The Bangladesh under-16 hockey team went down fighting in the final of the five-a-side Under-16 Asia Cup in Singapore as they suffered a 3-5 defeat at the hands of Pakistan on Sunday although they won the hearts of many in a memorable campaign.
Trailing 2-0 in the first half, Ashraful, Rumman and Emon scored for Bangladesh in the second half as they eventually fell short against their South Asian counterparts.
Due to their champions and runners-up finish, both Pakistan and Bangladesh qualified for the second Youth Olympic Games in China next year in August. To add to the joy for Bangladesh, Ashraful was adjudged as the player of the tournament.
Bangladesh Hockey Federation president Air Marshal Mohammad Enamul Bari, general secretary Khawaja Rahmatullah and the other officials of the executive committee congratulated the young hockey players and team officials for their stellar display.
The state minister for youth and sports, Ahad Ali Sarkar, had earlier congratulated the team for reaching the final.
Bangladesh defeated Singapore (7-2), Malaysia (6-3), Kazakhstan (26-1) and Korea (11-2) to finish as champions of group B before facing Japan in the semi-final where they got the better of the Samurai by 8-5.
The Bangladesh under-16 hockey team will return home at 7:15pm today.
-With New Age input
