Bangladesh take on Sri Lanka in semis today
Having breezed past three relatively easier opponents in pool stage, Bangladesh hockey team are set to face a tough challenge in the Asian Games Qualifiers when they take on Sri Lanka in the first semifinal at Sultan Qaboos Complex in Oman today.
Holders Bangladesh went to Oman without playing any practice match, but they hardly faced any challenge against Thailand, Hong Kong and Afghanistan in pool matches, scoring a grand total of 35 against one conceded. However, they now face Sri Lanka, who are always considered bit of a banana skin for Bangladesh.
Sri Lanka had beaten Bangladesh in the 2006 SA Games in Colombo to claim the bronze medal. They also held the men in red and green to a 2-2 draw in regulation time of the semifinal in the last Asian Games Qualifiers in Dhaka before conceding a 3-0 defeat in shootout. The Islanders also fought bravely in a pool match of the qualifiers' last edition in 2010 in Dhaka, holding the hosts to a 3-3 draw.
The Islanders emerged Pool B runners-up after beating Kazakhstan 6-0 and upsetting Chinese Taipei 4-1 while conceding a 1-4 defeat to hosts Oman. So the Lankans are certainly not going to be a walk in the park for the defending champions.
However, Bangladesh will certainly look for nothing but a win and coach Mahbub Harun will be hoping his key players like Ashraful Islam, Mamunur Rahman Chayan, Rasel Mahmud Jimmy and Hasan Jubair Niloy will hit the board like they did with regularity in the three previous matches.
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