First Division Hockey return delayed

The return of the First Division Hockey League after a three-year break has been pushed back by two days, with the tournament now set to start on 9 October instead of 7 October, organisers confirmed.

The delay is not down to any major trouble or crisis. Clubs have already wrapped up their final preparations, but officials decided to take a short breather to ensure every team and returning official is fully ready for face-off.

"The league is definitely happening, there is no problem at all," said Mohammad Yousuf Ali, secretary of the First Division Hockey League Committee. "It was supposed to start on the 7th, but we pushed it back two days to 9 October. There are no complications. Many officials and players are travelling back from abroad. They are arriving, so to get everything properly sorted and organised, we delayed it by two days."

This competition has stayed off the pitch since 2023. It was finally revived following a meeting between the newly formed league committee and representatives of the 11 participating clubs at the Bangladesh Hockey Federation board room.

This season will run in a single-league format with an eye on local talent. No foreign players will be allowed to feature. The federation made the call to give homegrown talent regular playing time and prevent young domestic prospects from spending the season stuck on the bench.

Each squad is capped at 22 players, and strict quotas have been put in place for institutional players. Every team can register a maximum of four players from the national sports institute (BKSP) and up to four players from the armed forces the Army, Navy, and Air Force.

The 11 clubs battling for the title are Wari Club, Hockey Dhaka United, Public Works Department (PWD), Combined SC, Mukta Bihanga Tarun Sangha, Bachelors SC, Farashganj SC, Shishu Kishore Sangha, Wanderers Club, Rayer Bazar SC, and Dhaka Young Star Club.