Bangladesh Hockey Federation (BHF) accorded a warm reception to the men’s junior (U-21) national hockey team just after they arrived from Oman on Thursday.

The reception function was held at the Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) Falcon Hall in Tejgaon.

BHF President Air Chief Marshal Hasan Mahmood Khan gifted Tk5 lakh to the players and coaching staff.

Bangladesh ended fifth in the recently concluded Men’s Junior Asia Cup 2024 after beating China by 6-3 goals in a place-deciding match (fifth/sixth) at the Hockey Oman Stadium in Muscat on Wednesday.

The team made history as they secured a spot for the forthcoming 14th Men's FIH Hockey Junior World Cup for the first time in the history of Bangladesh hockey.

“We are for the first time going to play in the Junior World Cup. It won’t be realistic if we expect to win, but we can expect to perform well. We have a year in our hands, it is enough to get prepared for the World Cup. We will arrange a training camp for six months,” said the BHF president on the occasion.

The Junior Asia Cup provided the top six-ranked teams spots in the Junior World Cup which is scheduled to be held in December of next year in India.

Bangladesh beat Thailand by 7-2 goals in the place-deciders (fifth-eighth) to reach the leaderboard of the top six at the same venue on Tuesday.

Apart from Bangladesh, runners-up Pakistan, third-placed Japan, fourth-placed Malaysia, sixth-placed China and seventh-placed Thailand qualified for the World Cup.

India, who beat Pakistan by 5-3 goals in the final and became champions of this regional age-level competition on Wednesday, qualified as the hosts; so seventh-placed Thailand earned a spot as the seventh team of the Junior Asia Cup. 

Bangladesh earlier played seven times in the Junior Asia Cup since their first participation in the 1992 edition held in Malaysia where they achieved the highest fifth rank, but they never got a chance to participate in the World Cup.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh, who qualified for the Asia Cup as the Men's Junior AHF Cup 2024 champions, ended third in the five-team Pool B of the ongoing competition with 5 points from one win against Oman by 3-1 goals, two draws against Malaysia and China by 2-2 and 1-1 goals respectively and 0-6 goals defeat to Pakistan.