Bangladesh Football Federation Monday announced the final national Olympic team squad for the upcoming Asian Games, which gets underway in Hangzhou, China later this month, excluding Jamal Bhuiyan.
Jamal, the national team skipper was initially included in the preliminary list for the largest sports event of the continent but eventually left out due to his involvement with Sol de Mayo in the Argentine lower-tier league.
Almost all the players in the 22-man squad are from U-23 group except a couple of senior players – striker Suman Reza and defender Murad Hasan.
Along with Suman and Murad, there are seven more players from the latest senior national team squad that played two FIFA friendlies against Afghanistan earlier this month.
They are - goalkeeper Mitul Marma, defenders Rahmat Mia, Isa Faysal, midfielders Mohammad Ridoy, Mojibur Rahman Jony, Rabiul Hasan and winger Foysal Ahmed Fahim.
The seven players in the Asiad squad are currently in Thailand participating in the AFC U-23 Asian Cup qualifiers where they lost the opening two matches and conclude their group stage campaign against Philippines Tuesday.
They will join the remaining 15 players who began residential training camp under head coach Javier Caberea at Bashundhara Sports Complex in the capital Monday.
Bangladesh will kick off their Asian Games campaign against Myanmar at Xiaoshan Sports Center Stadium in Hangzhou on September 19 before facing India and hosts China on September 21 and 24 respectively.
The men in red and green made it to the knockout stage of the Asiad for the first time in history during the previous edition held in Indonesia in 2018 under the captaincy of Jamal.
Bangladesh squad for Asian Games 2023
Goalkeepers: Mitul Marma, Pappu Hossain, Mehedi Hasan Srabon
Defenders: Rahmat Mia, Isa Faysal, Murad Hasan, Shahin Ahammad, Jahid Hossain, Tanvir Hossain, Sakil Hossain
Midfielders: Mohammad Ridoy, Mojibur Rahman Jony, Rabiul Hasan, Abu Sayeed, Papon Singha, Jayed Ahmed, Shahidul Islam
Forwards: Foysal Ahmed Fahim, Suman Reza, Piash Ahmed Nova, Jafar Iqbal, Rafiqul Islam
