NEW DELHI: Malaysia continued its winning run in the 2023 Asian Champions Trophy hockey tournament with a convincing 5-1 victory over China at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Hockey Stadium in Chennai on Friday.
China took an early lead in the fourth minute with Chongcong Chen scoring a field goal. However, it did not take long for Malaysia to bounce back, as seven minutes later, Faizal Saari successfully converted a penalty corner to draw level.
In the 15th minute from another corner Abu Kamal Azrai put Malaysia ahead.
After a quiet second quarter, it was 2-1 for Malaysia at the half-time break, while towards the end of the third quarter, Firhan Ashari (45th minute) scored the third for Malaysia through a field goal.
In the 49th minute, another field goal from Ashari made it 4-1 for the Malaysians, while in the 57th minute, Najmi Jazlan made it 5-1 through a penalty corner.
With this win, Malaysia climbed to the top of the table with six points, and their next match will be against India.
On the other hand, China will face defending champion South Korea, still seeking their first win in the tournament after two games.
(With PTI inputs)
