Bangladesh defender Amirul Islam has been one of the standout performers at the ongoing FIH Hockey Junior World Cup in India, repeatedly converting penalty corners with his drag-and-flick expertise to trouble top sides such as Australia, France and South Korea. The Faridpur-born former BKSP trainee now leads the scorers' chart with 12 goals in four matches. Amirul, who debuted for the senior team at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games after joining the U-21 setup in 2019, spoke to The Daily Star's Anisur Rahman following Bangladesh's emphatic 13–0 win over Oman yesterday. Here are the excerpts:

The Daily Star (DS): Having scored only five in last year's AHF Junior Asia Cup, how did you transform your performance?

Amirul Islam (AI): Credit goes to my teammates for providing the penalty corners. I also wanted to repay the trust coach [Siegfried Aikman] placed in me. Since the Junior Asia Cup, I've worked hard with his guidance to improve my conversions, and it's paying off here.

DS: Where would you like to finish with two matches left?

AI: My focus is on the team, not individual goals. I'll give my best in the remaining matches while upholding the coach's trust.

DS: Did you expect to perform so well against top teams?

AI: Coach Aikman inspired us, saying 'size doesn't matter' and 'focus on your strengths'. We concentrated on team performance and tried to execute his instructions fully. I think we are now able to understand 90 per cent of the coach's instructions. Overall, we performed well.

DS: Are you satisfied with third in a strong group, ahead of Korea?

AI: Not really. We could have topped the group, but silly mistakes cost us. We regret missing the chance to be group champions.

DS: Any difference between the Asian Cup and World Cup squads?

AI: It's the same group of players with the same ambition. The difference is improved skills, team effort, unity, and defensive organisation under Aikman.

DS: Bangladesh are set to finish 17th–20th. How confident are you about 17th?

AI: We're confident. The team are strong in mentality and effort, and everyone will focus on not dropping points in the next two matches.

DS: Your teammates call you 'Hamza' because of your hairstyle.

AI: I enjoy the comparison. Hamza [Chowdhury] is a top international footballer, so I take it positively.

DS: Thoughts on the irregular domestic league, last played early 2024?

AI: We hope domestic competitions resume soon to advance hockey. The federation should also send teams abroad to improve at international level.