BKSP lads get chance to learn from world’s best

Ten promising players from the Bangladesh Krira Shikkha Protisthan (BKSP) had the chance to undergo a unique session with one of the world's best penalty-corner specialists as Argentina's Gonzalo Peillat, currently representing defending champions Mohammedan in the Green Delta Insurance Premier Division Hockey League, shared his knowhow.

Bangladesh's domestic hockey league, being held after a three-and-half year gap, had already drawn attention when the world's top players from Argentina and Netherlands committed and BSKP's Malaysian coach Iman Gobinathan Krishnamurthy could not turn down the opportunity for his boys to get a lesson from a player who has hit 153 goals in 176 international matches.

After Mohammedan coach Modudur Rahman Shuvo was requested by Iman to arrange a practical session, 10 penalty-corner flickers from BKSP -- one from grade eight, four from grade nine, three from grade 10 and two from grade 11 -- met Gonzalo on Friday and received a demonstration of how to properly position their body, legs, shoulders and arms and other penalty-corner techniques for approximately 45 minutes at Maulana Bhasani Hockey Stadium.

"The penalty corner is the biggest weapon in hockey when it comes to winning matches. Gonzalo was the best in the world from 2013 to 2018. Argentina won an Olympic gold medal in 2016 because of him. He scored 11 goals in those Olympics. Gonzalo sharing his knowledge will motivate the young generation to greater heights. I'm taking every opportunity to develop Bangladesh hockey," Iman told The Daily Star yesterday.

Iman thanked Gonzalo and Mohammedan for providing BKSP's rising stars with the opportunity to learn from the best in the world.

Gonzalo was top-scorer in 2014 World Cup hockey with 10 goals as Argentina claimed a bronze medal before he finished as the top scorer in the 2016 Rio Olympics and led his nation to gold.

Mohammedan coach Shuvo, also a BKSP coach, welcomed the shift in training budding players practically instead of through video footage.

"We teach players by showing them videos but learning something directly from the one of the world's best players is something different, it's live. Gonzalo taught the boys how to position their body, legs and hands, when to release the ball during penalty corners. So, I believe this session will really help them a lot and inspire them to be best in the country," the former national player said.

Shuvo informed that he had taken Indian players Sunil Vitalacharya and Vinaya V Swamy to BKSP earlier this month to give the boys a chance to learn something from them as well.