Dhaka: The Bangladesh U-21 youth hockey team received a warm reception today for qualifying for the FIH Hockey Junior World Cup for the first time. Upon their return from Oman, the players and coaching staff were honored at a ceremony held at the BAF Falcon Hall, organized by the Bangladesh Hockey Federation. According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the reception was attended by the Bangladesh Hockey Federation (BHF) president and Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Hasan Mahmood Khan, along with other federation officials. During the ceremony, BHF officials participated in a photo session with the team and presented them with a cash award of Taka five lakh in recognition of their achievement. The Bangladesh men's hockey team made history by securing their spot in the Junior World Cup following a decisive 7-2 victory over Thailand in the Junior Asia Cup's place-deciding match held last Tuesday. The team's journey in the tournament included an initial 3-1 win against Oman, followed by a heavy 0-9 defeat t o Pakistan. Despite these challenges, the team demonstrated resilience by drawing 2-2 with Malaysia and 1-1 with China in their subsequent group matches.
