The first-ever franchise-based Champions Trophy Hockey competition, organised by Bangladesh Hockey Federation (BHF), begins on Friday at Maulana Bhasani National Stadium here.
BHF President and Chief of Bangladesh Air Force Shaikh Abdul Hannan will inaugurate the six-team franchisee basis hockey league at a simple ceremony in the afternoon. This will be the country's 2nd franchise-based league after Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) Cricket.
Six franchise teams--Acme Chattogram, Mettro Express Barisal, Monarch Padma, Rupayan City Cumilla, Saif Power Group Khulna and Walton Dhaka--will compete in the new look inaugural hockey meet.
Acme Chattogram will play Saif Power Group Khulna in the inaugural match, will kick-off at 7.15 pm while Rupayan City Cumilla will meet Shakib Al Hasan's Monarch Padma in the other opening's day fixture at 9 pm at the same venue.
On the following day (Saturday), Mettro Express Barisal will encounter Walton Dhaka at 6:30 pm while Monarch Padma will play Acme Chattogram in the other match at 8:15 pm.
The glitering trophy of the league was ceremonially unveiled today (Thursday) at the games venue in presence of the captains of six participating teams and the league officials..
Apart from Icon players, captains of Walton Dhaka Ashraful Islam, Acme Chattogram Rezaul Karim, Mettro Express Barisal Roman Sarkar, Monarch Padma Rasel Mahmud Jimmy, Rupayan Group Cumilla Sohanur Rahman Sabuj and Saif Power Group Khulna Biplob Kujur were present at the day's trophy unveiling ceremony.
Captains of the participating teams in their immediate reactions said, this time Federation formed the teams through players draft, so the teams have a little chance to recuit their required players in their line up, but through the process teams were formed equally balanced to make close fight for the league title.
On completion of the round robin league matches on November 12, top four teams of the league basis matches will play in the title deciding qualifier and eliminator on November 14 and 15.
Top two teams of the league basis matches will play the qualifier and the winners will directly play in the final on November 17.
The 3rd and 4th team will meet each other in the eliminator and the winning team will play in the 2nd qualifier against losing team of the first qualifier, for the remaining final berth
Earlier, the players draft of the franchise-based Hockey Champions Trophy Bangladesh'2022 ceremonially held on October 10 at the Samson H Chowdhury Center of Dhaka Club Limited here.
All the six participating teams recruited some 18 local and foreign players in their line-up for the league through lottery.
Six local Icon players are expected to receive Tk five lakh each, Category A plus players will get Tk four lakh, category A players Tk three lakh, B category Tk two lakh and C category Tk one lakh each.