The Malaysian men’s hockey team kicked off their Group B campaign at the 2025 Asia Cup on a high note, defeating Bangladesh 4-1 on Friday.
Sarjit Singh’s side faced an early shock when Bangladesh took the lead in the 16th minute through Ashraful Islam’s penalty corner strike.
Malaysia quickly responded, with Mohamad Ashran Hamsani equalizing in the 25th minute, followed by Mohamad Akhimullah Anuar Esook’s second goal in the 36th minute.
The Speedy Tigers continued their dominance after halftime, with Muhajir Abdu Rauf scoring the third goal in the 48th minute. Syed Mohamad Syafiq Syed Cholan added the fourth from a penalty corner in the 54th minute, sealing a convincing 4-1 victory.
Malaysia is grouped with Bangladesh, South Korea, and Taiwan, with only the top two teams advancing to the semifinals.
The Speedy Tigers will face a tougher challenge against defending champions South Korea today before concluding their group matches against Taiwan on Monday. As a reminder, South Korea won the 2022 edition in Jakarta, defeating Malaysia in the final.
