Experienced coach Mamun Ur Rashid has been appointed head coach of the Bangladesh national hockey team for April’s AHF Cup in Indonesia. A former national player (1989–2001), he previously coached the U-21 team four times and led the senior side in World Hockey League Round 2 in 2015. The 52-year-old spoke to The Daily Star’s Anisur Rahman about upcoming challenges and the activities of the Bangladesh Hockey Federation (BHF). Excerpts of the conversation are below:The Daily Star (DS): You have been appointed as the national head coach through an interview, which probably happened for the first time for the local coaches. How do you see the process by the BHF ad-hoc committee?
Mamun Ur Rashid (MR): Past experience saw that the federation had before favoured certain coaches, and no one knew who was going to be the coach of the national team.To be honest, I liked the process, where the federation also has the desire to work with the coach. As coaches, we could never present the details of our plans regarding the team and opponents, but this time it happened during the interview.
DS: How challenging will it be for you on the back of no domestic competitions?
MR: Our senior players are talented, but we never gave them a platform in an organised manner so that they could perform well. I will be trying to bring transparency, with no grouping or misunderstanding among the players, because I saw before that the coaches took the sides of some players openly, which created discrimination among the players. I want to make a balanced environment so that everyone can play from their hearts. I will try to create a performance-driven environment.
DS: Bangladesh usually become champions in the AHF Cup, but they dwell in sixth or seventh place in the Asia Cup and Asian Games. What are the reasons behind this contrasting standing?
MR: The main reason is that the players are not given the proper preparation or training after the AHF Cup. We feel complacent after becoming AHF Cup champions, but we could think differently — that we will fight in the Asia Cup for better results instead of focusing solely on the AHF Cup.
I think we should start the preparation camp after the AHF Cup and send the players overseas to play more matches because the players won’t progress or develop through camp-based training alone.
DS: Is there any importance in having domestic competitions to develop the players?
MR: It has been a bad option to try to develop the players solely through training camps. If the premier league and franchise-based league continue, the players will benefit financially and develop a greater interest in hockey.
DS: Experienced player Rasel Mahmud Jimmy was kept out of the Cooper test to be held on February 20. What’s your take on that?
MR: I don’t want to make any comments on it because I was instructed yesterday [Tuesday] not to speak to the media about the matter.
DS: How do you evaluate the activities of the ad-hoc committee, who took charge around two and a half months ago?
MR: I don’t know much about their internal workings, but their style of work suggests that they are trying to bring professionalism, and I see that as a positive. As a former player, I want them to establish a good domestic structure and deliver a strong constitution for the federation, where there will be clear guidelines to organise domestic competitions regularly.
DS: What type of training facilities are you expecting from the ad-hoc committee?
MR: I want some basic things, like food and a healthy daily allowance, because Tk 400 to Tk 500 allowance is disappointing. The players also usually buy equipment with their own money, and I expect the federation to support them in purchasing those expensive kits. Besides preparation, I will request them to arrange some practice matches before the tournament.