Bangladesh made a strong start with a dominant 5-1 victory over Kazakhstan in their opening Group B match in AHF Hockey Cup campaign in Jakarta, Indonesia on Friday evening.
The men in red and green has an unbeaten record against Kazakhstan.However, the match saw a tense period as the score remained tied at 1-1 until the 37th minute, raising concerns of a potential upset.
Nevertheless, Bangladesh bounced back strongly in the final two quarters, scoring four goals to secure a comfortable win.
Bangladesh had defeated Kazakhstan 8-0 in the 2022 AHF Cup.
The first quarter remained goalless. In the second quarter, Ashraful Islam broke the deadlock for Bangladesh in the 9th minute through a penalty corner.
However, Kazakhstan responded just six minutes later with a penalty corner of their own, levelling the score. Both teams went into halftime with the score at 1-1.
Bangladesh regained their lead in the third quarter when Naimuddin converted a penalty corner in the 8th minute. Just a minute later, Rakibul scored a field goal that solidified their control over the match.
Sohanoor Rahman Sabuj further extended Bangladesh's lead in the 44th minute with another penalty corner goal, making the score 4-1.
In the final moments of the game, Bangladesh was awarded a penalty stroke, which was successfully converted by Ashraful, sealing a 5-1 victory for the defending champions.
Sabuj was named Player of the Match for his outstanding performance.
Bangladesh's next match is on Sunday against hosts Indonesia. Their other Group B opponents are Sri Lanka and Thailand.
The top two teams from each group will advance to the semifinals and also secure their places in the Asia Cup. Bangladesh has been the champion of the AHF Cup for the past four editions.
NSA
