Bangladesh began their men’s hockey campaign at the Asian Games with a 5-0 defeat by South Korea at Gifu Prefectural Green Stadium in Kakamigahara, Japan.
Bangladesh kept Korea scoreless during the opening 20 minutes, but the pressure eventually told. Korea scored twice in quick succession during the second quarter to take control before half-time.
The Bangladesh defence had frustrated Korea during the early exchanges. However, two goals within seconds changed the contest and left Bangladesh trailing 2-0 at the interval.
Korea continued to press after the restart. They added another field goal in the third quarter before extending their lead from a penalty corner.
Bangladesh tried to respond in the final quarter but could not find a way through the Korean defence.
Instead, Korea added a fifth goal from open play in the closing stages to complete a 5-0 victory.
Four of Korea’s five goals came from field play, while the other came from a penalty corner.
The result leaves Bangladesh without a goal from their opening match in the men’s competition. They will now look to recover in their remaining Pool A fixtures.
For much of the first quarter and the opening part of the second, Bangladesh had stayed organised enough to frustrate their opponents. Once Korea broke through, however, Bangladesh struggled to contain the pressure.
The Asian Games men’s hockey tournament runs from September 18 to October 3 at Gifu Prefectural Green Stadium. The tournament features 12 teams, with the winners securing qualification for the 2028 Olympic Games.
