Bangladesh Under 21 hockey star Amirul Islam wants to meet Youth and Sports Adviser Asif Nazrul. He believes a direct meeting will help the players share their problems. He says hockey still lacks a strong structure. He also feels a long term plan can help the team do better in the future.
Bangladesh Under 21 made history at the Junior Hockey World Cup. It was their first appearance at the event. The tournament took place in Chennai and Madurai in India during November and December. Bangladesh finished 17th among 24 teams. They also won the Challenger Cup.
On Tuesday, the Bangladesh Hockey Federation announced cash rewards for the team. The federation promised a bonus of BDT 4 million. The Bangladesh Air Force added BDT 2 million. The total bonus stands at BDT 6 million. Amirul Islam will receive an extra BDT 500,000 as the top scorer of the tournament.
The Hockey Federation held a special reception for the team on Tuesday. The event took place at Shaheen Dip at the Kurmitola Air Base. Air Chief Marshal Hasan Mahmud Khan attended as the chief guest. He is the Chief of Air Staff and the federation president. He praised the fighting spirit of the players. He asked them to prepare for the 2026 Asian Games and the next World Cup.
Amirul Islam scored 18 goals in the World Cup. He struck five hat tricks in six matches. He said the reception increased the team’s responsibility. He added that other sports receive strong support after success. He hopes hockey will also get similar attention.
Domestic hockey is yet to restart after the World Cup. There is no clear schedule so far. Federation General Secretary Lt Col Retd Riazul Hasan said clubs will get letters this month. The goal is to start the First Division League.
The Bangladesh Under 18 women’s team also received honours at the ceremony. They played in the Women’s Under 18 Asia Cup for the first time last July. The tournament took place in Dazhou in China. The team won the bronze medal after beating Kazakhstan. On Tuesday, the federation announced a BDT 1 million bonus for the side.
