Defending champions India and hosts Bangladesh made flying start in the 3rd edition of four-nation Bangabandhu IHF Challenge Trophy Women’s Handball (Youth and (Junior) that began on Saturday (May 13) through a grand opening ceremony at the Shaheed Captain (retd) M Mansur Ali National Handball Stadium in the capital.

In the opening match of Youth (U-17) Group, defending champion and physically and technically superior India made flying start crushing Nepal by 47-1 goals while Indian Junior (U-19) team also outplayed Nepal by 46-8 goals, both at the Shaheed Captain (retd) M Mansur Ali National Handball Stadium here Saturday afternoon.

Hosts Bangladesh also made a good start in the Youth (U-17) group outplaying the Maldives by 48 -10 goals after dominating the first half by 27-5 goals at the same venue on Saturday.

Bangladesh captain Marfi scored the match highest 16 goals, Runa Laila scored 10 while Dipa Rani scored 7 goals for Bangladesh.

Earlier, President of Bangladesh Handball Federation (BHF) AKM Nurul Fazal Bulbul formally inaugurated the five-day international handball meet as the chief guest by releasing the colourful balloons

The opening ceremony also featured march past by four participating nations --India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Maldives-- carrying their national flags and a grand cultural show by a group of local performers.

Chairman of the tournament organizing committee and former senior secretary Md Aminul Islam Khan, co- chairman and additional inspector general of Bangladesh Police M Habibur Rahman, former senior secretary Dr Jafar Uddin, Int’l Handball Federation's PRC lecturer Terie Anthoncen, Indian Handball Association’s secretary general Anadeshwar Pandey, Maldives Handball Federation’s president Ahmed Mujthaba, Nepal Handball Association’s president Tej Bahadur Gurung, BHF general secretary Asaduzzaman Kohinoor, media committee member secretary M Jahangir Hossain were also present on the occasion.