KUALA LUMPUR – The women’s national team’s 0-5 loss to South Korea at the Gongshu Canal Sports Park hockey stadium today had been expected as their rivals are higher in the world rankings at 12th place.
National women’s hockey head coach Mohd Nasihin Nubli Ibrahim said that it was tough for the Speedy Tigress to go up against such a formidable opponent, as his team struggled with the intensity of their play.
“We had already expected this defeat since the Koreans are better than us in every aspect of the game. Both our teams were vying for the crucial semifinal slot throughout the game, but our opponents had more hunger and desire than us.
“It’s not easy for us to compete against a strong team like South Korea, which has a higher ranking than us. They have more experience than us and they recently drew 1-1 against a strong Indian side,” said Nasihin.
Nasihin also said that the team would learn from this defeat and move forward to their next game with vigor.
“This is a valuable experience for our team, especially in this major tournament. We are prepared for our fifth-place match and need to be more focused and resolute.
“This tournament is far from over for us,” Nasihin added.
The five goals against Malaysia were scored by Cho Eunji (14th minute), An Sujin (25th minute, 38th minute), Seo Jungeun (36th minute), and Lee Yuri (48th minute).
Malaysia will face the third-place team from Pool B in their fifth-place match on Saturday.
Malaysia’s women’s team is currently ranked 18th in the FIH world rankings with 1,472.30 points.
Their best finish in the Asian Games came in the 1982 edition in New Delhi when they won a bronze medal. – October 3, 2023