Golden debut: Japan players celebrating on the podium after being presented with the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup.—RONNIE CHIN/The Star
IPOH: With just one week of preparation before arriving in Ipoh for the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, Japan have surprised everyone by lifting the title for the first time.
It was Japan’s first final appearance in the tournament, and they displayed their resilience against a formidable Pakistan side to win 4-1 in the penalty shootouts after the match ended 2-2 in regulation time at the Azlan Shah Stadium on Saturday.
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