Bangladesh women’s hockey team’s historic run at their debut Women’s Asian Games Qualifier ended with a 3-1 defeat to Chinese Taipei in the final in Jakarta, Indonesia on Wednesday.
Despite settling for silver, it was a landmark tournament for the women in red and green. Airin Riya finished as the joint highest scorer of the competition with five goals, including a brace against Singapore in the semi-finals.
Skipper Arpita Pal scored Bangladesh’s lone goal in the gold medal decider. She netted four goals in total in the tournament, including a hat-trick during the group stage.
The Qualifier marked Bangladesh’s maiden international tournament at senior level. The team played their first-ever senior international match in the opening game, which ended in a draw against Chinese Taipei.
Bangladesh then secured their first international victory in only their second senior match, defeating Uzbekistan 3-2. They added another milestone by beating Hong Kong, China 2-1 in their next group game, ensuring qualification for the Asian Games for the first time and joining the men’s team in the continental showpiece.
Finishing as group champions, Bangladesh advanced to the semi-finals, where they defeated Singapore 3-1 to continue their remarkable run — one that will be remembered as a historic breakthrough in women’s hockey.
Arpita and her teammates started the final brightly, taking the lead from a penalty corner in the first quarter. However, Chinese Taipei responded strongly with three goals to seal the gold medal.
Regardless of the final result, the mission had already been accomplished. Bangladesh will make their first-ever appearance at the Asian Games during its 20th edition in Japan in September this year.
The squad was formed largely from Under-21 players of BKSP, with Riya and Arpita having previously stood out at youth national and international levels.
