Photo : UNB
Bangladesh will start their campaign in the 19th Hangzhou Asian Games through men's football taking on neighboring Myanmar on Tuesday (Sept 19).
The match will kick- off at 2 pm (Bangladesh time) at the Xiaoshan Sports Center Stadium in the Chinese city of Hangzhou.
Although the Hangzhou Asian Games will officially be inaugurated on September 23, but the men's football competition will start three days ahead (Sept 19) of the meet's opening ceremony.
Some 12,000 athletes from 45 Asian countries are expected to compete in 481 events in 61 disciplines of sports in the biggest sports carnival in Asia, the second-biggest sports extravaganza in the world after the Olympic Games.
Bangladesh will compete in 17 disciplines of sports-athletics, archery, boxing, cricket, chess, football, kabaddi, hockey, shooting, swimming, weightlifting, karate, gymnastics, fencing, bridge, golf, and taekwondo-in the Hangzhou Asian Games scheduled for September 23 to October 8.
Bangladesh Men's Football Team, which reached the Chinese city of Hangzhou Saturday morning in the first base of 240-member Bangladesh contingent, made their practices for the 2nd consecutive day on Monday at the Dianzikeji University ground in Hangzhou.
After the day's practice session, the Assistant Coach of Bangladesh Men's Football team Hasan Al Mamun said, they are expecting a good start (Tuesday).
Dhaka Abahani defender Rahmat Mia will lead the Bangladesh team in Asian Games Football.
Bangladesh's team, which was placed in tough group with upper ranked China, India, and Myanmar, will face India on September 21 and host China on September 24 in remaining group matches.
Bangladesh played 27 matches in the Asian Games Football since their first inception in 1978 and won only four matches, one each against Malaysia, Nepal, Afghanistan, and Qatar.
Meanwhile, the Bangladesh women's football team will fly for Hangzhou Tuesday (September 19) midnight to make their first -ever debut in Asian Games Women's Football.
Bangladesh will play former World Cup against Japan on September 22, stronger Vietnam on September 25 and Nepal on September 28 in group affairs.
Bangladesh, which faced a medal drought in the last Asian Games in Jakarta and Palembang, Indonesia, in 2018, this time expecting better results from cricket, shooting, and archery.
Moreover, Bangladesh also has high hopes for two Bangladesh-origin expatriate athletes: Zinnat Ferdous of the United States and sprinter Imranrur Rahman of the United Kingdom.
Grand Master Niaz Morshed and the captain of SAFF champions Bangladesh Women's Football Team, Sabina Khatun, will carry the Bangladesh national flag in the opening ceremony of the Asian Games on September 23.
TDM/AH
