Fitri vows stronger comeback after Asiad defeat
NAGOYA: National team stalwart Fitri Saari admitted that Malaysia’s 5-1 defeat to India in the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games field hockey final on Saturday was a bitter pill to swallow but is optimistic the squad will come back stronger.
NAGOYA: Fitri Saari, a member of Malaysia's national field hockey team, admitted that the team's 5-1 loss to India in the Asian Games final was a difficult blow. However, he remains optimistic about the team's future performance. Fitri stated that the squad gave their best effort but fell short in several areas against India at the Gifu Prefectural Green Stadium.
As a player, he felt he did his best but acknowledged that India was the defending champion and well-prepared. The team tried to match India's performance in the first two quarters, but it was painful as they wanted to win the gold and secure Olympic qualification. Now, they must go through the Olympic qualifiers, facing tough teams from Europe.
Despite the defeat, Fitri highlighted that Malaysia has managed to beat Pakistan, who have improved significantly, and South Korea. He stressed that Malaysia needs to improve, particularly in defense and finishing, with better decision-making and clinical finishing in front of the goal. The national team will face their next major challenge at the Asian Champions Trophy from October 27 to November 5 in India.
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.
