KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia’s hopes of qualifying for the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games semi-finals were shattered after a 4-4 draw against China at the Gongshu Canal Sports Park hockey stadium today.
The team, led by head coach Arul Selvaraj, faced tough resistance from the home side, as they were vying to become the group champions after successfully winning their opening four matches in Pool B.
Malaysia’s goals were scored by Azrai Aizad Abu Kamal (18th minute), Ashran Hamsani (25th), Amirul Hamizan Azahar (35th), and Faiz Helmi Jali (40th).
China’s goals were scored by Gao Jiesheng (13th), Chen Qijun (19th), Pan Dongquan (36th), and Zhu Weijiang (43rd).
The draw saw Malaysia finishing third with 10 total points and they will face Pakistan, ranked 15th in the world, in their fifth-place match on October 6.
China became the group champions with 13 points while South Korea finished second with 12 points after defeating Oman 16-2 in a morning match today.
Only the top two teams from each group qualify for the semi-final.
In Pool A, India topped the group with 15 points, scoring 58 goals in 5 games, while Japan finished second with 12 points.
The Speedy Tigers are currently ranked 10th in the FIH world rankings with 2,041.37 points.
Their best finish in the Asian Games came in the 2018 edition in Palembag-Jakarta, where they won the silver medal. – October 3, 2023