Dhaka to host four-nation women's handball tournament

Dhaka will host the IHF Nations Trophy women's handball tournament from October 18 to 22, with Bangladesh set to compete against India, Nepal and the Maldives at the Captain M Mansur Ali Stadium in Paltan.

The five-day competition was announced at a press conference at the Bangladesh Olympic Association auditorium on Thursday. The tournament is being organised by the Bangladesh Handball Federation in collaboration with the tournament committee and the Ministry of Youth and Sports.

The tournament will follow a round-robin format, with each team facing the other three sides once. Two league matches will be held daily from October 18 to 20, followed by the bronze medal match on October 21 and the final on October 22.

Bangladesh captain Ismatara Nishi expressed confidence in her team's preparations after a three-month training camp that reduced a preliminary squad of 90 players to a final 17. "This is our first time training under a foreign coach, and we are highly confident about playing in the final," Nishi said, adding that the team would give its best despite improvements made by Nepal and the Maldives.

Spanish coach Ana Alonso Fragua said the team's objectives extended beyond winning the tournament, with an emphasis on building a strong foundation for the future. She acknowledged the challenge of assessing opponents without recent international matches but pledged a determined effort from her players.

Bangladesh Handball Federation General Secretary Md Salahuddin Ahmed said Yemen and Afghanistan had initially been scheduled to participate but could not attend because of geopolitical and regulatory constraints. He added that the tournament would serve as an important preparation opportunity for the upcoming South Asian Games.

Federation Vice-President Golam Habib said competing against foreign teams would help local players gain valuable international experience.

The opening ceremony will take place on October 18 at 11am, with State Minister for Youth and Sports Md Aminul Haque scheduled to attend as chief guest. Cultural programmes are planned for both the opening and closing days.