Women's Hockey: Reaching the Asian Games Milestone After Long Struggles

A sudden wave of success has hit women's hockey. Most people in the country's sports arena didn't even know a women's hockey team existed. For them, this boon feels like an unexpected windfall. In their very first international tournament, the Bangladesh women's hockey team has secured a ticket to the Asian Games.

On Sunday, the team made history in Jakarta, Indonesia. Led by Arpita Pal and Nadira, the Bangladesh women's hockey team became group champions in the Asian Games qualifiers and reached the semifinals. Along with securing a spot in the Games, their goal is now the final. The Bangladesh Krira Shikkha Protishtan (BKSP) is the force behind this incredible success. Women's hockey was added to BKSP in 2020, and the current team is comprised of its students. Truth be told, much like men's hockey, BKSP is the catalyst behind the awakening of the women's game.

While this marks the institutional beginning and a milestone of success, the story of women's hockey in this country began much earlier. One must look back to the 1970s, a time when sports fields were not as open to women.
Historical Context

In the seventies, a large section of society did not look kindly upon women participating in sports. Despite numerous obstacles, a few progressive women continued to play. Through the initiative of some of them, the journey of women's hockey began in 1978. A report in the fortnightly Krira Jagat magazine, published in January 1979, tells the story of its inception: "December 28, 1978—a beautiful winter afternoon. An attractive exhibition women's hockey competition was held at the Hockey Stadium. The occasion was the distribution of certificates among girls trained in various sports. The organizer was the Bangladesh Women's Sports Development and Control Agency."

Major General Ershad, Chairman of the National Sports Control Board, distributed certificates among 300 enthusiastic girls trained in hockey, volleyball, badminton, basketball, gymnastics, and table tennis. In December 1977, an advertisement had been placed in newspapers stating that training would be provided to girls in various sports. Not just from schools and colleges, but the response came from neighborhoods as well. Everyone flocked to the office of the Women's Sports Development Agency. The only condition was—no veils while playing; they had to play in sports attire. Even then, the girls' enthusiasm did not wane. Training in hockey and basketball proceeded under the leadership of Salma Rafiq. The hockey coaches were Nurul Islam Nanna and Bashir Ahmed.
The Early Pioneers

Later, national team coaches like the late Abdus Salam and Ehtesham Sultan played a major role in training the girls. Ayesha Zaman Khuki, one of the pioneers from that era, recalled how difficult it was to pick up a stick: "Look at where they have taken hockey now! We didn't get that many opportunities. We played hockey at a time when girls could hardly leave their homes. We started through Salma Apa's initiative. Banker Najma Shamim Apa's contribution is also significant. Nanna Bhai and Bashir Bhai taught us the game. We played a few tournaments at the district level. Later, in 1981, the Ershad government came to power and banned women's hockey and kabaddi. Accepting that was extremely difficult for us."

Some of the early pioneers include: Kazi Nasima, Ayesha Zaman Khuki, Nasima Parveen Putul, Lajul Akhtar Kasturi, Shakila Zafar, Muriel Gomez, Munmun, Nahid, Shaheen, Lovely, Afsana, Mala, Naznin, and Collins.