Skip to main content

Not up to the challenge


MALAYSIA were soundly beaten 3-1 by South Korea in a Group B hockey match of the Champions Challenge I in Kuantan yesterday.

    After a break today, they play Canada next and it will not be an easy match as yesterday, the Canadians beat France 3-2. Malaysia had lost to France on Friday by the same margin.

   However, the tournament format will see all eight teams from Group A and Group B play in the quarter-finals, and Malaysia might just draw the short straw and play against raging favourites New Zealand in the cross-over if they end at the bottom of the pool.

   Coach K. Dharmaraj's men went looking for an early lead but found the going tough as the forward-line lacked direction in the first 10 minutes of the match.

   However, 12 minutes into the match, Malaysian won their first penalty corner and Ahmad Kazamirul sailed it over the bar.

    The Koreans soaked in the pressure and relied on counters, and finally won their first penalty corner in the 18th minute and Nam Hyun Woo made it count with a low push to the board for the lead.

   Malaysia had two more penalty corners to draw level, but Shahril Saabah's drive hit the post and rebounded out in the 21st, while Kazamirul's attempt in the 32nd minute was saved by goalkeeper Lee Myung Ho.

   Two minutes into the re-start, You Hyo Sik made it 2-0 with a reverse stick drive which went between the legs of goalkeeper S. Kumar.

    And by the 50th minute, South Korea completed the rout with another penalty corner goal from Jang Jong Hyun. Ismail Abu scored the consolation in the 67th minute for Malaysia.


South Korea’s Jang Jong Hyun (third from left) celebrates his goal against Malaysia in their Champions Challenge 1 match in Kuantan yesterday. Bernama pic

By JUGJET SINGH | jugjet@nst.com.my  Read more: HOCKEY: Not up to the challenge - Other - New Straits Times

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Ex-coach's jail sentence cut to a year

PUTRAJAYA: The Court of Appeal yesterday sentenced former athletics coach C. Ramanathan to 12 months' jail for molesting two junior athletes 19 years ago. A three-man bench led by Datuk Mohd Hishamudin Mohd Yunus unanimously dismissed Ramanathan's appeal against conviction, but varied the jail sentence of four years to a year, which was to run concurrently. Following yesterday's ruling, Ramanathan, 75, a former teacher, walked out a free man as he had served 10 months in Kajang Prison. Convicts get one-third remission for good behaviour while in prison. However, he will lose his pension. Hishamudin, who sat with Datuk Abdul Wahab Patail and Datuk Linton Albert, said the court found no merit to overturn the conviction. "However, in reducing the sentence, we considered Ramanathan's age and the long years the appeal has taken." Deputy public prosecutor Awang Armadajaya Awang Mahmud submitted that then High Court judge Tan Sri Abdull Hamid E...
2 comments
Read more

Govt Always Gives Emphasis To Sporting Culture, Says PM

KUALA TERENGGANU, May 29 (Bernama) -- Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badaw i said the government always gives emphasis on cultivating a strong sporting culture in achieving excellence at the international level. As such, the Prime Minister said, it was important to scout for young talents in sports. "I observe that the Malaysia Games (Sukma) has become one of the important platforms to do so. "In this arena, the potentials and skills of the youngsters can be identified for development so that they can achieve greater success in sports," he said in his message in the souvenir book of the 12th Sukma from May 31 until June 9. Abdullah said he was aware that competition in sports was very keen and challenging but this did not mean that Malaysian athletes were incapable of competing at the international level. "The fact is that we have all the characteristics required to be excellent. We must inculcate a strong fighting spirit so that we don't easily surrender,...
1 comment
Read more

Rajagobal Let Off The Hook

PETALING JAYA, April 24 (Bernama) -- National head coach Datuk K. Rajagobal was let off the hook by the Football Association of Malaysia's (FAM) Disciplinary Committee after finding no evidence that he had violated FAM's Article 88, as claimed. FAM Disciplinary Committee chairman Datuk Taufik Abdul Razak said the committee had decided not to charge Rajagobal after carefully analysing the video of the post-match press conference by the 56-year-old coach. "After listening to the recording of the post-match press conference, we decided to drop the charge against Rajagopal as he did not make such a statement. "Maybe his (Rajagobal) assessment and comments of the match was misconstrued by the media. There was no mention of the FAM policy throughout his comments," said Taufik after emerging from a three-hour Disciplinary Committee meeting at Wisma FAM in Kelana Jaya, here, Wednesday. Rajagobal who does not mince his words when asked to com...
4 comments
Read more