Kuantan (Malaysia): Favourites India prevailed 3-2 over arch rivals Pakistan to reclaim the Asian Champions Trophy (ACT) hockey title in a thrilling summit showdown here Sunday night.
Goals from Rupinder Pal Singh (18th minute), Yousuf Affan (23rd) and Nikkin Thimmaiah (51st) helped India surmount the challenge from Pakistan, who rallied from two goals behind through strikes by Muhammad Aleem Bilal (26th) and Ali Shaan (38th) in the title clash of the fourth edition of tournament.
This was the first time the teams were meeting in the final of a continental tournament since India dethroned Pakistan as the Asian Games champions at Incheon, South Korea in 2014.
India went into the title contest at the Kuantan Hockey Stadium without ace custodian PR Sreejesh, who was rested due to a pulled hamstring and Akash Chikte took the position under the bar.
India earned their first penalty corner in the seventh minute, but failed to make it count. Pakistan on the other hand, had the chance to go ahead in the 12 th minute, but an advancing Chikte forced Muhammad Rizwan (Jr) to shoot wide. Then again in the 15th minute, Muhammad Arslan Qadir’s shy from a narrow angle was padded away by Chikte.
India broke the deadlock when Rupinder, converted India’s second penalty corner with a rasping drive to the left of the Pak custodian. This was the 11th goal scored by the ace drag-flicker in the tournament, the highest by him in an event.
Three minutes later, Nikkin Thimmaiah relayed a ball from Sardar Singh to Talwinder Singh on the left. Talwinder could not control his reverse drive and the ball went soaring over the bar.
But the next effort from Sardar did not go to waste as he worked his way down the middle and found Ramandeep Singh on the right. The latter’s cross was deflected into the Pak goal by Yousuf and India were two-up.
But Pakistan hit back in the 26th minute with Bilal sounding the boards converting Pakistan’s first penalty corner.
They restored parity, midway through the third quarter when Shan capitalised on a defensive lapse to score with a reverse flick.
However, India were not to be denied. Sardar worked his way down the left flank and found Thimmaiah with a through ball and the latter beat Pakistan custodian Fareed Ahmed with a diagonal flick that ended inside the right goal-post.
Oltmans lauds players’ efforts
Chief hockey coach Roelant Oltmans heaped praise on his boys and set his sights on bigger global titles after India reclaimed the Asian Champions Trophy here Sunday.
Oltmans said he had seen 20 India-Pakistan matches as a coach and knew the excitement of the sub-continental encounters.
“For the Indian players, there was no option other than winning the title here. We went in as the favourites and were the target of other teams, who faced no such pressure,” said Oltmans after the game.
“I’m really proud that the team showed their mental strength in the last quarter to clinch victory. For us this is a major title win, but we have to go on and win bigger global events,” Oltmans added.
India’s most-experienced player Sardar Singh, who was adjudged ‘most outstanding player of the final’ for marshalling the midfield said the team played this well after a long time.
“This trophy is the hockey team’s Diwali gift to the nation,” said Sardar. “We reclaimed the Asian Champions Trophy by repeating our victory over Pakistan in the Asian Games final two years ago. So this victory is doubly sweet,” added India’s most experienced player.
Skipper PR Sreejesh, who had been ruled out of the final with a hammy said he could feel the emotions of the players sitting on the sidelines. “An India-Pakistan match is always special and this is a special victory.”
Press Trust of India
