The sudden passing of former hockey player and grassroots coach Fazlu on September 4th has cast uncertainty over the future of the Fazlur Hockey Academy at Armanitola School. However, former hockey players and organisers from Old Dhaka have stepped in to ensure the academy remains active.
Taking advantage of the week-long holiday for Puja, the Ustad Fazlu Hockey Academy has initiated a week-long hockey training camp at Armanitola School. This special training session is being conducted by national sports award winner Jamal Haider, former captain Maqsood Alam Habul, and international umpire Salim Laki.
Umpire Salim Laki explained the rationale behind this special training, saying, "It's school holidays now, so many students can learn simultaneously."
The Fazlu Hockey Academy resumed its training sessions on September 7th, with practices held both in the morning and afternoon. According to Laki, those who attend school in the day shift train in the morning, while those who attend school in the morning train in the afternoon at Armanitola School.
Armanitola and Ahmed Bawani schools have a significant number of students regularly learning hockey. Many of Bangladesh's star players were nurtured by Fazlu. This former hockey player led a humble life, finding joy and livelihood in teaching hockey. Fazlu's untimely death is a significant loss for Bangladesh hockey.
