Having qualified for the 2025 edition of the Junior World Cup after finishing fifth in the AHF Men’s Junior Asia Cup, Bangladesh had no alternative but to beat Japan today to keep their World Cup hopes alive.

Of the total amount, the BHF will provide Tk 40 lakh, while the Bangladesh Air Force will contribute Tk 20 lakh.

Hockey-player-turned-umpire Salim Lucky spoke about learning elite-level protocols, earning praise from the FIH and global peers, the challenges of limited domestic competition, and his plea for greater institutional support to secure the future of Bangladeshi umpires in an interview with The Daily Star.

In an interview with The Daily Star's Anisur Rahman, the Kishoreganj-born midfielder discussed the team's campaign, the state of hockey in Bangladesh, and his own ambitions.

As the best finisher among the bottom eight nations, they were awarded the Challenger Trophy, introduced by the International Hockey Federation to recognise emerging teams.

Penalty corner specialist Amirul Islam scored yet another hattrick as Bangladesh came from 2-0 down to beat South Korea 5-3 in a thrilling classification match of the FIH Men's Junior Hockey World Cup on Saturday.

The Faridpur-born former BKSP trainee now leads the scorers' chart with 12 goals in four matches.