Bangladesh Hockey hopeful for new dawn despite systemic hassles and lack of support

The winds of change have swept through Bangladesh. Following the 2024 July Revolution and the change in government, a new dawn has broken. For the national hockey team, long starved for support, the 2025 Asia Cup isn’t just a tournament — it’s a chance to carry not only the hopes of a nation but the weight of its transformation.

After a disappointing AHF Cup 2025 campaign in Indonesia in April, where it failed to secure direct qualification for the Asia Cup, the team received a lifeline when Pakistan withdrew from the ongoing tournament in Rajgir.

“We got to know about the invitation two weeks before the tournament and started our pre-tournament camp on August 10,” said Mosiur Rahman Biplob, the team’s newly appointed head coach. “Most of the senior players hadn’t played since the AHF Cup in April.”

The state of hockey in Bangladesh is currently fragile. With no national tournaments for over 18 months, several players are uncertain about the future of the sport. The team, currently ranked 29th in the world and 9th in Asia, faces an uphill battle to compete at a high level.

“It is very tough for us to prepare for a tournament like this without a domestic structure,” said star drag-flicker Ashraful Islam. “There are a few services tournaments, but there are no leagues.”

A lack of support, sponsorship, and limited facilities are major obstacles to the sport’s growth. There are only five astroturfs in the entire country, forcing most players to start on grass fields and struggle to adjust to the demands of playing on turf later in their careers.

“Most of the national team players come from the Bangladesh Institute of Sports, which nurtures hockey talent,” explained Biplob, who received his coaching license (FIH level 2) in India before working with clubs in Germany.

With limited opportunities at home, some players seek foreign leagues for exposure and livelihood. However, they face a significant hurdle even there.

“We can’t play in the top European leagues,” said Bangladeshi skipper Rezaul Karim Babu, who plays for German club SV Böblingen. “Players from Pakistan and Malaysia go and play in the top league, while we have to settle for the second division.”

Despite this, training abroad has been a valuable experience. “The physical training we do there is completely different. I try to pass on these experiences to my juniors and urge them to go abroad and play.”

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After losing its tournament opener to Malaysia, Bangladesh bounced back with a dominant 8-3 win over Chinese Taipei, a much-needed boost before its final pool match against defending champion South Korea.

“We will give our best against Korea. They are a far better side than us, but hopefully we will give them a tough fight,” Babu said.

The team’s preparation was not without controversy. Four senior players, including former captain Puskar Khisa Mimo, were excluded from the 19-member squad. These omissions, along with the earlier exclusion of star midfielder Russell Mahmud Jimmy from the AHF Cup squad, have sparked allegations of internal discord and a personal vendetta within the federation. Since the appointment of the current ad-hoc committee, tensions between players and officials have simmered.

When asked about the issue, Biplob stated that team selection is a “continuous process” and that it is important to give “more chances to the junior players, who will take the game forward.”

Biplob, who represented Bangladesh from 2004 to 2014, was also the coach of the Under-21 team that secured the country’s first-ever entry into the Men’s Junior Hockey World Cup 2025 by finishing fifth in the Junior Asia Cup in December 2024. “We have included eight players from that team in the senior squad to provide them with exposure,” he added.

Ultimately, the team has its sights set on a larger goal. “Our first target is to finish third in the pool,” Biplob said. “And overall, our target is to finish fifth, which will help us to go further in playing the playoffs [for the 2026 Men’s FIH Hockey World Cup Qualifiers] later.”

A new dawn is breaking for Bangladeshi hockey. With a historic Junior World Cup campaign on the horizon and the senior team showing signs of competitiveness against formidable opponents, the stage is set. The right strategic roadmap could usher in a new age of the sport in a country that is being rebuilt.

Published on Aug 31, 2025