‘A big opportunity to qualify for Hockey Junior WC’

Keeping sights on the Men's FIH Hockey Junior World Cup 2025, Bangladesh U-21 national hockey team yesterday started gearing up for the upcoming Men's Junior Asia Cup, scheduled to be held in Muscat, Oman from November 11-19 at BKSP.

Bangladesh, champions of Men's Junior AHF Cup, along with four other qualifiers -- China, Oman, Chinese Taipei, and Thailand -- will feature in the 10th edition of Junior Asia Cup alongside the top five teams including India, Malaysia, Pakistan, Japan, and Korea. The top six teams from the Junior Asia Cup will qualify for the FIH Hockey Junior World Cup.

Bangladesh, who finished sixth in the previous edition of the Junior Asia Cup in 2023, will be fancying their chances of sealing a spot in the 24-team Junior World Cup for the first time after they had defeated high-ranked China and Oman to become champions in the Junior AHF Cup tournament held in Singapore in June.

Some 44 players including four national players -- Amirul Islam, Rokibul Hasan, Nuruzzaman, and Hozaifa Hossain -- reported yesterday to newly-appointed coach Moududur Rahman Shuvo, who took over from Mohammad Ashiquzzman. The players will start their two-and-a-half month training at BKSP from today.

"As the players including 15 current students of BKSP reported today [Sunday], we will start the training tomorrow [Monday], mainly focusing on fitness training as players except the BKSP students have been out of action since the completion of Junior AHF Cup," Shuvo told The Daily Star. "We will also emphasise on tactical training as Bangladesh have a big opportunity to qualify for the Junior World Cup."

Shuvo also informed they will gradually trim the squad down to 30 members on the basis of fitness and performance.

Bangladesh Hockey Federation (BHF) joint-secretary Ariful Haque Prince informed that they have also called up some new and experienced players who were ignored during the AHF Cup.

Prince, also a former national player, said that they also have plans to send the junior players abroad for some practice matches as they have received offers from China, Oman, Japan, Korea, and Malaysia.

Meanwhile, some 27 women players also reported to BKSP head coach Zahid Hossain Raju yesterday to prepare ahead of the Women's Junior Asia Cup, from where top five teams will also advance to the Women's FIH Junior World Cup.