By Sumayya
Bangladesh’s women’s hockey team endured a nightmare start to their historic Asian Games debut, suffering a crushing 13-0 defeat to tournament heavyweights China at the Kawasaki Juko Stadium on Sunday.
Thrown straight into the deep end in Pool A, the Tigresses struggled to contain China’s relentless attack. The hosts scored in every quarter, finding the net from the fourth to the 57th minute.
Zhong Jiaqi led the rout with a hat-trick, scoring in the fourth, 13th and 29th minutes. Chen Yang (12th, 18th), Zou Meirong (38th, 51st) and Chen Yi (41st, 57th) added two goals each, while Li Hong, Zhang Ying, Ma Ning and Yang Liu scored once apiece.
Bangladesh struggled to create meaningful attacking opportunities and failed to find a consolation goal. Their difficult afternoon ended on a sour note when Kona Akter received a yellow card in the 60th minute.
The heavy defeat followed a similar result for the Bangladesh men’s team, who lost their opening match 5-0 to South Korea. The women’s side must now regroup quickly before facing Malaysia in their second group match on Monday.
The 12-team tournament carries significant importance as it serves as a qualifier for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The gold medallists will secure direct qualification for the Games, while the teams finishing second to fifth will enter the Olympic qualifying tournament.
The top two teams from each pool will advance to the semi-finals, with the remaining sides competing in placement matches ahead of the final on 2 October.Bangladesh’s female hockey squad sustained a terrifying launch to their historic Asian Games introduction, enduring a devastating 13-0 loss to competition giants China at the Kawasaki Juko Stadium on Sunday.
Pushed straight into the tough phase in Pool A, the Tigresses labored to restrict China’s fierce offensive. The host-nation scored in every segment, striking the net from the fourth to the 57th minute.
Zhong Jiaqi guided the rout with a hat-trick, striking in the fourth, 13th and 29th minutes. Chen Yang (12th, 18th), Zou Meirong (38th, 51st) and Chen Yi (41st, 57th) supplied two scores each, while Li Hong, Zhang Ying, Ma Ning and Yang Liu hit once apiece.
Bangladesh labored to forge valid offensive openings and failed to strike a consolation score. Their tough afternoon concluded on a dark note when Kona Akter obtained a yellow warning in the 60th minute.
The major loss pursued a comparable outcome for the Bangladesh men’s squad, who dropped their introductory fixture 5-0 to South Korea. The female side must currently reorganize quickly before encountering Malaysia in their secondary bracket fixture on Monday.
The 12-squad competition carries major weight as it functions as a qualifier for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The gold medalists will secure straightforward passage for the Games, while the squads finishing second to fifth will enter the Olympic qualifying competition.
The premier pair of squads from each bracket will progress to the semi-finals, with the balance sides contending in rank fixtures ahead of the final on 2 October.
