Sports Desk:

Bangladesh earned the right to compete in the qualifiers for the 2026 Hockey World Cup after defeating Kazakhstan 5–1 in the placement playoffs of the Asia Cup. By finishing inside the top six of the tournament, Bangladesh confirmed their place in the World Cup qualifiers.

In a must-win match to keep their qualification hopes alive, Bangladesh thrashed Kazakhstan at the Bihar Sports University Hockey Stadium in Rajgir, India, on Thursday. The victory not only kept their World Cup dream alive but also ensured Bangladesh a chance to finish fifth in the Asia Cup. They will face Japan in the fifth-place playoff on Saturday.

Ashraful Islam and Roman Sarkar scored twice each for Bangladesh, while Taiyob Ali netted the other goal.

The 2026 Hockey World Cup will be staged in Belgium and the Netherlands in August. Both host nations have already qualified automatically, along with Australia and Spain, who earned spots based on their recent FIH Pro League performances. Australia were champions of the 2023–24 season, while Spain finished third in 2024–25 but qualified as the champions (Netherlands) and runners-up (Belgium) had already secured their berths as hosts.

In addition, continental champions have booked their tickets: Argentina (Pan America), Germany (Europe), and New Zealand (Oceania). Asia’s and Africa’s continental champions will also qualify directly. The remaining seven slots will be decided through the World Cup qualifying tournaments scheduled for February–March next year.