Moving up a rung in world rankings will help hockey team at Asiad

Pulling out all the stops: Malaysia defender Razie Rahim (right) in action against South Korea during their Asia Cup clash in Jakarta. — Malaysian Hockey Confederation

PETALING JAYA: Moving up a spot in the world rankings may not sound significant but it will be important for the national hockey team in determining the groupings of the Asian Games in Hangzhou next year.

Malaysia moved from 11th spot to No. 10 and it was made possible by their spirited performance in the Asia Cup where they finished runners-up to South Korea in Jakarta last week and confirmed their ticket for next year’s World Cup.