Bangladesh’s boys and girls teams enjoyed memorable outings on 5 July at the under-18 Asia Cup hockey tournament in Dazhu, China, with the boys storming to a 13-0 win over Sri Lanka and the girls claiming their first-ever victory in the competition.
The men’s team, continuing their strong form in Pool A, followed up their opening 3-0 win against Hong Kong with a ruthless dismantling of Sri Lanka. The 13-0 result propelled Bangladesh to the top of their group with six points from two matches.
Captain Mohammad Abdullah led the charge with four goals, including a hat-trick, and was named player of the match. Ismail Hossain also netted four, while Sajedul Sajed and Deen Islam scored two each. Mohammad Mehedi and Bishal Ahmed added one goal apiece.
Bangladesh wasted no time asserting dominance, scoring three times in the opening quarter. A flurry of goals in the second, including two from Abdullah, sent them into the break firmly in control. Sri Lanka managed to hold them to just one goal in the third, but Bangladesh rounded off the rout with four more in the final quarter.
The team will now face hosts China on 6 July in what is expected to be their toughest group-stage test yet. China opened their campaign with a 9-0 win over Sri Lanka.
Meanwhile, the Bangladesh women’s team also had cause for celebration. Making their debut in the under-18 Asia Cup, they bounced back from an 11-0 thrashing by Japan to defeat Uzbekistan 3-0, recording a landmark first win at this level.
After a goalless first quarter, Bangladesh scored all three of their goals in the second. Though they failed to add to their tally in the second half, they maintained control and ensured a clean sheet with disciplined defending.