The Shaheed Captain M Mansur Ali National Handball Stadium in Paltan is set to host the Begum Khaleda Zia Women’s IHF Nations Trophy for the second time, running from October 18 to October 22.
Bangladesh welcome India, Nepal, and the Maldives for the five-day international tournament. Yemen and Afghanistan withdrew from the original fixture list due to geopolitical and regulatory constraints.
The competition follows a round-robin format, ensuring all four nations play each other once. Organisers schedule two league matches daily across October 18, 19, and 20. The bronze medal match takes place on October 21 before the gold medal final concludes the event on October 22.
The Bangladesh national team enter the tournament following a rigorous three-month training camp. Coaches narrowed an initial preliminary squad of 90 players down to a final 17-member roster.
Team captain Ismatara Nishi highlighted the historic nature of their preparations under Spanish head coach Ana Alonso Fragua.
”This is our first time training under a foreign coach, and we are highly confident about playing in the final,” Ismatara said. “While teams like the Maldives and Nepal have improved significantly, we will give our absolute best to reach the top and bring glory to our country.”
Head coach Ana Alonso Fragua outlined her long-term vision for the squad beyond the immediate tournament.
”We are working not only to win this tournament but to build a strong foundation for the team’s future,” Fragua said. “While the lack of recent international matches makes it challenging to gauge the current standards of our opponents, we guarantee 100% effort. We will fight for every ball and battle hard to win.”
Bangladesh Handball Federation general secretary Md. Salahuddin Ahmed explained that the federation views the tournament as a vital stepping stone toward the upcoming South Asian Games.
The Ministry of Youth and Sports collaborates with the federation and tournament committee to stage the event. The official inauguration ceremony takes place on October 18 at 11:00 am.
