Alpana turns 2019 heartbreak into winning motivation against Nepal

Bangladesh opened their campaign in the Begum Khaleda Zia IHF Nations Trophy 2026 Asia Zone-2 (Women's Senior) with a commanding 33-20 victory over Nepal at the Shaheed Captain M. Mansur Ali National Handball Stadium on Sunday in Dhaka, with Alpana Akter leading the charge with seven goals.

For Alpana, the win meant more than a successful start to the tournament. It offered a measure of redemption for Bangladesh's defeat to Nepal at the 2019 South Asian Games, a memory that had stayed with her.

"I honestly feel wonderful," Alpana said after receiving the Player of the Match award. "We lost to Nepal back in 2019, and that frustration had stayed with me. I told myself that we were going to win today, Inshallah. By the grace of the Almighty, that is exactly what happened; we pulled off the victory."

Bangladesh faced an early setback when Sakiba Jannat received a straight red card in the first half, leaving the hosts a player short. 

However, the dismissal failed to break the team's spirit, with Alpana urging her teammates to remain focused and turn the setback into motivation.

"When Sakiba got the red card, our morale didn't break. I rallied everyone and said that, even though she was sent off, we would avenge it by winning the match. Inshallah, we were able to deliver on that," she said.

The match also marked Bangladesh's first international fixture under new Spanish head coach Ana Alonso. Alpana believes the team has already made progress under the new coaching setup, particularly in defence, while maintaining its attacking threat.

"Our defence has improved significantly compared to before. Previously, our defensive line wasn't quite up to the mark. Now we are performing well on both ends-in defence and attack," she said, praising Alonso and assistant coach Dalia. 

The opening victory has given Bangladesh an encouraging start, but a much sterner challenge awaits as they face India in their next match on Sunday.

Alpana said the team would carry its confidence into the contest and give its best against the formidable opposition.

"I thoroughly enjoyed this match; we all played exceptionally well. Tomorrow (Monday) we face India, and we will definitely give our very best there too, Inshallah," she said.