Ashraful’s strike earns Bangladesh maiden point in Asian Champions Trophy hockey

Captain Ashraful Islam converted a penalty stroke to earn Bangladesh their first point ever in the Asian Champions Trophy hockey, as his lone goal helped them to a 1-1 draw against China in the final group-stage match on Monday.

Before this draw, Bangladesh had suffered four straight defeats in the ongoing tournament, losing to India, Malaysia, Japan and South Korea. Similarly, in their maiden appearance in 2021 in Dhaka, they had also lost all of their matches.

China, who beat Bangladesh 7-1 at the Asian Games, took the lead in the first quarter. The Bangladeshis fought for possession and gradually put pressure on the Chinese defence and kept creating chances despite the early deficit.

Their moment arrived in the third quarter, when Ashraful levelled the score. China then pushed hard in search of a winner, but Bangladesh held on until the final whistle.

With the result, Bangladesh finished the tournament with one point from five matches.