Bangladesh to take part in Olympic Hockey qualifiers, 7th Asia Cup Hockey

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Bangladesh will participate in the first-ever Qualifying Round of Olympic Hockey to be held in Japan in April next, reports UNB.
Joint Secretary of Hockey Federation Khwaja Rahmat Ullah told UNB today that International Hockey Fede-ration (FIH) has given Bangladesh the opportunity to participate in the biggest sports event after the country's satisfactory performance in the last Asian Games Hockey.
A total of 18 countries will compete in the qualifying round from where three top teams will qualify for the final round of the Olympic Games.
Eight teams from Europe, four each from Asia and Pan America, one each from Africa and Oceania will compete in the qualifying round.
Nine countries have already confirmed their participation directly while the remaining three teams from qualifying round will play in the 12-team final round of the Olympic Games to be held in the Chinese capital Beijing in 2008.
Bangladesh will also take part in the 7th Asia Cup Hockey Tournament to be held September 1-9 in Chennai, India.
Bangladesh Hockey Feder -ation joint secretary Khwaja Rahmat Ullah told UNB Monday that they would begin the preliminary camp for the tournament with the players, who represented Bangladesh in the last Asian Games, and from the ensuing national championship that will begin on June 20.
He said the camp is likely to begin end of this month.
Earlier, Bangladesh finished 7th in the last Asia Cup tournament held in Malaysia.
Asked about appointing any foreign coach, Rahmatullah said the Federation is trying to bring a foreign coach for the national team before the 7th Asia Cup Hockey.
"Our (Federation) president Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Shah Mohammad Ziaur Rah-man already approached the South Korean Ambassador here in the matter and he (Ambassador) assured our president to find a solution," he said.
Rahmatullah, however, said that much would depend on Dutch Bangla Bank, which earlier sponsored Bangladesh Hockey Federation for Pakis-tani coach Qamar Ibrahim to train the national team for eight months.
"We had a two-year contract with Dutch Bangla Bank, which we could not fully utilise. We are now trying to renew the contract," he said.
Former national players Abdullah Piru and Mahbub Harun are likely to act as national team coaches for the ensuing Asia Cup Hockey tournament, Rahmatullah informed.