Bangladesh invited to Asia Cup Hockey after Pakistan pulls out

Bangladesh has earned an opportunity to participate in the Hockey Asia Cup in India, after Pakistan withdrew from the tournament. The Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) extended an invitation to Bangladesh to take the vacant spot.

The Bangladesh Hockey Federation (BHF) on Monday confirmed in a press release that the Asian Hockey Federation and Hockey India have officially invited Bangladesh to the tournament. They added, “Inshallah, Bangladesh will take part in the Asia Cup.”

Since there were strong indications that Pakistan might not take part, Bangladesh had already started preparing. Players of the national team have been training regularly at the Maulana Bhasani Hockey Stadium to get ready for the big stage.

The Asia Cup will begin on August 27 in India's Bihar. Along with host India, the tournament will feature China, Japan, Malaysia, South Korea, Oman, Chinese Taipei, and the newly invited Bangladesh.

The Asia Cup winners will earn direct qualification for the 2026 Hockey World Cup, while the next five teams in the rankings will secure spots in the World Cup qualifiers. This opportunity has given Bangladesh’s hockey team fresh hopes of achieving a new milestone.