Sports Reporter :
The Bangladesh Champions Trophy Hockey will be held from the last week of October at the Maulana Bhashani National Hockey Stadium in the city. This hockey meet is the first ever franchise-based hockey league. ACE, the sister concern of Bashundhara Group has bought the sponsorship rights from Bangladesh Hockey Federation (BHF). The organisation has bought the sponsorship royalty for five years from BHF. To mark this hockey meet, a logo-unveiling programme and an agreement-signing occasion were held in a city hotel on Monday.
A total of six teams will take part in the franchise-based hockey meet. Acme, Rupayun Group, Walton, Saif Powertec, Monarch Mart and an organisation will compete in the hockey competition.
Chief Patron of ACE and Vice-Chairman of Bashundhara Group Safwan Sobhan Tasvir handed over a cheque of Taka one crore to the Acting General Secretary of BHF Mohammad Yousuf. President of Bangladesh Hockey Federation and Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Shaikh Abdul Hannan was present at the programme as the chief guest. Former general secretary of BHF Abdus Sadek, former hockey stars Pratap Shankar Hajra were present at the programme, among others. Besides, the owner of Monarch Mart Captain of Bangladesh T20 Cricket team Shakib Al Hasan was also present at the occasion.
It may be mentioned that Bangladeshi hockey stars Russell Mahmud Jimmy, Mamunur Rahman Chayan and Imran Hasan Pintoo were the students of Bangladesh Krira Shikkha Protishtan (BKSP). All-rounder Shakib Al Hasan was also the student of BKSP. They were grooming in BKSP.
Shakib said, ” I saw the performance of Jimmy Bhai and Chayan Bhai when I was a student of BKSP. In that time, some big hockey tournaments and international hockey tournaments were held at the BKSP. We were supporters of BKSP hockey team. When BKSP Hockey team clinched the championship trophy of any tournament, we enjoyed and celebrated the victory.”
