Bangladesh’s men’s and women’s hockey teams will begin their campaigns in the AHF U-18 Asia Cup in Japan on Saturday, with both sides aiming to make an early impact in one of Asia’s most important youth hockey competitions.
The tournament, organized by the Asian Hockey Federation (AHF), is being held from May 29 to June 6 at the Kawasaki Heavy Industries Hockey Stadium in Kakamigahara, Gifu Prefecture, Japan. The event features the continent’s leading under-18 national teams and serves as a major platform for developing future international players.
Bangladesh’s men’s team have been drawn in a challenging Group B alongside Malaysia, Pakistan and China. They will open their tournament against China on Saturday before facing Pakistan on Sunday and Malaysia on Tuesday.
The Bangladesh women’s side have also been placed in Group B, where they will compete against hosts Japan, China and Chinese Taipei. The team will begin its campaign against Chinese Taipei on Saturday, followed by matches against Japan on Sunday and China on Tuesday.
According to the Bangladesh Hockey Federation, the men’s team completed its final preparations with a practice match against India on Thursday, securing a draw against one of Asia’s strongest hockey nations at youth level. The result was viewed as an encouraging sign ahead of the tournament opener.
The competition features eight teams in both the men’s and women’s categories. Teams are divided into two groups, with the top sides advancing to the knockout and classification stages that will determine the final standings.
The AHF U-18 Asia Cup has increasingly become an important pathway for young players seeking progression to junior and senior national teams. Several leading Asian hockey nations, including India, Pakistan, Japan, South Korea, China and Malaysia, use the tournament as a platform to identify future international stars.
Speaking ahead of the tournament, India U-18 men’s captain Ketan Kushwaha said the event would be highly competitive and valuable for player development.
“The team is feeling confident and excited ahead of the Asia Cup. The camp in Bhopal and the matches against Australia helped us improve a lot as a unit and understand the areas we need to work on. We know every match in the tournament will be competitive, but the squad is motivated to give its best and make the country proud,” Kushwaha said in comments published by Hockey India ahead of India’s opening match in Japan.
India U-18 women’s captain Sweety Kujur also highlighted the significance of the competition, saying: “The entire squad is excited to finally begin the tournament. We have trained really hard over the past few weeks and the Australia matches gave us important match exposure before the Asia Cup.” She made the remarks in a preview released by Hockey India before the start of the event.
For Bangladesh, the tournament represents an opportunity to test its emerging talent against some of Asia’s strongest hockey programs. The country has a long tradition in field hockey and has remained competitive in regional competitions despite facing challenges related to infrastructure and international exposure.
Bangladesh’s men’s hockey team is currently ranked 19th in Asia among the participating nations, according to tournament information released by the Japan Hockey Association ahead of the event. The group-stage clashes against Pakistan, Malaysia and China are expected to provide a significant benchmark for the next generation of Bangladeshi players.
The women’s team, meanwhile, faces a difficult assignment against hosts Japan and regional powerhouse China. However, officials hope the tournament experience will contribute to the continued development of women’s hockey in Bangladesh, where efforts have been underway in recent years to expand youth participation and strengthen the national talent pipeline.
All matches are being played at the Kawasaki Heavy Industries Hockey Stadium in Kakamigahara, with the semi-finals scheduled for June 5 and the finals on June 6.
As the continental championship gets underway, both Bangladesh teams will be seeking strong performances that could boost confidence and provide valuable experience on the Asian stage.
