Gerhard keeps veterans Jimmy, Pushkor in Asian Games mix

Head coach Peter Gerhard on Tuesday trimmed Bangladesh hockey team’s preliminary squad from 38 to 24, retaining experienced forwards Rasel Mahmud Jimmy and Pushkor Khisha Mimo in the training camp ahead of September’s Asian Games in Japan.

The newly appointed ad-hoc committee had restructured the selection committee and brought back six experienced players, giving a chance to prove themselves under Gerhard.

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The veteran German coach left out four players after assessing them in several practice matches from Saturday to Monday.

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Players such as Farhad Ahmed Shitul, Moinul Islam Koushik, Sohanur Rahman Sabuj, Mahbub Hossain, Nuruzzaman Noyan and Aman Sharif were not part of Bangladesh’s Asian Games Qualifying squad in Bangkok last April. Still, all six have made the 24-member squad. A total of 17 players from the qualifying squad retained their places.

 

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Photo: Firoz Ahmed

Before departing for Germany in the second week of this month for a month-long Asian Games preparation tour, the 78-year-old coach will work on tactical and technical aspects with the 24 players. Around 18 to 20 players are expected to travel to Germany.

Squad:

Biplob Kujur, Ashraful Haque Shad, Ashraful Islam, Al Nahean Shuvo, Hozifa Hossain, Amirul Islam, Rezaul Karim Babu, Mehrab Hasan Samin, Roman Sarkar, Fazla Hossain Rabby, Abed Uddin, Shahidur Rohman Saju, Obidul Hossain Joy, Deen Islam Emon, Khaled Mahmud Rakin, Pushkar Khisha, Aman Sharif, Sohanur Rahman Sabuj, Farhad Ahmed Shitul, Nuruzzaman Nayan, Mahbub Hossain, Moinul Islam Koushik, Rasel Mahmud and Rakibul Hasan Rocky.