Bangladesh Under-20 women secured a place among the top six at the Women’s Junior Asia Cup after beating Kazakhstan 4-0 in Hulunbuir, China, on Tuesday.
The victory gave Bangladesh a third straight win in the five-team Challenger Pool. They now have nine points and have secured top spot with one match still to play.
Bangladesh had already beaten Chinese Taipei and Pakistan in their opening two matches. They continued that winning run with another controlled display against Kazakhstan.
Bangladesh took control from the start and opened the scoring in the third minute. Captain Sharika Rimon converted a penalty corner to put her side ahead.
Liza Akter doubled the advantage in the 14th minute. She scored from open play as Bangladesh continued to put pressure on the Kazakhstan defence.
Kazakhstan could not find a response before half-time. Bangladesh also failed to add another goal in the second and third quarters.
The Bangladesh attack, however, regained its sharpness in the final quarter.
Zakia Afroze Lima scored from open play in the 46th minute to make it 3-0. Rimon then completed the scoring five minutes later by converting another penalty corner.
The captain therefore finished with two goals, while Liza and Lima added one each.
Bangladesh have now won all three of their Challenger Pool matches. The result also guarantees their place in the knockout stage.
Bangladesh will face Hong Kong in their final Challenger Pool match on Wednesday. The match will start at 7am Bangladesh time.
The result against Hong Kong will determine Bangladesh’s final position before the knockout stage. Their place among the tournament’s leading six teams, however, has already been confirmed.
The Challenger Pool features Bangladesh, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Chinese Taipei and Hong Kong. The teams compete for positions that determine their quarter-final opponents from the Elite Pool.
Bangladesh entered the tournament after winning the Women’s Junior AHF Cup in July. They beat Kazakhstan 2-0 in the final to claim the title.
The Under-20 side have now carried that form into the Junior Asia Cup. Three wins from three have taken Bangladesh to nine points and secured the Challenger Pool crown.
They will now look to complete the group campaign with another victory against Hong Kong before turning their attention to the knockout stage.
