Korea and Japan will be the first two foreign teams to arrive in the capital on Wednesday to participate in the six-nation Hero Asian Champions Trophy (Hockey) ‘2021 beginning on January 14 at the Maulana Bhashani National Stadium here. Participating countries are: India, Malaysia, Korea, Japan, Pakistan and hosts Bangladesh Korean and Japanese teams will arrive in the capital at 21.05 hours on Wednesday by a flight of Singapore Air Lines. READ: Champions Hockey: 4 more players included in Bangladesh’s preliminary squad  India will be the 3rd foreign team to arrive here on Friday (Dec 10) at 12:30 hours by an Air India flight while the Pakistan team is scheduled to reach Dhaka at 16:40 hours on the same day (Friday). Malaysia will be the last foreign team to arrive here on Sunday (Dec 12) at 22:00 hours by Malindo Air flight. India will play Korea in the opening match at 3:30 pm on Jan 14. Bangladesh will play Malaysia at 6; pm while Pakistan will play Japan at 8:30 pm in other two opening day’s fixture. The titan battle between India and Pakistan will be held on Jan 17 at pm 3:30 pm. Earlier, Bangladesh Hockey Federation (BHF) announced a 28-member preliminary squad of Bangladesh national hockey team for the heavy weight tournament and later they added four more players in the squad as per requirement of the team’s Malaysia Head Coach Gobinathan Krishnamurty. The four newly recruited players are: Al Nahian Shuvo, Raju Ahmed Tapu, Abed Uddin and Razibul Hasan Rocky. READ: Premier Hockey: Mariner Youngs clinch title beating Mohammedan 3-2 The training session of Bangladesh team began on last Wednesday (Dec 1) at BKSP in Savar. 28-member Bangladesh squad: Biplob Kujur, Abu Sayed Nippon, Ashim Gop (goal keeper), Khorshedur Rahman, Farhad Ahmed, Ashraful Islam, Shohanaur Rahman Sabuj, Mehdi Hasam, Rezaul Karim Babu, Monoj Babu, Shafiul Alam Shisir, Sarwar Morshad Shawon and Khaled Mahmud Rakin (defender), Sarwar Hossain, Roman Sarkar, Nayeemuddin, Fazle Hossain Rabbi, Hasan Jubair Niloy, Prince Lal Samanta (mid-field), Rasel Mahmud Jummy, Milan Hossain, Mainul Islam Kaushik, Arshad Hossain, Mahbub Hossain, Deen Islam Emon, Rakibul Hasan, Pushkar Kisha Mimo and Rajub Das.

Kushtia, Oct 16 (UNB) – A three-day festival will begin on Wednesday afternoon at Lalon Akhra in Chheuria village marking the 129th death anniversary of legendry Baul Lalon Shah.