Bangladesh stood no chance against a formidable Indian side in their second match of the Begum Khaleda Zia IHF Nations Trophy on Monday.

Despite a massive victory against Nepal in their opening match, the hosts suffered a heavy 47-13 defeat to India today. Speaking to the media after the match, Bangladesh goalkeeper Sumaiya Banu pointed out the vast difference in tournament experience between the two teams as the primary reason for this heavy defeat.

Regarding the team's performance, Sumaiya said, "We all know that the Indian team has always been good, but our expectation was to play well." She further added, "Our coach told us that regardless of the goal difference, our primary intention was to play a good game."

When asked about the main difference between Bangladesh and India, Sumaiya replied, "They participate in tournaments much more frequently. We don't get to play that many tournaments in Bangladesh. And as you have seen, they are very speedy... they were ahead of us in every aspect." Highlighting the huge gap in rankings, she noted, "They are way ahead of us in the rankings; they are ranked 10th, while we are 48th."

Sumaiya refused to accept that frequent miss passes or fumbling the ball on the court were due to a lack of mental preparation. She clearly stated, "No, not at all. Our coaches have been motivating us from start to finish, telling us not to worry about the score but to apply what we have learned and do what we can." The goalkeeper stood by her teammates regarding defensive weaknesses, adding, "Our girls tried very hard to defend. Sometimes the defense was very good, and sometimes it wasn't—that's just how it goes. Because, as I keep saying, they are a very good team."

Stating that there was no lack of preparation for this tournament, Sumaiya said, "Our preparation was good, but they are a much better team... they are always practicing. Even then, it all comes back to the fact that they play in a lot of tournaments." Reminding everyone of the long breaks between games for Bangladesh, she added, "We play very few tournaments. Back in 2019, we had an international tournament, the SA Games, and then there was the Islamic Solidarity Games... after that, there haven't been any senior-level games... so we have a massive gap."

However, expressing hope for better performances if given adequate opportunities, she said, "There is a huge gap between us and them, but if we stay involved in games and play tournaments regularly, we will definitely do well, Inshallah."

Bangladesh will face the Maldives in their next match of the tournament on Tuesday. Regarding this match, Sumaiya said, "Tomorrow is the game against the Maldives. We will do well. We will play according to the directions our coach gives us, Inshallah."

If they beat the Maldives, Bangladesh will have to face India again in the final. Regarding their goal of winning the tournament, the goalkeeper said, "Whatever happened today is in the past; we will focus on tomorrow's match. If we win tomorrow, we will definitely play in the final, and we will take our preparations for the final accordingly."