The reigning champions, Bangladesh, emphatically booked their place in the semi-finals of the fourth Bangabandhu Cup International Kabaddi tournament. They thrashed Poland 79-28 in the second match of the day held at the Shaheed Suhrawardy Indoor Stadium in Mirpur on Thursday.
This comprehensive victory extends Bangladesh's winning streak to four matches in as many games. They currently sit atop Pool A with eight points and will face Nepal today (Friday) in their final group fixture at 6 pm.
The victor of this encounter will be crowned group champions. Nepal (six points from three matches) and Indonesia (four points from three matches) are the other contenders for the remaining semi-final spots from the group.
However, it was another straightforward victory for Bangladesh, as Poland simply had no answer to the raiding and defensive prowess of Arduzzaman Munshi and his team, who emerged as runaway winners. Although Bangladesh switched to their second-choice grey and white kit to avoid a colour clash with Poland's red, their winning spirit remained undimmed. Their dominance was clear from the seven total 'lonas' (points from successful raids) – three in the first half and four in the second.
This victory also marks Bangladesh's highest points tally in this edition of the tournament. Notably, nearly 90% of Poland's points came from bonus sections for "no touch" or catches, highlighting Bangladesh's stifling defence.
Skipper Arduzzaman Munshi led from the front once again, securing a stellar 25 points and being named Man of the Match. Razib Ahmed also impressed, adding 15 points to the Bangladesh scoreboard.
