Skip to main content

Malaysia’s Olympic dream in tatters after loss to India


Malaysia's Faiz Jali is dejected after losing to India in the quarter-final of the World Hockey League Semi-Finals in Belgium on Wednesday. - FIH
Malaysia's Faiz Jali is dejected after losing to India in the quarter-final of the World Hockey League Semi-Finals in Belgium on Wednesday. - FIH

ANTWERP: Malaysia’s Olympic dream was dealt a bitter blow when they lost to India in the quarter-finals of the World Hockey League Semi-Finals at the KHC Dragons Stadium.
Poor defending in the last quarter put paid to Malaysia's hopes of victory on Wednesday despite holding a 2-1 lead.

The Malaysians only have themselves to blame. They played well in the first three quarters but failed to stem a late fight back from the Indians - who already qualify for Rio as Asian champions.
Now it depends on how the Malaysians regain their composure in the remaining two matches to try and salvage the tournament. Malaysia could still qualify if they secure fifth placing in the classifications matches.

It didn’t take long for the Indians to take the lead. A quick counter attack saw them getting into the D and Satbir Singh scored from close range in the third minute.
Malaysia had a penalty corner in the fifth minute but the Indians were fast enough to get it out of their danger zone.

But the second penalty corner in the 15th minute was well executed with Mohamed Razie Rahim scoring. And in the 23rd minute Mohamed Shahril Saabah added Malaysia’s second, also with a penalty corner goal.
But poor defending in the 48th minute saw India equalise through their sixth penalty corner taken by Jasjit Singh Kullar.

In the 55th minute, Jasjit was again on target from the team’s eighth penalty corner.
Malaysia also had a penalty corner in the last minute, but it came to naught.

“We held the game well in the early stages of the match and even up to the third quarter. But mistakes in the last quarter proved fatal,” said Malaysia’s team manager Stephen van Huizen.
“The players gave their best and we cannot ask for more. We did what was planned but the soft defending and giving away the penalty corners late in the match worked against us.

“Now it is a question of how high we can finish in the classification matches. There is a slim hope but that will depend on how the team regain their composure.”

Jasjit said that he was surprised to score the goals as he was not their main penalty corner flicker.
“It was a tough match and I was given the task of taking the penalty corner as Rupinder Singh was injured. I am glad to have scored. They proved to be important goals,” he added.

India will take on hosts Belgium - who defeated France 5-4 - for a spot in the final.



by S. Ramaguru - The Star

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

Indonesia Choose Komodo Dragon As SEA Games Mascot

KUALA LUMPUR, April 26 (Bernama) -- Host for the 26th SEA Games, Indonesia has chosen the Komodo dragon as mascot for the 2011 Games which will be held in Jakarta and Palembang from Nov 11 to 25. The Indonesia SEA Games Organizing Committee (Inasoc), was qouted by Jakarta Post as saying that a pair of Komodo dragons, a male (Modo) and a female (Modi), were chosen in recognition of the Republic's conservation efforts to protect the dwindling number of the rare lizard. Modo and Modi were unveiled last night at a function in Jakarta, to mark the 200-day countdown before the games open on Nov 11 in Palembang. The Komodo dragons, the largest lizard in the world, only live on the Indonesian islands of Komodo in Flores, East Nusa Tenggara. On Jan 15, Inasoc unveiled its logo, a Garuda eagle, to symbolize the power and grandeur of Indonesia. Indonesia dominated the Games between 1977, when it first competed, and 1997, failing to top the medal charts only twice in that p...
1 comment
Read more