Bangladesh Hockey Federation (BHF) announced the 22-member final squad including four team officials for the 19th Asian Games on Tuesday.
The players have been under the Korean coach Yang Ku Kim and his deputy Ashikuzzaman from early of the last month, right after a day of his joining on July 1.
BHF started the camp targeting the Asian Games preparation with a 36-man preliminary squad (36 players reported out 40 had call) on June 16 when local coaches and former national stars Ashikuzzaman, Shahid Ullah Titu and Russe Khan Bappi looked after the training sessions until the Korean coach taking the charge.
Bangladesh, who obtained sixth place in the Jakarta Asiad in 2018, also targeted at least to retain the position at Hangzhou, China.
But this time they were drawn in the Group A, featuring with Asian giants India, Pakistan and Japan along with Singapore and Uzbekistan.
To retain the existing position Bangladesh would have to finish the group stage with third position.
The joint secretary of the BHF and the team manager Mahbubul Ehsan Rana also thinks that this time it will be a huge challenge for Bangladesh to hold the sixth position, as they were drawn in the tough group.
Rana, the former national star, said, “In the previous occasions, the places were decided in cross system but this time it would be decided straightaway and it will make challenging for us to retain the sixth place.”
Bangladesh will begin their campaign on September 24 with taking on Japan the day after the Games inauguration. Bangladesh will face Pakistan on September 26, will play third and fourth matches against Singapore and Uzbekistan on September 28 and 30 respectively while they will face tough match of the group against India on October 2.
Bangladesh players are also facing some troubles with language problem, as players face difficulties to follow the coach’s instructions.
The 22-member team – Biplob Kuzur, Nuruzzaman Nayan, Farhad Ahmed Shitul, Ashraful islam, Shohanur Rahman Sabuj, Rezaul karim Babu, Amirul Islam, Mehedi Hassan, Roman Sarkar, Nayeem Uddin, Al Nahian Shuva, Fazle Hossain Rabbi, Hujaifa Hossain, Rassel Mahmud Jimi, Rakibul Hassan, Pushkar khisha Mimo, Arshad Hossain and Milon Hossain (players).
Team officials- Mahbubul Ehsan Rana (manager), Shahid Ullah Titu, (assistant manager), Yang Ku Kim (head coach) and Ashikuzzaman (assistant coach.