Bangladesh Under-18 men's hockey team aiming to play final in the qualifying round of the Youth Olympic Games will leave Dhaka for Thailand on April 24.

Bangladesh who were runners-up in the previous time held in Singapore and qualified in the 2013 Nanjing Youth Olympic, this time they are targeting to qualify as champions when they will begin their campaign on April 25 with taking on Singapore, after the day of their arrival in Bangkok.

A total of 12 teams will participate in the qualifying competition splitting into two groups when the top two teams, champions and runners up will qualify in Youth Olympic to be held in Argentina in October, 2018.

Bangladesh were drawn in the Group B along with Pakistan, Malaysia, Singapore, Chinese Taipei and Cambodia while Group A compiled with India, Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, China and the hosts Thailand.

The five-day hockey event is for players between the age group of 15 to 18 years and the tournament, along with the Youth Olympic Games Hockey competition will follow the futuristic Hockey five’s format.

Bangladesh captain Shohanur Rahman Shohan, when talking to reporters at Falcon Hall in the capital after their photo session said, “We are expecting to qualify.”

Bangladesh team- Shohanur Rahman Shohan (captain), Mohsin Alam, Abed Hossain, Mehdi Hassan Sabuj, Robikul Hassan Rokib, Saijuddin, Prince Lal, Sarwar Morshed and Shafiul Alam.