Bangladesh will play in the Asian Champions Trophy in Punjab, India, from October 27 to November 5, after Pakistan withdrew from the tournament over political tensions with the hosts, handing the national hockey team an unexpected route back onto Asia’s biggest stage.

The International Hockey Federation invited Bangladesh to take Pakistan’s place, having kept them on standby as a reserve side. They had finished seventh at the Asian Games in Japan, a result that had seemed likely to keep them out of major competition for some time.

Ariful Haque Prince, the Bangladesh Hockey Federation’s joint secretary, confirmed the news, revealing the federation had received an email from the Asian Hockey Federation.

“We were kept as the reserve team, and after Pakistan refused to play, the FIH eventually invited us,” he said.

The official invitation letter is expected within a day or two, and with little time to spare, the federation hopes to open a training camp on Monday so the squad can prepare quickly for a tournament featuring Asia’s six leading teams.

There is a second boost. Six Asian sides were due to reach next year’s Olympic Qualifiers in Chile based on Asian Games results, but India winning the Games secured them direct Olympic qualification.

That moved Bangladesh, who finished seventh, up into the sixth qualifying place.

It marks a sharp reversal for a side that lost 7-1 to China in the Asian Games classification stage, giving Bangladesh two high profile chances over the coming months to test themselves against stronger opposition and rebuild confidence after a disappointing finish in Japan.