Brothers Rasel Mahmud Jimmy and Khaled Mahmud Rakin will share a Bangladesh national hockey squad for the first time when the team competes at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.
Both have played together at club level, but their selection in the 18-member squad marks the first occasion they will represent Bangladesh in the same senior national team at a major tournament.
Jimmy, 39, returns to the national side after being left out following the 2023 Asian Games. The experienced midfielder had been overlooked because of his age but worked his way back into the setup and has now earned a place in the Asian Games squad.
For Rakin, the selection ends a long wait. Despite regular involvement in national camps and appearances for Bangladesh at age-group level, he had been unable to secure a place in the final senior squad.
His breakthrough came at the Asian Games qualifying tournament in Bangkok in April, where he made his senior international debut and played all three matches.
Now, Rakin will travel to Japan alongside his elder brother, giving Jimmy an opportunity to fulfil a long-held ambition of playing for Bangladesh with his younger sibling.
The brothers are sons of former Bangladesh hockey player and coach Abdur Razzak Sona Mia, who introduced them to the sport. Jimmy has established himself as one of the country’s leading hockey players, while Rakin has built his reputation in domestic competition.
Rakin has represented Usha and Ajax before spending the past three seasons with Mohammedan Sporting Club. The brothers have also faced each other in club hockey.
Nuruzzaman Noyon, Mehrab Hasan and Abed Uddin have been included on the standby list, while Al Nahiyan, Fazle Hossain and Aman Sharif were dropped from the 24-member squad announced earlier this month.
The Bangladesh Hockey Federation is also attempting to arrange practice matches in Germany before the Asian Games. However, the team is still waiting for visas, with a final decision on the proposed tour expected on Sunday.
Bangladesh’s Asian Games squad comprises Biplob Kujur, Ashraful Haque, Ashraful Islam, Huzaifa Hossain, Amirul Islam, Rezaul Karim, Roman Sarkar, Shahidur Rahman, Obaidul Hossain, Deen Islam, Khaled Mahmud Rakin, Pushkar Khisa, Sohanur Rahman, Farhad Ahmed, Mahbub Hossain, Mainul Islam, Rasel Mahmud Jimmy and Rakibul Hasan.
