After a three-year hiatus, including a Covid-19-induced one-year break, the Premier Division Table Tennis League is set to get underway today at the Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmed Indoor Stadium amid tales of joy and sorrow.
The players’ happiness is unquestionable as they finally got an opportunity to earn some money from the top-flight league after three long years while the enrollment of Bangladesh Police Club in the league added to their delight. On the other hand, they were dismayed by Biman Bangladesh Airlines Table Tennis’s decision to pull out of the league to which they returned after a five-year hiatus in 2017, participating that year and the next.
Biman, once an unparalleled team, taking the decision to withdraw apparently gave the teams that remain a bit of room to relax and not spend big behind their squads because now only one of the 10 teams faces the threat of relegation.
Former junior champion Imran Hossain Ridoy, ranked Bangladesh’s fifth-best player, was supposed to represent Biman in the postponed 2020 league, but is now playing for Ajax SC for approximately Tk 70,000 than what he would have gotten from Biman.
“Those who were supposed to play for Biman are now getting Tk 50,000 to Tk 70,000 less from other teams, who are not interested to spend big because only one team will be relegated this time due to Biman’s withdrawal,” Ridoy told The Daily Star.
“We are not only facing financial damage, we also spent our own money to buy gear because Biman used to provide gear to the players,” said Ridoy, hoping that Ajax SC would fight for a top-three position although Sheikh Russel and Bangladesh Police Club look to be ahead of the other eight on paper.
Parag, Antu Hossain Joy, Saleha Parvin, Moumita Rumi and two other players were also supposed to play for Biman and are now struggling to land good positions.
Biman tried to be included at the eleventh hour, but the federation shut the door on them because it was too late to make arrangements for their inclusion.
Although Ridoy is playing for Ajax, he was pleased to see a new team – Police Club – join the league, saying it could provide good opportunities to players in future.
Inspired by their success in the Chess League, Police Club showed intent in the table tennis league as well by forming a strong squad that includes defending champion Muhatasin Ahmed Ridoy and promising players Sabbir and Ramhin.
“In our debut season, Bangladesh Police became champions in the Premier Division Chess League, which inspired us to step into other indoor games. We hope our team will deliver a good result in the table tennis league too,” Superintendent of Police M Mahabubur Rahman, a focal member of the executive committee of Police Indoor Games, said.
