Bangladesh’s dream of reaching the final of the Women’s Kabaddi World Cup ended in the semi-finals on Sunday, as they went down 18-25 to Chinese Taipei at the Shaheed Suhrawardy Indoor Stadium in Mirpur. Despite a spirited performance, the home side could not keep pace with their opponents in the second half, ultimately settling for a historic bronze medal—the nation’s best finish in the tournament to date.
The first half was tightly contested, with Bangladesh trailing by just one point, 8-9, at the interval. Veteran campaigners Rupli Akter and Smriti led the charge, showing resilience against a technically strong Chinese Taipei side. The match carried extra significance for senior player Rupli Akter, who was playing her farewell game. She was honoured before kick-off with the captain’s armband and a ceremonial crown presented by Youth and Sports Adviser Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan.
Bangladesh began the second half strongly, briefly taking the lead at 10-9. However, Chinese Taipei quickly equalised, and from that point on, they gradually pulled away. By the fifth minute of the second half, a tactical all-out put Bangladesh further behind at 12-15, allowing Chinese Taipei to control the remainder of the match and secure a comfortable victory.
Despite the semi-final defeat, the bronze medal represents a significant achievement for Bangladesh, improving on their fifth-place finish in Patna, India, in 2012. The result demonstrates the growing competitiveness of the team and the increasing standard of women’s kabaddi in Bangladesh.
On Monday, Chinese Taipei will face India, the champions of the inaugural edition, in the final. India advanced after a commanding 33-21 victory over Iran in the first semi-final on Sunday.