Sports

Bangladesh beat Oman as Junior Asia Cup begins

 
MUSCAT, NOV 27

Oman suffered a 3-1 loss against Bangladesh in Pool A in the opening round games of the 2024 Junior Asian Men’s Hockey Championship which is underway in Muscat until December 4 at Oman Hockey Stadium in Al Amerat. The win set Bangladesh for a deep run in the competition.

In the second match of the same group, Malaysia secured their first win as they displayed their attacking prowess with a commanding 5-2 victory over China gaining an early edge in the pool standings.

On Thursday, two matches from Pool A and B will take place as Bangladesh will take on Pakistan at 4:45 pm and this match will be followed by a tight tie between India and Japan and the match will start at 7 pm. Both matches will take place at the Oman Hockey Stadium in Al Amerat.

Oman put on an exciting performance against Bangladesh on Tuesday night. Oman, under guidance of coach Khalid al Raisi, sought to capitalise on their home advantage while Bangladesh displayed tactical discipline and a solid defensive strategy, relying on quick counterattacks to threaten Oman’s goal. Bangladesh opened the scoring through Mohammad Hasan. In the second quarter, Oman increased their attacking intensity to register equaliser as they were applying high pressure towards opponent side.

Despite numerous attempts, Oman was unable to convert their efforts into goals. The second quarter ended with Bangladesh leading 1-0. In the following quarter, Bangladesh managed to extend their lead through Mohammad Hasan who scored two more goals one from a penalty corner in the 38th minute, giving his team a comfortable advantage.

In the deciding quarter, Oman demonstrated fighting spirit and managed to score their only goal in the 55th minute via a penalty corner converted by Maitham al Wahaibi. However, they were unable to narrow the gap further. Despite Oman's repeated attempts, Bangladesh’s defence held strong, securing a 3-1 victory for them.

Asian heavyweights Japan began their campaign with a perfect start as they thrashed Chinese Taipei with an impressive 11-0 win. It is the largest margin of victory in the tournament till now. On the other side, South Korea opened campaign on a successful note with a 6-2 triumph over Thailand after demonstrating their strength to compete for top honours in the Asian event.