Peter Gerhard Sees Tough Road Ahead for Bangladesh Hockey

Bangla Press Desk:  Newly appointed Bangladesh national hockey team head coach Peter Gerhard wasted no time getting down to work, admitting he faces a "mission impossible" as he bids to prepare the side for the Asian Games with barely five weeks in hand.

Without taking time to settle in, oversaw the first training session of his new tenure at the Maulana Bhasani National Hockey Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

With only four to five weeks left before the Asian Games, Gerhard acknowledged the enormity of the challenge but insisted he is determined to defy the odds. "We have five weeks. I am starting a 'mission impossible', and I want to turn it into a possible mission.

We will make the impossible possible," the German declared. Although he has returned to the Bangladesh dugout after a lengthy absence, the head coach said he has never lost touch with the country's hockey. "You must know that I never really left the team," he said. "Whenever Bangladesh played, I followed them on social media and watched matches online. I have seen a golden generation emerging."

"To me, these youngsters are a golden generation. They need to be blended with the senior players, and then we will have a very strong team," he mentioned.

Gerhard was particularly impressed by the performances of Bangladeshi players featuring in European leagues, including Amirul Islam, Rakibul Hassan Rocky and Mahbub Hossain, who finished as the top scorer despite playing only half of the German league season.

"We had 12 Bangladeshi players in Germany this season, and they all performed brilliantly. Mahbub became the top scorer despite playing only half the league. They have been outstanding ambassadors for Bangladesh," he added.

A key part of Gerhard's blueprint is to introduce a European style of hockey, with the team scheduled to travel to Germany next month for an intensive conditioning camp.

Bangladesh are expected to play 20 practice matches against top-tier clubs, including the reigning German champions, in preparation for the continental showpiece.

"The European style of hockey is completely different," the former German Hockey international explained.

"My objective is to bring that style into this team, if we can master it, the other Asian teams will face serious problems against us at the Asian Games. The equation is very simple," earlier on Saturday.

The Bangladesh Hockey Federation organised a special workshop titled 'Train Your Mind' to strengthen the players' mental resilience before the squad took to the field for training.

For now, Gerhard's focus remains fixed solely on the Asian Games. "Our target is very clear, to finish among the top six," he said.