Amirul - standing out with his powerful drag-flicks

Sporting a hairstyle that flares similar a lion’s mane, 21-year-old Amirul Islam cuts an unmistakable fig connected the turf. However, astatine the 2025 FIH inferior men’s hockey World Cup here, it is not conscionable his striking look that has turned heads — it is his interaction connected the game.

The starring drag-flicker of Bangladesh’s inferior team, Amirul has emerged arsenic 1 of the tournament’s biggest revelations.

Against powerhouse opponents Australia and South Korea, the inferior World Cup debutant refused to slice softly — acknowledgment to Amirul, who produced back-to-back hat-tricks, propelling himself into the database of the competition’s apical scorers.

Head manager Siegfried Aikman tin hardly fell his admiration. “He trains relentlessly,” Aikman said. “In each session, helium attempts galore variations (around 50 to 100 each) successful the greeting and evening. He generates dense topspin and finishes with tremendous wrist power. It’s each astir rhythm. The drag-flick is simply a plaything — a method shot. It’s similar putting successful golf.”

Amirul honed his method astatine the country’s premier sports institute, Bangladesh Krira Shikkha Protishtan (BKSP). “As a BKSP student, I archetypal played successful the Independence Cup successful 2019,” helium recalled. “That was my archetypal existent accidental to drag-flick. I tried hard but couldn’t score. But I conscionable kept practising.”

Now, the once-struggling teen is 1 of Bangladesh’s astir promising young talents — and an admirer of Indian skipper Harmanpreet Singh, 1 of the world’s finest drag-flickers.

Drawn successful the pugnacious Pool-F, Bangladesh has truthful acold mislaid to Australia (3-5) and drawn with South Korea (3-3) and its hopes of entering the knock-outs are arsenic bully arsenic over.

“We are unlucky to beryllium grouped with France and Australia,” Aikman said.

Yet erstwhile Bangladesh lines up against heavyweight France connected December 2 successful its past radical match, 1 happening is certain. Amirul volition measurement up again, equipped with his fearless approach, refined method and a drag-flick susceptible of rattling adjacent the strongest defence.