Bangladesh’s bid to defend the AFC U-14 Girls’ Regional Championship got off to a brilliant start as they handed a 3-1 defeat to their Indian counterparts in their opening Group B encounter at the Aviator Stadium in Dushanbe, Tajikistan on April 26, 2016.

Midfielder Tahura put Bangladesh ahead in the 34th minute before Maria doubled the margin three minutes before the break.

Tahura then scored her second goal of the game to give Bangladesh at comfortable 3-0 lead in the 48th minute. India pulled one back two minutes later, but that was not enough for the South Asian powerhouse to avoid their first defeat in any level of women’s football.

Bangladesh had played out a 1-1 draw against the same opposition in the group stages of the last edition in Nepal.

Bangladesh will play their second and final group match against Nepal on April 28.