Bangladesh hockey has seen a monumental shift in recent days. The sport that is often seen as secondary and stagnant has seen a resurgence into the mainstream. This recent rise culminated in one of the most proudest moments for hockey in Bangladesh, a historic win at the inaugural Challenger Trophy in Tamil Nadu.
However, silverware tells only half of the story. The man who has been at the center of this resurgence is Dutch coach Siegfried Aikman. A former international, he managed Japan at the 2020 Summer Olympics and is currently leading Bangladesh’s future. Daily Times of Bangladesh sat down with the architect tasked with the men in green’s hockey dreams, to dissect exactly how he turned a chaotic squad into a regimented machine.
Q: Siegfried, let’s rewind. You’ve seen it all in world hockey. What actually crossed your mind when Bangladesh came knocking?
Siegfried Aikman: I spoke with people in Bangladesh for a long time. Biplob, for instance, asked me to come for years, and I delivered many courses to their coaches. So, the offer didn’t surprise me. I thought, “This is a nice challenge.” I knew the junior team possessed talent because I watched them play in Singapore and Oman. I saw the raw material.
Q: You arrived in Dhaka. You take one look at the training pitch. What’s the first thing you change, and how tough was the reality check?
Siegfried Aikman: I expected better basic skills. I assumed they knew the demands of modern hockey. To my surprise, their defensive skills were non-existent. Some concepts they simply didn’t know. That taught me immediately why they struggled internationally. Modern hockey relies on three things: attacking, defending, and transitions. You must master all three. Asian teams often suffer from poor defensive tactics. They made faults, and faults lead to cards.
Q: You mention cards. Discipline has always been the Achilles’ heel for this team. How did you tackle that?
Siegfried Aikman: Cards mean fewer players on the pitch. It creates a vicious cycle. You think the umpire hates you, but really, you just lack the skill to tackle cleanly. Then you get punished, get frustrated, and lose control. I decided before I even arrived: we work on defence first. If you don’t concede, you can’t lose. If you score one, you win. I told them, if we fix the defence, this team can do wonders because the attack is already there.
Q: Let’s talk about the “Team Bond.” How did you build that spirit?
Siegfried Aikman: I talked about the power of “We” being stronger than the power of “Me.” If I make a mistake, my teammate saves me. It’s like a family. We fight for each other. Look at Rocky, he is a very good attacker. But he played to get penalty corners so Amirul could score. He sacrificed his own stats for the team. We had a good flicker in Amirul, a good stopper, a good injector. I told them: “Every player is a star, so every star has the right to shine. Let us shine together.”
Q: A coach needs students who listen. Did they buy what you were selling, or did they resist the new regime?
Siegfried Aikman: You need two things: talent and motivation. If you put the effort in, you get results out. I met players with a strong desire to deliver. Their dream was the World Cup. But habits and culture are hard to change. In the beginning, it frustrated them. I complained constantly. “Do it better. Not good enough.” It made them insecure. But they endured it. Johan Cruyff always said, “If you are aware of something, you see it.” My job was to create that awareness. I showed them videos of Western teams winning the ball without fouling. We didn’t reach the absolute highest level, but we closed the gap enough to give teams a hard time.
Q: You mention the culture. We saw a different Bangladesh in Tamil Nadu calmer, focused. How did you stop the traditional meltdowns?
Siegfried Aikman: We taught them to accept umpire decisions. In the past, they only wanted to win. If they lost, they got aggressive and blamed the officials. You look at the Pakistan series with the senior team, we played well until trouble started, then we lost our heads. I heard in Bangladesh domestic leagues, matches descend into fights between benches and umpires. It’s unsafe. I put heavy sanctions on cards. We ran 15, 20 shuttles, real punishment. Eventually, they stopped because they knew I wouldn’t accept it. I told them: “Don’t blame the umpire. Look at yourself and stop the rubbish.”
Q: Let’s talk about the heroics. Amirul scored 18 goals. Everyone knows he’s a defender, yet you turned him into a weapon. What was the plan?
Siegfried Aikman: He is still a defender, and honestly, he has room to improve there! His footwork needs work, and his “launch tackle” is so-so. He made mistakes that cost us goals. But his direct flick is extraordinary. Now that he has performed on the international stage, teams will analyze him. I’ve already told him how to improve, his flick needs to be shorter, faster, with more wrist power. He has to develop to keep delivering. We built a strategy around the team
Q: Where does this chapter rank in your career?
Siegfried Aikman: High in my memory. The Federation Secretary General delivered on every promise. The players had a strong desire to perform. We created a family bond. I really liked it. It reminded me of my time with Japan and Oman. It was much better than my experience with Pakistan, where the government made things complex by not paying or keeping promises.
Q: But it wasn’t all perfect. You had some tough times off the pitch?
Siegfried Aikman: Bangladesh is a friendly country with great hospitality, but the political situation made it difficult. I lived in a kind of “social imprisonment.” My world was the hotel and the stadium. I was advised not to go out alone. It was not safe. In other countries, I could walk freely and have a social life. Here, I was lonely. It’s tough to stay in a room with nothing to do.
Q: So, would you come back?
Siegfried Aikman: Could be. But I have decided to retire from coaching and take care of my grandchildren. Bangladesh is the last team I have coached. However, I would love to return to deliver coaching courses. Bangladesh needs its own coaches to step up. Currently, most only have foundation levels. They need to learn high-performance coaching to take this team forward.
