Shakib’s Padma lose to Rupayan

Rupayan City Cumilla made a winning start with a 3-2 win over Monarch Padma in the second match of Hockey Champions Trophy at Maulana Bhasani Hockey Stadium on Friday.

Local players Saidur Rahman Saju, Sohanur Rahman and Pushkor Khisa Mimo scored after foreign players powered Acme Chattogram to a 3-2 win over Saif Power Group Khulna in the day's first match.

A youthful Cumilla were too fast for Shakib Al Hasan's Padma in the first three quarters, but Padma showed some character to pull two goals back within two minutes late in the fourth and final quarter.

Cumilla took needed three minutes to take the lead, scoring through Saidur Rahman Saju. But although an experienced Padma side applied pressure and won penalty corners in five minutes, they could not capitalise.

Having survived those scares, Rupayan doubled their lead in the seventh minute, with icon player Sohanur Rahman Sabuj finding the net with a perfect reverse hit. Rupayan pressed to increase their lead and made it 3-0 in the 23rd minute with a fierce hit from national striker Mimo.

With the match rolling into the fourth quarter, Monarch Padma found their goal-scoring touch as Japanese player Miya Taminitsu pulled one back in the 56th minute by converting a penalty corner while South Korean Woohyenong Seo made it 3-2 in the 57th minute.