Bangladesh hockey will be up for the challenge to defend its sixth position in the Hangzhou Asian Games after being drawn in a tough group alongside three superior rivals.

Bangladesh have been pitted against India, Pakistan, Japan, Uzbekistan and Singapore in Pool A, while Pool B features South Korea, Malaysia, China, Oman, Thailand and Indonesia.

During the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia, Bangladesh finished sixth, equaling their previous best feat from 1978. They lost against South Korea in the fifth-place deciding match following third-place finish in Pool B where Pakistan and Malaysia emerged champions and runners-up to advance to the semifinals.

This time around, Bangladesh will face an uphill task against India, Pakistan and Japan if they want to finish among top three in Pool A. If Bangladesh fail to do so, they will have to play in classification match for the seventh-eight positions, subject to finishing fourth in the six-team pool.

Bangladesh will start their campaign against Japan on September 24, a day after the opening ceremony of the multidiscipline event in Hangzhou, China.

Pool A: Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Japan, Uzbekistan, Singapore

Pool B: South Korea, Malaysia, China, Oman, Thailand, Indonesia