Bangladesh name 18-member squad for Asian Champions Trophy hockey 

Bangladesh Hockey Federation (BHF), on Monday, has announced an 18-member final squad for the Men's Asian Champions Trophy hockey in India, trimming the group from the 26 players who reported for the preliminary camp last week.

The squad was finalised following a series of training sessions and assessments at the Maulana Bhashani Hockey Stadium, with the team management opting for a blend of experienced campaigners and emerging players.

Goalkeepers Ashraful Haque Shad and Biplob Kujur have both retained their places, while the squad also includes experienced campaigners such as Rezaul Karim Babu, Amirul Islam, Khaled Mahmud Rakin, Rakibul Hasan, Pushkar Khisa Mimo, Mahbub Hossain and Rashel Mahmud Jimmy.

The other members are Md Shohanur Rahman Shobuj, Md Hozifa Hossain, Md Roman Sarkar, Md Tayab Ali, Md Abdullah, Farhad Ahmed Shitul, Md Obidul Hossain Joy, Md Ashraful Islam and Md Abed Uddin.

The final squad broadly matches the names reported by Bangladeshi media following the BHF announcement. FIH records also use Ashraful Haque Shad and Hozifa Hossain, while recent coverage confirms the spellings of Tayab Ali, Obidul Hossain Joy and Rashel Mahmud Jimmy.

Bangladesh will compete in the six-team tournament alongside hosts India, Japan, Malaysia, South Korea and China after Pakistan withdrew from the competition. The tournament is scheduled from 27 October to 5 November, with Bangladesh opening their campaign against India in Jalandhar on 27 October.

Bangladesh are competing in the continental showpiece for only the second time, having previously featured as hosts in 2021. Their place in this year's tournament came after Pakistan's withdrawal.

The Bangladesh contingent is scheduled to leave for India shortly as the side prepares to measure itself against the best in Asian hockey.