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Key Points

Malaysia had to rally from an early deficit to secure a 4-1 victory over a spirited Bangladesh side. Defending champions South Korea, meanwhile, delivered a statement win with a 7-0 thrashing of Chinese Taipei. The results set up a pivotal Pool B clash between Malaysia and Korea on Saturday. The Asia Cup also serves as a qualifying event for the 2026 FIH World Cup.

Key Points: Malaysia Rallies Past Bangladesh as Korea Thrashes Taipei in Asia Cup

  • Malaysia overcame an early scare to beat Bangladesh 4-1
  • Dain Son scored a hat-trick in Korea's 7-0 demolition of Taipei
  • The tournament is a qualifier for the 2026 FIH World Cup
  • Korea and Malaysia face off next in a crucial Pool B clash
2 min read

Hockey Asia Cup: Malaysia rally past Bangladesh, Korea thrash Chinese Taipei in opening matches

Defending champions South Korea opened with a 7-0 rout of Chinese Taipei, while Malaysia recovered from an early scare to beat Bangladesh 4-1 in the Hockey Asia Cup.

"Dain Son led the charge with a hat-trick - Match Report"

Rajgir

, Aug 29 (IANS) Malaysia and defending champions South Korea opened their Pool B campaigns with comfortable wins in the men’s Asia Cup hockey tournament on Friday, though in contrasting styles at the international hockey stadium here.

World No. 12 Malaysia were given an early scare before recovering to beat 29th-ranked Bangladesh 4-1, while holders Korea brushed aside Chinese Taipei 7-0 in a one-sided contest.

Bangladesh struck first against the run of play in the 16th minute when Ashraful Islam converted a penalty corner. The underdogs’ lead, however, lasted only until the 25th minute as Ashran Hamsani restored parity with a fine field goal.

After the break, Malaysia shifted gears. Akhimullah Anuar (36’) gave them the lead, before Muhajir Abdul Rauf (48’) and Syed Cholan (54’, penalty corner) extended the margin to secure three points. Malaysia converted one of their four penalty corners, while Bangladesh found the net from one of their two.

Later, South Korea produced a ruthless display to underline their title credentials. Dain Son led the charge with a hat-trick (17’, 29’, 58’), while Jihun Yang scored twice from penalty corners (27’, 50’).

Seyong Oh (53’) and Yoonho Kong (54’) added further gloss to the scoreline before Son completed his treble in the closing minutes as Korea sealed a 7-0 rout.

The results set up an enticing clash between Malaysia and Korea on Saturday, which could decide the pecking order in Pool B. Bangladesh will look to bounce back when they face Chinese Taipei earlier in the day.

In Pool A matches on Friday, Japan take on Kazakhstan while India play China in the final game of the day.

The Asia Cup doubles up as a qualifying event for the 2026 FIH World Cup, to be co-hosted by Belgium and the Netherlands from August 14–30.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

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Priya S
Bangladesh put up a good fight in the first half against Malaysia! Shows how Asian hockey is improving across all teams. Hope they bounce back against Chinese Taipei.
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Aman W
Dain Son's hat-trick for Korea was clinical! That's the kind of performance that wins tournaments. Malaysia vs Korea tomorrow will be 🔥
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Sarah B
Watching from Canada! Great to see Asian hockey getting competitive. The World Cup qualification stakes make every match important. Good luck to all teams!
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Vikram M
Malaysia's second half performance was impressive after that early scare. They need to work on penalty corner conversion though - only 1 out of 4 isn't good enough at this level.
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Michael C
The gap between top Asian teams and others is still quite large. Korea's 7-0 win shows the difference in quality. Hope the lower-ranked teams get more exposure and funding.
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Ananya R
Excited for India's match against China tonight! Hope our boys start strong. The Asia Cup is crucial for World Cup qualification so every point matters 💪

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