KUALA LUMPUR: Perak are just a step away from creating history by becoming the first team to score a championship hat-trick in the 2022 Tun Abdul Razak Cup Tournament after defeating Malacca 2 -1 at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil on Oct 15.
In tonight’s semi-final match, S. Jagatheesan’s men got off to a great start by hitting the first goal through a penalty courtesy of Syed Mohammad Syafiq Syed Cholan in the sixth minute.
Not willing to concede, the Malacca team levelled the score through a penalty corner by Muhammad Nur Asyraf in the 32nd minute.
Despite the setback, Perak continue to pile the pressure with a non-stop attacking game which eventually bore fruit thanks to Siaful Sharil Saiful Bahri’s penalty corner goal in the final quarter of the game.
The defending champions of the previous edition have won the cup championship 11 times, for the editions of 1966, 1973, 1985, 1987, 1992, 2013, 2014, 2017, 2018 and 2020.
In the last edition, the squad led by S. Jagatheesan emerged as champions after beating Pahang 2-1 in the final.
With the win, the men’s Perak hockey squad will have the opportunity to settle the score with Pahang, who took the Sukma hockey gold recently. Pahang edged Johor 2-1 in the other semi-final.
Malacca will face Johor for the third and fourth placings.
Meanwhile, in the women’s match, Malacca will square off with Selangor after the former defeated Penang 4-1 while Selangor downed Pahang 2 -1. - Bernama
