National hockey team enters third Asiad final stress-free
KUALA LUMPUR: The national men's team hopes to be third-time lucky in winning the Asian Games hockey title and qualifying for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
The Malaysian national men's hockey team enters the third consecutive Asian Games final without any stress, aiming to become champions and secure a spot in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Currently ranked 14th globally, Malaysia will take on defending champions and world No. 8 India in the final on Saturday.
Malaysia last triumphed over India in the Asian Games semi-finals during the 2018 edition in Indonesia, emerging victorious in a penalty shootout following a 2-2 tie. However, India holds the edge as the favorites to win their fifth Asian Games title and qualify for the Olympics.
Malaysia has reached the final twice before – in Guangzhou in 2010 and Indonesia in 2018 – but lost to Pakistan and Japan, respectively. Since Sydney 2000, Malaysia has yet to qualify for the Olympics.
National coach Brendon Carolan remains confident in his players, asserting that nothing is impossible in the final. In the recent match at the Sultan Azlan Shah last November, India edged past Malaysia 4-3, placing the pressure squarely on India to defend their title.
India, described as a formidable team, has participated in the FIH Pro League and achieved notable results. They demonstrated their prowess by defeating Pakistan 4-3 in the semi-finals on Thursday. Coach Carolan, who joined Malaysia in April, emphasized the team's stress-free approach, focusing on winning the tournament and playing to their strengths tactically.
Written by urgent.news from New Straits Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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