PETALING JAYA: National hockey team are now just one win away from a historic first Asian Games gold and a ticket to the Olympic Games.
On Thursday (Oct), a brace from Azrai Aizad Abu Kamal secured Malaysia’s spot in the hockey final at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games after they beat four-time Asiad winners South Korea 2-1 on Thursday (Oct 1).
Malaysia will now face defending champions India in the final, with the winners earning an Olympic Games ticket.
The Speedy Tigers got the lead late into the game after Azrai converted a penalty corner in the 40th minute at the Gifu Prefectural Green Stadium.
South Korea then struck back to equalise through Lee Gang-san just two minutes later, but Azrai fired his second goal in the 45th minute from a penalty stroke.
The national team have never won an Asiad gold, with their previous best result coming at the 2018 Jakarta edition where they finished with silver after losing to Japan.
