Bangladesh held by Uzbekistan, face playoff for Asian Games spot

Bangladesh missed out on a place in the semifinals after being held to a 1-1 draw by Uzbekistan in their final group-stage match in Bangkok on Monday, forcing them into a place-deciding playoff for a spot in this year’s Asian Games.

The men in red and green finished third in the four-team group with four points from three matches. Uzbekistan also ended on four points but progressed to the semifinals as group runners-up due to a superior goal difference. Sri Lanka, who had beaten Bangladesh 3-2 in the previous match, topped the group.

Bangladesh had earlier opened their campaign with a hard-fought 4-3 victory over Chinese Taipei.

As a result, Bangladesh will now face the fourth-placed team from Group A in a playoff on Tuesday, with their opponents yet to be confirmed. A win in that match would secure their place in the Asian Games, while a defeat would see them miss out on the continental multi-sport event. The top six teams from the 11-team competition, regarded as a second-tier competition of the continent, will fetch spots in the Asian Games to be held in Japan later this year.

In the match against Uzbekistan, Bangladesh fell behind early after conceding a penalty corner in the sixth minute, which Mironshokh Ortikboev converted. Ashikuzzaman’s side fought back and found the equaliser 30 minutes later when Amirul Islam scored from a penalty stroke.

Both sides created further chances but failed to capitalise. Bangladesh, in particular, struggled with penalty corners, failing to convert any of their six attempts.