{
  "id": 8378535,
  "title": "Asian Games: How far can the Speedy Tigers fall?",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/19/asian-games-how-far-can-the-speedy-tigers-fall",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-19T04:34:37.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "New Straits Times",
    "slug": "new-straits-times",
    "url": "https://www.nst.com.my/sports/hockey/2026/09/1535999/asian-games-how-far-can-speedy-tigers-fall"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The moment of truth for Malaysia's under-fire national men's hockey team arrives on Sunday as they kick off their Asian Games campaign against Uzbekistan at the Gifu Prefectural Green Stadium. Ranked 15th in the world, Malaysia is expected to handily defeat the Central Asian side, which sits at 45th. However, a convincing win would boost confidence ahead of the tournament, which offers champions a spot in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.\n\nThe Speedy Tigers will then face Oman, ranked 25th, followed by Thailand (48th), Pakistan (12th), and China (20th) in subsequent matches. Malaysia aims to rectify their disappointing World Cup finish, where they missed out on a quarter-final spot. Coach Brendon Carolan's team is under pressure to secure a final berth after a disappointing season, including a fifth-place finish at the Nations Cup in South Africa.\n\nMalaysia has never won an Asian Games gold medal, with their best result being silver in 2010 (Guangzhou) and 2018 (Jakarta). Carolan's primary goal is guiding the team into the final before focusing on earning the Olympic berth. This will be Malaysia's first match against Uzbekistan in a tournament, and a convincing victory is crucial for building confidence before tougher opponents. Group B's semi-final spots are expected to be contested among Pakistan, Malaysia, and China, who are coached by Australian Anthony Farry.\n\nFormer national player Maninderjit Singh stated that the Speedy Tigers have yet to recover from their 2018 Asian Games defeat by Japan. This year will determine whether Malaysia recovers or continues to fall on the world stage. India and Pakistan are considered leading contenders for the Asian Games gold, having participated in the recent Pro League and performed better than Malaysia at the World Cup. Hosts Japan and South Korea could also upset expectations.",
  "summary": "KUALA LUMPUR: The moment of truth finally arrives for the under-fire national men’s hockey team when their Asian Games campaign begins on Sunday against lowly Uzbekistan in their Group B opener at the Gifu Prefectural Green Stadium.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 4,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Indian Express",
        "title": "India’s Varun Sanyal on Asian Games chaos: ’10 hours of running about, no food’",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/18/indias-varun-sanyal-on-asian-games-chaos-10-hours-of-running-about-no",
        "published": "2026-09-18T17:27:55.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "Asian Games to open in Japan after troubled build-up",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/18/asian-games-to-open-in-japan-after-troubled-build-up",
        "published": "2026-09-18T21:54:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "New Straits Times",
        "title": "Asian Games kick off in Japan amid accommodation, weather woes",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/18/asian-games-kick-off-in-japan-amid-accommodation-weather-woes",
        "published": "2026-09-18T22:56:15.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}