Bangladesh emerged Pool B champions with all-win record to reach the semifinal of the Asian Games Men's Hockey Qualifier beating Singapore by 1-0 in their last group match at Queen Sirkit Commemorative Stadium in the Thai capital Bangkok on Thursday. Bangladesh will play the 2nd semifinal on Saturday (May 14) against Pool A runners up and hosts Thailand while Pool A champions Oman will play Indonesia in the first semis on the same day. In the day's last group match, Rakibul Hasan Rocky scored the match-winning goal for Bangladesh in the 2nd quarter of the match (1-0). Read: Women's Chess: Sharmin Sultana Shirin of Ansar emerges champion Singapore got a penalty stroke in the match but failed to convert it. Earlier, Bangladesh qualified for the Asian Games Hockey'2022 main battle after beating Indonesia and Sri Lanka by 3-1 goal each in first two group matches. On completion of the Asian Games qualifier, Bangladesh team led by new captain Khorshedur Rahman will travel to Indonesia directly from Thailand to compete in the Men's Asia Cup Hockey to be held in Jakarta from May 23 to June 1. In the eight- nation Hero Men's Asia Cup Hockey, Bangladesh team also been placed in Pool B with Malaysia, Korea and Oman. Read: Asia Cup Archery: Bangladesh gets silver medals losing to India in finals Bangladesh will face Korea on May 23, Oman on May 24 and Malaysia on May 26. Earlier, Bangladesh qualified for the Hero Men’s Asia Cup Hockey by clinching the Men's AHF Cup Hockey title for the fourth consecutive times in Jakarta in March.  

Bangladesh National Hockey team will start their campaign in the nine-nation Men's Asian Games Qualifiers taking on Indonesia in the Thai capital Bangkok on Saturday. The match will kick-off at 10 am local time and 11 am Bangladesh time. The Men's Asian Games Hockey Qualifier already began in Bangkok on Friday despite the Asian Games Authority postponed the Hangzhou Asian Games indefinitely amid a recent surge in Covid-19 cases in China, the host country of the  games. The Hangzhou Asian Games scheduled for September 10-25 this year in China. Also Read: National Hockey team for Men's Asia Cup, Asian Games Qualifiers announced Bangladesh team, which was placed in four-team Pool B of the Men's  Asian Games Qualifiers with Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Singapore, will play Sri Lanka on May 10 and Singapore on May 12 in the remaining group matches. Bangladesh team, which reached Bangkok on Thursday to compete in the Asian Games Qualifiers scheduled May 6-15, made their first practice session the same day (Thursday) and made another one and half hour long practices Friday morning. Earlier, Bangladesh Hockey Federation (BHF) announced an 18-member final national squad to compete in both the Asian Games Qualifiers and the Men's Asia Cup Hockey, also naming two stand-by players. BHF named also two separate captains for two tournaments keeping the same squad intact. Rezaul Karim Babu will lead the Bangladesh team in the Asian Games Hockey Qualifier scheduled for May 6-15 in Bangkok while Khorshedur Rahman will captain the Bangladesh team in the Men's a Asia Cup Hockey in Jakarta from May 23 to June 1. Iman Gobinathan Krishnamurthy of Malaysia named as the head coach,  Zahirul Islam Mitul as assistant coach and Mohammad  Rafiul Haque as team leader of Bangladesh for both the tournaments.. In the eight- nation Hero Men's Asia Cup Hockey, Bangladesh team also been placed in Pool B with Malaysia, Korea and Oman. Bangladesh will face Korea on May 23, Oman on May 24 and Malaysia on May 26. Earlier, Bangladesh qualified for the Men’s Asia Cup as they clinched the fourth consecutive title of the Men’s AHF Cup last month. Also Read: Bangladesh beat Oman to lift Men's AHF Cup Hockey title Oman, who finished as runners-up in the meet, also qualified to play in the eight-nation Men's Asia Cup Hockey with auto-qualifiers– India, Japan, Malaysia, Pakistan, South Korea, hosts Indonesia. Bangladesh squad: Goalkeepers: Biplob Kujur, Abu Sayeed Nippon, Defenders: Khorshedur Rahman, Farhd Ahmed Shitul, Ashraful Islam, Mehedi Hasan, Rezaul Karim Babu, Shohanur Rahman Sabuj Midfielders: Sarwar Hossain, Roman Sarkar, Naim Uddin, Fazle Hossain Rabbi, Prince Lal Samanta. Forwards: Rasel Mahmud Jimmy, Milon Hossain, Pushkor Khisha Mimo, Arshad Hossain, Rakibul Hasan Rocky (Jr).  Two stand by players are: Al Nahian Shuvo and Deen Islam Imon.