Bangladesh’s long-standing dominance over Sri Lanka came to an end with a 3-2 defeat in the Asian Games hockey qualifiers in Thailand on Friday, marking their first loss to the side since the 2006 South Asian Games in Colombo.
Former captain Mamunur Rahman Chayon recalled that Bangladesh had not lost to Sri Lanka since that match, highlighting how one-sided the rivalry had been over the past two decades. Fellow former skipper Russel Mahmud Jimmy echoed the sentiment, noting that heavy-margin wins had once been routine.
The defeat has complicated Bangladesh’s path to qualification. With Sri Lanka on six points, Bangladesh must now aim for a convincing win over Uzbekistan on 06 April to boost their chances of reaching the semi-finals and securing a place at the Asian Games.
Sri Lanka took the lead in the sixth minute before Ashraful Islam equalised from a penalty stroke late in the first quarter. The Sri Lankans regained the advantage early in the second quarter and extended it to 3-1 in the fourth. Amirul Islam reduced the deficit from a penalty corner, but Bangladesh could not find a late equaliser.
