State Minister for Youth and Sports Zahid Ahsan Russell was present on the occasion as chief guest.
Besides, President of Bangladesh Hockey Federation (BHF) and Chief of Bangladesh Air Force Air Chief Marshal Masihuzzaman Serniabat, Managing Director of sponsors First Security Islami Bank Ltd. Syed Waseque Md Ali and Acting General Secretary of BHF Mohamad Yousuf were also present on the occasion.
The BHF calendar will start with the Bangabandhu School Hockey from January 25 in Chattogram.
A total of eighty schools, split into nine venue basis zones -- Chattogram, Comilla, Mymensingh, Rajshahi, Rangpur, Dinajpur, Faridpur, Gopalganj and Khulna -- will compete in the preliminary round of the meet.
Top two teams from each zone will take part in the final round, scheduled to be held in February in Dhaka.
The participating teams will get participation money of Tk 10,000 each from sponsors FSIBL while the federation will provide hockey gears and jerseys for the players.
The champions will get Tk 1 lakh, the runners-up Tk 50,000, the third-placed will get Tk 25,000 and the fair play team will get Tk 10,000 as prize money. Besides, fifteen talented hockey players from each zone will undergo a long-term training session under the supervision of BHF.
The BHF will have a busy calendar at home this year as they are going to host several competitions including two international tournaments -- Bangabandhu Junior Under-21 Asia Cup Hockey’2020 in June and Asian Hockey Champions Trophy’2020 in November-- to mark the birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.