India triumphed over host nation Malaysia with a score of 2-1 in their final group match, advancing to the championship of the Sultan of Johor Cup junior men’s hockey tournament on Friday. India scored two penalty corners through Gurjot Singh in the 22nd minute and Sourabh Anand Kushwaha in the 48th minute, ensuring their victory and setting up a title match against Australia on Saturday. Malaysia’s sole goal came from Naaveenesh Panicker in the 43rd minute. This marks India’s record eighth appearance in the finals of the Sultan of Johor Cup out of 12 participations. The match began under challenging wet conditions, leading to a slow start for both teams as they adapted to the circumstances after a rain delay.
India attempted to surprise Malaysia with long aerial passes, but the strategy yielded limited success. In the 22nd minute, Gurjot capitalized on a rebound, tapping in after the Malaysian goalkeeper saved the initial penalty corner attempt. Although India led by one goal at halftime, they squandered numerous opportunities, managing to convert only one of nine penalty corners in the first two quarters. After halftime, India maintained pressure on the Malaysian defense, with the home team’s goalkeeper making critical saves, including one in the 35th minute. Malaysia equalized in the 43rd minute, with Naaveenesh scoring from close range after Indian defenders failed to clear the ball from the circle.
However, India quickly regained the lead five minutes later when Kushwaha scored from a rebound in a one-on-one against the Malaysian goalkeeper.
