PHNOM PENH: National men’s indoor hockey squad failed to defend their gold medal in the final of the 2023 SEA Games at Dinosaur Park Hall, Chroy Changvar here, this evening.
At one point, Mohd Hanip Che Halim’s boys were comfortably leading Indonesia 3-0, but everything changed with 16 minutes left in the game, when the opposing team equalised to drag the match to a penalty shoot-out.
In the decider, Malaysia failed in two attempts while Indonesia only needed to take one shot.
The national squad open the score in the 16th minute through Danial Asyraf Abdul Ghani, before Muhammad Firdaus Omar added another five minutes later and in the 24th minute, Faridzul Afiq Mohd scored Malaysia’s third goal.
The Indonesians fought back with goals in the 37th minute by Muhammad Firdaus, followed by Ferdian Rahman before Revo Priliandro’s penalty corner in the final minute of the game ended Malaysia’s gold medal hopes, and the match went to a penalty shoot-out.
Malaysia lost 1-2 when Izham Azhar and Syed Mohamad Syafiq Syed Cholan failed to convert their penalty strokes.
For the record, Malaysia’s men’s indoor hockey squad won the gold medal in the 2019 edition in the Philippines after defeating Thailand 3-1 in the final. At the 31st edition in Hanoi, Vietnam last year, the event was not contested.
Meanwhile, Mohd Hanip said his players had put up their best performance but the mistakes at the end of the game cost them dearly.
“I can say that our players played very well, but a little carelessness at the last moment caused this (defeat) to happen.
“They put up a power game and we have strengthened the defence, but the carelessness at the end let down our campaign,“ he said. - Bernama