BHF to reveal Asian Champs Trophy squad by Nov 20

With Asian Champions Trophy getting underway in Dhaka from December 14, Bangladesh Hockey Federation (BHF) is planning to start the national team's camp right after the ongoing Premier Division Hockey League ends on November 27.

The eight-member selection committee, led by BHF vice-president Sajad AA Adel, is expected to reveal the final squad by November 20, just one day after the Super Five phase of the ongoing league begins.

"The committee has been observing games since the start of the season but three vital matches of the league are still left. So, we want to watch these three matches -- Mohammedan vs Mariner Youngs, Abahani vs Mariner Youngs and Abahani vs Mohammedan -- before picking the final squad of 18 members and five standby players," Adel told The Daily Star before Mohammedan took on Mariner Youngs yesterday.

Replying to a query, Adel said, "We don't want to pick a preliminary squad because the national team will get only two weeks before playing their first match. So, we want all the players to concentrate on the tournament," said the former national player.

The game's local governing body is considering starting the camp either on November 29 or 30, even though they have not yet appointed a head coach following the resignation of Mahbub Harun due to health issues.

BHF acting general secretary Mohammad Yousuf said they have not considered anyone as of now, but Adel recommends appointing a local coach who has been involved with the domestic league, as the federation has little time to experiment with an appointment.