Bangladesh thrashes Bhutan in a hat-trick of Shanti

The match between Bangladesh and Bhutan in the SAFF Under-20 Women's Championship on Tuesday (July 15) created history. Because the same match was held on two different grounds! And in that eventful match, Bangladesh's Shanti became the hero by scoring a hat-trick, with whose brilliant performance the red-green girls won 4-1.

The Bashundhara Kings Arena field was muddy due to the continuous rain that started in the morning. Even so, the match started at the scheduled time in the afternoon on the main field. But as soon as the first half ended, a major obstacle arose—the field became unfit for play.

After a three-hour break in play, the second half of the match was played at the practice ground next door. The decision was made after a review by match commissioner Ansar Asif and groundsmen at around 5:30 pm. The second half began at 6:45 pm.

Bangladesh won the match in a dramatic fashion. Shanti's hat-trick and another goal helped the girls defeat Bhutan 4-1. Bangladesh topped the group with 9 points from three matches.

It is a rare occurrence in world football—a match starts on one field and ends on another. Bangladesh became a part of this exceptional experience in the SAFF Under-20 Women's Championship. However, despite the change of field, Bangladesh's rhythm did not decline.

This victory, achieved through Shanti's hat-trick, gave the red-green team extra confidence, and a new story was added to Bangladesh's football history.