to the junior team members aged 12 to 13 years and another group aged from 16 to 18 years.
About his performance in the German club he added, “last year when we have played in this club, it was in a lower level, but through our team performance in last season this club has been upgraded to the A level league. Moreover I have played in the national league known here as Bundesliga as a player of a club from Düsseldorf in 2012. So the HTC Black-White Bonn has also same dream to go to the national league or Bundesliga.”
But Pinto is playing and coaching here not alone, rather his continuous effort is to include many other hockey players from Bangladesh for such an overseas experience. He has recently succeeded to bring his co-player Krishno Kumar for the German team in Bonn. He opines, that it is always better for Bangladesh Hockey Team if more players can come here for such an experience.
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