Dhaka, Bangladesh, April 23, 2026: Bangladesh’s women’s hockey team will make history when they play their first-ever senior international match on Thursday, April 23, opening their campaign in the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games qualifying tournament in Jakarta.
Having impressed at the U18 and U21 levels last year, the senior team will make their international debut when they come up against Chinese Taipei in Pool A of the eight-team women’s qualifier from April 23–29 for the Asian Games in Japan later this year.
Bangladesh head coach Zahid Hossain Raju said the team was ready for the tough challenge while acknowledging it was a huge step up. He told The Daily Star: “This is the toughest match of the group. Chinese Taipei are difficult opposition. Our players have played at junior level, but senior level is very different.”
Along with Bangladesh and Chinese Taipei, the other two teams in Pool A are Hong Kong-China and Uzbekistan. Pool B comprises Singapore, Kazakhstan, Sri Lanka and hosts Indonesia.
The four semi-finalists will qualify for the women’s hockey competition at the Asian Games from September 19 to October 4, 2026.