PHOTO: AHF

Striker Airin Riya scored a superb hattrick as Bangladesh stormed into the final of the Asian Games Qualifiers with a 3-1 win over Singapore in Tuesday’s first semifinal in Jakarta. The BKSP student from Jhenaidah, who skipped her SSC exams to feature in the tournament, struck twice in the final four minutes to seal victory, sending Bangladesh into the title-decider in their debut senior international campaign. Speaking to The Daily Star from Jakarta later that night, coach Zahid Hossain Raju credited his side’s fitness and technical edge for the result. “It was an exciting match, even though we had 60 percent control. We unlocked the game in the fourth quarter, which has been our trademark,” he said. Bangladesh will face Chinese Taipei in the final, scheduled to kick off at 7:00 pm today.