Hockey team upbeat ahead of Pakistan tie

Fresh from a convincing 3-1 win against Oman in their opening match, Bangladesh U-21 hockey team are looking forward to a strong performance against Pakistan in the Men's Hockey Junior Asia Cup in Muscat today.

Bangladesh had set their sights on a spot in next year's Junior World Cup in India, with top six teams from the ongoing 10-team tournament slotted to win tickets. The win against Oman means Bangladesh will finish no lower than third or fourth in Pool B, which also features Malaysia and China.

The charges of Moududur Rahman Shuvo yesterday skipped training and had gym and swimming sessions before watching the match between Pakistan and China, which the former won 7-2.

"Pakistan are always a strong opponent, and we have never been able to beat them. So, our target is to perform well against them as a team, so that we can carry the positives into the next matches," said the coach over phone, adding that their main target is to secure a spot in junior World Cup.

Bangladesh had lost 3-1 against Pakistan during the 2015 edition of this tournament.

Manager Kawsar Ali informed that the players are mentally upbeat after beating Oman with a dominant display despite the fact that they could convert only one of their seven penalty corners in that game.