Bangladesh fought hard but ultimately fell to a 3-2 defeat against China in the Under-18 Asia Cup Hockey tournament in Japan on Sunday, conceding a 59th-minute penalty stroke that proved the decisive blow after leading twice during the match.
Bangladesh made a bright start, taking the lead in the ninth minute through Munna, who gave the red and green a deserved advantage. China levelled in the 31st minute through Juan Bolang, but Bangladesh hit back almost immediately, with Tuhin Akash restoring their lead in the 34th minute. The advantage was short-lived, however, as China drew level again in the 43rd minute to make it 2-2 heading into the final quarter.
With the match poised at 2-2 entering the fourth quarter, China found the winner from the penalty spot in the 59th minute, Liao Jiazhen converting to hand his side a 3-2 victory and send Bangladesh to their second defeat in the tournament.
The result follows a positive earlier result for Bangladesh in the same competition, where they defeated Malaysia, demonstrating that the young side are capable of competing at this level even if they could not hold on for a result against China.
Bangladesh’s next match in the tournament is against Pakistan on Wednesday, with kick-off scheduled for noon Bangladesh time.
