SEA Games: men’s, women’s indoor hockey teams thrash Cambodia, S’pore

PHNOM PENH – The Malaysian men’s and women’s indoor hockey teams, who emerged as champions in the 2019 edition, got their 2023 SEA Games campaign off to a cracking start in Phnom Penh, Cambodia today.

While the national men’s team thrashed hosts Cambodia 10-1, the national women’s squad trounced Singapore 8-0 in their opening matches at the Dinosaur Park Hall in Chroy Changvar here.

The men’s team, under coach Mohd Hanip Che Halim, needed just one minute to open the scoring through Faridzul Afiq Mohd through a penalty corner before Abdul Khaliq Hamirin doubled their lead with a field goal four minutes later.

Malaysia continued to lay siege on the Cambodia goalmouth and went 3-0 up when Danial Asyraf Abdul Ghani netted a field goal in the eighth minute, followed by two quickfire penalty corner goals by Muhamad Izham Azhar (22nd minute) and Muhammad Firdaus Omar (23rd minute).

A minute later, Faridzul notched his second with a field goal and Syed Mohamad Syafiq Syed Cholan made it 7-0 before Ammar Rana netted Cambodia’s sole reply with a field goal in the 28th minute.

Faridzul then completed his hat-trick when he found the net off a penalty corner in the 32ndd minute as Khaliq grabbed his second field goal a minute later before Mohd Norhafizie Jamil Azom completed the rout towards the tail end of the match.

Coach Mohd Hanip said after the game that getting all three points was far more important than putting 10 goals past the hosts.

However, he admitted to being a little disappointed with the team’s inability to keep a clean sheet and hoped that his players would work harder to strengthen their backline.

In the women’s match, Nuraslinda Said stole the show when she scored four goals – three penalty corners in the eighth, 11th and 18th minutes and a 19th-minute field goal – to inspire the national team to an 8-0 win over neighbours Singapore.

Midfielder Raja Norsharina Raja Shahbuddin put Malaysia ahead in the third minute with a field goal while defender Fazilla Sylvester Sillin netted two penalty corner goals in the 13th and 34th minutes and Iren Hussin chipped in with one in the 26th minute.

National women’s team head coach Mohd Badrul Hisham Osman said Malaysia could have scored more than 10 goals if not for their profligacy.

The national men’s and women’s teams will take on the Philippines in their second match tomorrow. – Bernama, May 1, 2023