We can end 11-year podium drought at Asian Champions Trophy, Nasihin says ahead of bronze medal match

KUALA LUMPUR – National women’s hockey coach, Nasihin Nubli, has urged his players to regroup and aim for a podium finish at the Women’s Asian Champions Trophy, following their valiant effort against China in the semi-finals.

Malaysia’s hopes of advancing to the final were dashed after a 3-1 defeat to Olympic silver medallists China at the Bihar Sports University Hockey Stadium, India.

China, under the guidance of coach Huang Yong Sheng, capitalised on their opportunities with goals from Deng Qiu Chan via a field goal and Fan Yun Xia and Tan Jin Zhuang from penalty corners.

Malaysia’s lone goal was scored by Khairunnisa Ayuni Mohd Sharuddin.

Despite the loss, Nasihin expressed pride in his team’s performance, which was a marked improvement from their 0-5 loss to the same opponent during the round-robin stage.

“Although we lost, I feel the players gave their best effort. We could see that we had many opportunities to score.

“Today’s match was certainly different from the previous one. We controlled the ball and had better possession, which made it difficult for China to attack our team.

“Credit goes to all the players for their hard work and for showing that we are at a good level for upcoming matches,” said Nasihin.

Looking ahead to the third-place playoff against Japan tomorrow, the 49-year-old coach is optimistic about his team’s chances of securing a historic podium finish.

A victory would end Malaysia’s 11-year wait for a medal at the Women’s Asian Champions Trophy. The last time the Tigress achieved this feat was in 2013, in Kakamigahara, Japan.

A win against Japan would also avenge their narrow 1-2 defeat during the round-robin stage, adding an extra layer of motivation for the Malaysian squad.

“We will prepare for our third and fourth matches tonight, and I hope the players recover well. I believe they will play just as well as today, if not better.

“We will work hard to reach the podium, and I have full confidence in our players’ performance,” Nasihin added. – November 19, 2024