The first phase of the Sylhet district leg of the nationwide ‘BRAC Bank Aparajeyo Alo Women’s Hockey Development Programme 2026’ is set to begin today at 4pm, with the initiative aimed at identifying and developing promising young female hockey players at grassroots level.
Organised by the Bangladesh Hockey Federation and sponsored by BRAC Bank, the programme is being conducted across seven districts as part of an effort to strengthen the foundation of women’s hockey in the country. The Sylhet camp brings together 25 selected young players from four leading educational institutions in the district.
The participating institutions are Ambarkhana Girls’ School and College, Sylhet Government High School at Lakkatura, Sylhet Cantonment Public School and College, and Government Agragami Girls’ High School and College.
The selection of players from educational institutions reflects the programme’s focus on reaching potential athletes at an early stage of their sporting development. School-level participation is an important route for expanding the pool of players, particularly in disciplines where sustained training and regular competition are essential for building technical ability.
The opening ceremony will be attended by Sylhet District Commissioner and District Magistrate Abdullah Al Mamun as the chief guest. BRAC Bank Sylhet Regional Manager Rezaur Rahman, Bangladesh Hockey Federation executive committee member Nazirul Islam Nazu and the federation’s Women’s Wing secretary Tariquzzaman Nannu are also expected to attend, along with leading figures from the local sporting community.
The training camp has been designed to provide the selected players with a structured environment in which they can develop their hockey skills under organised coaching. For young athletes, access to consistent training and opportunities to demonstrate their ability can be an important step towards progressing from school-level sport to higher levels of competition.
According to the organisers, the wider programme is being implemented simultaneously in seven districts with the principal objective of identifying talented female players from grassroots communities and helping them develop their abilities to an international standard.
The initiative comes against the broader backdrop of efforts to expand opportunities for women in Bangladeshi sport. Grassroots development is particularly significant because identifying talented players is only the first stage; continued training, coaching, competition and institutional support are also necessary if promising athletes are to develop into high-level competitors.
The Sylhet camp therefore represents one part of a wider development effort rather than a standalone sporting event. The involvement of four educational institutions is expected to give young players an opportunity to gain greater exposure to organised hockey while encouraging other students to take an interest in the sport.
Those involved with the programme hope the initiative will help generate fresh enthusiasm for women’s hockey and create a stronger pathway for emerging players. By taking development activities beyond the traditional centres of sporting activity and into districts, the organisers aim to broaden the base from which future women’s hockey talent can be identified.
The 25 players taking part in the Sylhet phase will be at the centre of the district-level initiative. Their participation also underlines the role that schools and colleges can play in nurturing young sporting talent and creating a sustainable pipeline for women’s hockey in Bangladesh.
