India’s junior men’s hockey team continued their impressive run at the Sultan of Johor Cup in Malaysia, defeating hosts Malaysia 4-2 on Tuesday. The victory propelled India to the top of the standings with nine points, while New Zealand and Australia followed with five and four points, respectively.
Malaysia started the match aggressively, scoring two quick goals through Muhammad Danish Aiman and Harris Osman in the eighth and ninth minutes. However, India responded swiftly, with Sharda Nand Tiwari converting a penalty corner in the 11th minute and Arshdeep Singh scoring a field goal two minutes later.
The second quarter remained scoreless, but India regained the lead in the third quarter. Talem Priyobarta scored from the edge of the circle in the 39th minute, and Rohit extended India’s advantage with a penalty corner strike a minute later.
Malaysia earned a penalty corner in the fourth quarter but failed to convert. Both teams had several more penalty corner opportunities, but neither could capitalize. India held on to their 4-2 lead until the final whistle, securing their third consecutive victory in the tournament.
India’s victory was a testament to their resilience and determination. Despite conceding two early goals, they fought back to take control of the match. Their defense held firm in the final quarter, preventing Malaysia from mounting a comeback.
