The Bangladesh Under-21 National Hockey Team has qualified for the 2025 Youth Hockey World Cup, which will be held in India. Following this achievement, the team returned to Bangladesh today (Thursday) via air from Oman. Upon their arrival, the players were in a celebratory mood at the airport. The players and coaching staff were then taken by the Air Force bus to the Falcon Hall in the capital. There, the Bangladesh Hockey Federation (BHF) warmly welcomed them with a floral reception and a ceremony.

During the reception, many expected that the hockey team would be rewarded with a significant financial incentive, or at the very least, a declaration or promise of a substantial sum. However, in the end, it was only the latter—and not a generous one. The total reward announced was a modest five lakh taka (500,000 BDT). This meant that each of the 18 players and 3 coaches would receive just 23,809 taka (around 24,000 BDT). This sum has sparked disappointment and criticism in the sports community.

During their training camp, the players receive only a 400 taka daily stipend. Additionally, they face several other challenges. Given these ongoing difficulties, the announcement of a mere 24,000 taka reward per player has been viewed as a "mockery" by many sports enthusiasts, who believe it is woefully inadequate compared to the team's remarkable achievement.