Forward Airin Riya smashed a hat-trick as Bangladesh women’s hockey team stormed into the final of the Asian Games qualifiers with a 3-1 win over Singapore in the first semi-final at the GBK Hockey Field in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Tuesday.
Now Bangladesh will face Chinese Taipei, who beat hosts Indonesia 3-2 in the day’s other semi-final, in the final of the tournament at the same venue today.
The first quarter of the game was tied at 1-1 as Riya gave Bangladesh the lead in the eighth minute with a composed finish from close range.
Singapore responded swiftly, as Cheryll Chia converted a penalty corner just four minutes later to level the margin.
Bangladesh maintained their attacking approach and generated numerous opportunities, especially from penalty corners, but found it difficult to convert those into goals. As the match approached a nerve-wracking conclusion, Riya rose to the occasion at a crucial moment.
She restored the lead in the 57th minute after winning possession inside the circle and firing home emphatically.
Just a minute later, she completed her hat-trick, sliding in a precise cross from captain Orpita Pal to put the result beyond doubt.
Bangladesh women made their international debut through this eight-team tournament and confirmed their spot in the Asian Games 2026 by advancing to the semi-finals as Pool A champions.
In the poll phase, Bangladesh beat Hong Kong 2-1 and Uzbekistan 3-2 and played a 5-5 draw against Chinese Taipei.
All the semi-finalists of the qualifiers will join hosts Japan alongside other auto-qualified teams – China, India, Malaysia, South Korea and Thailand – to compete in the Asian Games at the Gifu Prefectural Green Stadium in Japan from September 13 to October 3, 2026.
