In the Sultan of Johor Cup final on Saturday, the junior men’s national hockey team from India fought hard but finished 1‑2 behind Australia in Johor, Malaysia.
Australia opened the scoring in the 13th minute when Ian Grobbelaar converted a penalty corner, giving the Kookaburras a quick lead. India answered early in the second quarter: Anmol Ekka struck the ball to the left of Australian goalie Magnus McCausland, tying the match at 1‑1.
The game was a back‑and‑forth battle. Both sides created chances, but neither could finish until the final moments. In the last quarter, Grobbelaar hit the post‑penalty corner again—this time in the 59th minute—putting Australia ahead for good. India’s six penalty‑corner attempts in the dying minutes fell short, leaving the Blue Colts on the losing side.
India started brightly, using quick short passes to keep the ball in control. Their first big chance appeared inside the opening five minutes as a give‑and‑go between Araijeet Singh Hundal and Sourabh Anand Kushwaha set up Gurjot Singh for a shot. Australian keeper McCausland saved the effort. Ten minutes in, Amir Ali’s long‑range burst was glancingly deflected by Gurjot, only for the goalkeeper to clear it.
Australia earned the first penalty corner at 13 minutes, which Grobbelaar finished to make it 1‑0. Just after the first period, another corner came to Australia, but Prince Deep Singh—India’s goalkeeper—stopped the attempt.
In the second period, India won two consecutive penalty corners; Anmol Ekka’s striking header put India level at 1‑1. The defense held, but India kept pressing forward, drawing two more corners before halftime. Araijeet’s powerful strike on those chances missed the net.
The third period saw another corner on India’s side. A long pass from Priyobarta Talem found Amir Ali on the left. His close‑range chip produced another penalty corner that saw India fail to net a goal. Australia dominated this period, grabbing three of its own penalty corners. Ariajeet almost broke the deadlock with a close‑range shot later in the quarter.
With the clock wound down, Ajit Yadav stole the ball in a dangerous zone and fired a shot into the void. That spark drove India into a wild attack, but shots missed the mark. The eighth penalty corner of the night saw Rohit come close but miss inches. During the final minute, Australia struck after a quick set‑up, adding pressure. In the closing seconds, India hammered several attempts but the ball never crossed the line.
The final score was Australia 2, India 1. Despite the loss, the Indian junior men’s hockey squad showed resilience and skill, setting up a promising path for the next tournament. The Sultan of Johor Cup continues to be a key competition for rising talent in international field hockey.
Source: ianslive
Stay informed on all the latest news, real-time breaking news updates, and follow all the important headlines in world News on Latest NewsX. Follow us on social media Facebook, Twitter(X), Gettr and subscribe our Youtube Channel.