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llllllllllllllllllllll PLANET HOCKEY


llllllllllllllllllllll PUSH PAGE 25


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THOCKEY


PLANET HE GREAT GAME ACROSS THE UNIVERSE, AND CLOSER TO HOME eastern promise


malaysia is a little off the radar for many european hoCkey fans. but We should all be taking notiCe of the asian games silver medallists says iJaZ Chaudhry.


one of the most vibrant economies of the continent . Sport is one of the domains where Malaysia’s wealthy status has delivered. To be part of the Formula One World Championship is a status symbol for a nation. Malaysia is one of the selected countries which are part of this elite group; they were inducted in 1999. It has also hosted a Commonwealth Games (in 1998). But another sporting area in


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which Malaysia can be termed as an international hub is hockey. As a host, Malaysia has many distinctions. Along with Holland and India, it is one of the only three countries to have held the World Cup twice, 1975 and 2002. As far as the junior World Cup is considered, Malaysia stands alone to have held it more than once. In fact they have done this thrice: 1982, 1989 and 2009 (when they co-hosted the event along with Singapore.) Malaysia was the first country


outside the big four of international hockey (Pakistan, Holland, Germany and


alaysia is a country that has made great strides in recent times. It has proved itself to be a true Asian tiger and has been


Australia) to stage the Champions trophy, in 1993. The Malaysian Hockey Federation added another feather to its cap by hosting the first, and so far the only, Intercontinental Cup where selected teams representing the continents of Asia, Europe, Africa, Oceania and the Americas participated. That was back in 1990. On the field itself also,


Malaysia has achieved glory in international events. Malaysian hockey’s finest hour was their fourth position in the World Cup of 1975 when they were the hosts. Another achievement was getting silver medal in the 1998 Commonwealth Games, also at home in Malaysia. This was the first time hockey was included in the Games. Outside their own boundaries, a high


mark for Malaysian hockey was a fourth position in the first junior World Cup in 1979. In the 2000 Olympics, although Malaysia did not finish high in the eventual rankings, they caused quite a sensation. The national side drew not only with Asian rivals Pakistan but also with the then Olympic and World Champions Holland (who later retained the Olympic gold). Malaysia’s latest achievement came


a couple of months back at the 2010 Asian Games where they broke a long- standing jinx. Malaysia have been a perennial junior bridesmaid at the Asiad. In the 13 editions before the 2010 Asiad hockey tournament, they had won the bronze seven times and ended fourth three times without ever reaching the final. Initially, the world hockey powers of 50s, 60s and 70s Pakistan and India played all the finals. Then South Korea


The Malysian hockey team is garlanded on their return from the Asian Games


joined the party in the mid-80s and rather surpassed the two traditional powers. The emergence of China in this millennium pushed Malaysia to its worst ever sixth-place Asian Games finish in 2006. However, in 2010, the Malaysians


turned out to be the surprise packet of the hockey competition. In their toughest pool match, the East Asians were on the brink of defeating Korea but a goal five minutes to the end saved the two-time defending champions. The real shocker was to come later.


In the semi final against the unbeaten India, the Malaysian hockey lovers saw their hoodoo finally broken. The yellow shirts did it in a dramatic manner. Trailing to India 2-3, with just three minutes to go, Rahim Mohammad Amin equalised off a penalty corner. And then he created history by scoring the golden goal extra-time winner taking his country to their first ever final of


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