KUALA LUMPUR: The men’s national hockey squad scored a moral boosting victory at the Asian Champions Trophy (ACT) 2023 by defeating South Korea 1-0 in the last round robin match in Chennai, India last night.
In the game held at Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium, a field goal by Muhammad Azrai Aizad Abu Kamal in the 22nd minute was enough to reward Malaysia with three full points.
The win also returned the national squad to the top of the table with 12 points despite having confirmed their slot in ACT semi-finals earlier on Monday.
However, the position of the Speedy Tigers may change if India who are now in the second spot (10 points) defeat third place Pakistan (5 points) in another round robin final match.
Only the top four teams will qualify for the ACT semi-finals.
The Speedy Tigers started their 2023 ACT campaign by beating Pakistan 3-1 last Thursday, followed by a 5-1 trouncing of China and were later crushed 0-5 by India before bouncing back to subdue Japan 3-1.
The best achievement of Malaysia in the ACT championship was the third place for five times in the editions in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016 and 2018. – BERNAMA
