Nepal national women’s football team started their Asian Games 2022 campaign with a 2-0 loss against Vietnam in the Group D opener at the Wenzhou Olympic Sports Center Stadium in Wenzhou, China on Friday.

Pham Hai Yen and Nguyen Thi Bich Thuy scored after the break for Vietnam, who failed to break a multi-layered Nepali defence in the first half.

Vietnam changed their approach after the restart and it soon paid dividends when Hai Yen tapped in a rebound to break the deadlock in the 53rd minute after Nepal goalkeeper Anjila Tumbapo Subba failed to catch a shot from Bich Thuy, whose free kick had rattled the bar two minutes ago.

With pressure off the team, Vietnam pressed for more goals with an attacking display, and Bich Thuy doubled the lead with a powerful header into the far corner off a long pass from Duong Thi Van.

It was Nepal’s third straight loss against Vietnam, following 5-1 and 2-0 defeats at the Dasharath Stadium during the Paris 2024 AFC Women’s Olympic Qualifier in April.

In the other women’s group D game, Japan thrashed Bangladesh 8-0. Kotono Sakakibara, Momoko Tanikawa and Remina Chiba all scored a double each while Maya Hijikata and Yuzuho Shiokoshi were also on target.

Nepal next play Japan on Monday and Bangladesh on Thursday.

Top five group winners and three best group runners-up will qualify for the knockout stage.

-Defeats in table tennis-

Nepal men’s and women’s table tennis players also suffered defeats in team events.

Nepal’s team of Rubin Maharjan, Samyog Kapali and Bilosh Shrestha lost to Japan 3-0 in their preliminary round Group B match at the Gongshu Canal Sports Park.

Maharjan lost to Tomokazu Harimoto 6-11, 11-2, 11-3, 11-5; Samyog Kapali faced a 11-7, 11-3, 11-7 defeat at the hands of Maharu yoshimura; and Bilash Shrestha succumbed to a 11-6, 11-3, 11-3 loss against Shunsuke Togami.

Nepali women’s team also lost to Singapore 3-0 in the women’s preliminary round Group F event.

Nepal’s number one player, Nabita Shrestha, lost to Jingyi Zhou 4-11, 3-11, 4-11; Sikka Suwal Shrestha lost to Jian Zeng 2-11, 1-11, 4-11; and Evana Thapa Magar surrendered 3-11, 7-11, 4-11 to Ru Xin Wong.

Nepal men’s team meet North Korea and women’s team face India in their other group event on Saturday.

Nepal’s men’s volleyball team have already crashed out of the Asiad.

A total of 253 athletes are participating in 29 sports and disciplines at the Hangzhou Asian Games 2022, which will officially kick off on Saturday after being delayed by a year due to Covid-19 pandemic.

South Asian Games gold medallists Bir Bahadur Mahara and Nima Gharti will hoist Nepal flags during the opening ceremony of the 19th Asian Games. Nepal’s Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal will also attend the opening ceremony.

A total of 12,000 athletes from 45 countries and territories across Asia and the Middle East are fighting for medals in 40 events at the Games.

Nepal is competing in archery, athletics, basketball, badminton, boxing, dance sports, canoe, cricket, cycling, esports, fencing, football, golf, handball, judo, kabaddi, karate, rugby, shooting, squash, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis, triathlon, volleyball, weightlifting, wrestling and wushu.