Nepal claim bronze

Nepal clinched the bronze medal in the Begum Khaleda Zia IHF Nations Trophy with a commanding 27-15 victory over Maldives in the third-place playoff at the Shaheed Captain M Mansur Ali Stadium in Paltan on Wednesday.

Maldives put up a strong fight in the opening 20 minutes but failed to maintain their momentum, allowing Nepal to pull away and secure third place in the four-nation tournament.

Uma Rai starred for Nepal, scoring six goals to earn the Player of the Match award.

Nepal had also beaten Maldives 24-18 in the group stage. However, defeats to Bangladesh and India denied them a place in the final, leaving them to settle for bronze.