The Malaysian hockey team pulled out of the upcoming Asian Champions Trophy owing to a Covid case in the squad, confirmed the Bangladesh Hockey Federation.

The Malaysian team's withdrawal means the apex tournament is now a five-team affair, which however will be played from December 14 to December 22 in Dhaka, as previously scheduled.

The five teams – Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, South Korea and Japan -- will play each other in round robin format before the top two teams meet in the final on December 22.

"The entire team, including the player, is now undergoing mandatory quarantine as stipulated," a press release from the Malaysian Hockey Federation stated.

The press release also said that to follow the national strict health guideline, the squad will have to stay in quarantine from December 8 to 14, which would affect the schedule of the tournament. Hence it was decided that the team pulled out of the tournament entirely.