Malaysia edge Kazakhstan 2-1 in Asia Cup Hockey

KUALA LUMPUR: The national women's hockey team will face Thailand in the decider for the fifth and sixth place of the 2017 Asia Cup Hockey Championship after beating Kazakhstan 2-1 today.
In thrilling action at the Gifu Hockey Stadium in Japan, the players coached by Muhammad Dharmaraj Abdullah were stunned when Aigerim Makhanova scored a field goal in the 24th minute for Kazakhstan, who is ranked 34th in the world.
However, the girls regrouped and equalised in the 31st minute via a field goal from Nuraslinda Said before Siti Rohani Sapthu netted the winner three minutes later from a penalty corner.
Malaysia, who are now ranked 22nd, will meet Thailand after the 31st ranked team beat Singapore 4-3 in a penalty shoot-out after playing to a 1-1 draw.
Malaysia, the 2017 Kuala Lumpur SEA Games champions, failed to end their 32-year-old jinx after last advancing to the semi-finals of the Asia Cup in the 1985 edition in Seoul, where they won third place. — Bernama