Jakarta: As expected, Bangladesh’s national men’s hockey team concluded their group campaign on a high note by decisively defeating Sri Lanka 5-0 in the final Pool B match held in Jakarta, Indonesia.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the match remained scoreless throughout the first and second quarters until Rakibul Hasan ended the drought with a field goal in the 39th minute. Hasan quickly added to the lead with another field goal just three minutes later. Fazia Rabby contributed to the tally with a third goal in the 43rd minute. The fourth quarter saw Arshad Hossain extend the lead to 4-0 with a field goal in the 46th minute. Naim Uddin sealed the outcome by converting a penalty corner in the 50th minute, completing the dominating performance.
Earlier in the tournament, Bangladesh started strong by defeating Kyrgyzstan 5-1 in their opening match, followed by a 3-2 victory over host Indonesia. They continued their winning streak by emerging as group champions with a 2-1 win against Thailand.
Bangladesh has a rich history in the AHF Cup, having claimed the title in the last four editions in 2008, 2012, 2016, and 2022. The team is set to face the Pool A runners-up, either Oman or Chinese Taipei, in the semifinal match.