JOHOR BAHRU: The national junior hockey squad was narrowly defeated by New Zealand, 2-3, in their opening match of the 2024 Sultan of Johor Cup (SOJC) International Hockey Championship at the Johor Hockey Stadium today.
New Zealand struck early, taking the lead in the fourth minute with a penalty corner conversion by Jonty Elmes.
Malaysia fought back and equalised in the second quarter through a penalty corner strike from Harris Osman in the 16th minute.
Despite both teams launching continuous attacks in the third quarter, it wasn’t until Jonty scored a penalty stroke goal that New Zealand regained the lead.
Malaysia responded quickly with a field goal by Adam Ashraf in the 55th minute, but Gus Nelson netted the decisive goal for New Zealand just a minute later.
Earlier in the day, India defeated Japan 4-2, while Great Britain triumphed over Australia 3-1.
Tomorrow, Malaysia will face Japan, with India taking on Great Britain and Australia playing New Zealand. The six-nation under-21 tournament will run until Oct 26.