Bangladesh men’s kabaddi near ending 20-year wait as Asiad day 3 brings mixed bag

Bangladesh experienced a mixed third day at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games in Japan on Monday, highlighted by back-to-back victories for the men’s kabaddi team and a hard-fought draw for the women’s football team, while athletes in other disciplines struggled.

Kabaddi

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The men’s kabaddi team significantly boosted their chances of reaching the Group A semifinals -- and securing at least a bronze medal for the first time since the 2006 Doha Games -- following thrilling wins over South Korea and Chinese Taipei.

They opened with a nail-biting 39-35 victory over South Korea, leading 17-16 at the break. Carrying that momentum, they edged Chinese Taipei 48-47 in a rematch of the 2023 bronze-deciding match.

After leading 24-20 at half-time, Bangladesh held their nerve when Chinese Taipei rallied to level at 37-37. A victory against Japan today guarantees a semifinal spot.

Football

The women’s football team secured a creditable 0-0 draw against Myanmar, bouncing back from heavy defeats to North and South Korea.

Anchored by goalkeeper Rupna Chakma, who made two crucial saves, Bangladesh matched their opponents ranked 52 places higher --  a side they had beaten in 2025 to qualify for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup. Despite the point, Peter Butler’s charges finished fourth in the four-team group on goal difference, replicating their group-stage finish from their Asian Games debut in China, 2023.

Gymnastics

Rajib Chakma, who qualified for the Asian Games on the back of his Asian Gymnastics Championships, narrowly missed out on the eight-man vault final. Finishing 10th with a score of 13.016, he fell just 0.2 points short of the cut-off mark.

Shooting

Despite high expectations placed on the male shooters by the Bangladesh Olympic Association, none came close to reaching the eight-shooter final in the men’s 10m air rifle event.

Arnab Sharar finished 25th with a score of 623.9, Robiul Islam took 31st with 622.3, and Rabbi Hasan Munna placed 32nd with 621.3 among 45 competitors. All three fell well short of the 629.2 qualification mark.

Hockey

The women’s hockey team surrendered a 1-0 lead to lose 3-1 against Malaysia in their second match, following a 13-0 defeat to holders China. Kona Akter put Bangladesh ahead in the 25th minute, but Malaysia responded with three goals in the final 20 minutes, including a brace from Nuramirah Zulkifli and a strike from Zati Muhamad.

Karate

In the women’s kumite 61kg bronze-deciding match, SA Games gold medallist Humayra Akter Antora lost 5-0 to Cambodia’s Chakriya Vann. In the men’s kumite 67kg, Monirul Islam fell 8-3 to Qatar’s Yaman Alnatsheh.

Table tennis

Bangladesh suffered 3-0 whitewashes across the board, with the men losing to Singapore, the women losing to North Korea, and the women's doubles pair of Samanta Tushi and Nowrin Islam Mahi falling to North Korea's Kum Young Kim and Su Yong Cha.

Badminton

The men's team, comprising Ayman Ibn Jaman, Gourab Singha, and Al Amin Jumar, suffered a 3-0 defeat against a strong India side.