Bangladesh pulled off a thrilling 2-1 victory over regional giants India in the Commonwealth Beach Handball Championship, currently taking place in Kulhudhuffushi, Maldives.
In a tightly contested match, Bangladesh lost the first set 16-28 but responded in style to win the second set 19-10, forcing the game into a tie-breaker. There, they held their nerve to triumph 7-3 and seal a memorable win.
Beach handball follows a different format from the standard version of the sport. Matches are decided on a best-of-three basis, with each of the two 10-minute sets treated independently. If both teams win one set each, the match proceeds to a tie-breaker to determine the winner.
The victory against India comes after another strong showing the previous night, when Bangladesh defeated South Africa in straight sets. Khokon Molla, who was named Player of the Match in that fixture, continued his excellent form with another standout performance against India.
This year’s championship is being held in a round-robin format and features teams from Sri Lanka, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and hosts Maldives.
The Bangladesh squad arrived in the Maldives in high spirits, having completed an intensive training camp on sand at Paltan Maidan in Dhaka. The benefits of that preparation are already beginning to show, with two impressive wins from their opening matches.
