Tigress miss Asian Games semis after South Korea loss, Speedy Tigers eye final
The Malaysian women's hockey team lost 2-1 to South Korea and will play for fifth, while the Speedy Tigers head for the 1 Oct semi-finals.
Malaysia's women's hockey team will not play in the Asian Games semi-finals. The men's team, the Speedy Tigers, have their sights on a medal.
Tigress fall short against South Korea
The Malaysian Tigress needed to beat South Korea on Sunday, 27 September, to reach the last four. They lost 2-1 in their final Group A match at the Gifu Prefectural Green Stadium.
- 15th minute: Park Seung-ae scored from a penalty corner to give South Korea the lead.
- 29th minute: An Su-jin added a field goal to make it 2-0.
- 60th minute: Nurmaizatul Hanim Syafi converted a penalty corner in the final minute, but it was too late.
The New Straits Times reported that it was Malaysia's eighth defeat to South Korea in 10 meetings since the 2008 Olympic qualifiers in Victoria, Canada. The Tigress finished third in Group A with three wins and two defeats. China and South Korea took the two semi-final places.
"It was a crucial match against Korea, which needed to win to qualify for the semi-finals," said coach CR Kumar. "But we did not play well in the first two quarters. We came back stronger in the last two quarters and fought hard to convert a penalty corner in the last minute."
He added: "However, it is not the end for us as we have two more matches to play and we hope to win both the matches to finish fifth."
The NST said Malaysia, ranked 21st in the world, will play Indonesia in the fifth-to-eighth classification round. Bernama reported that the match is on Wednesday. The Malaysian Hockey Confederation had set the team a top-four target.
Malaysia's best Asian Games result in women's hockey is still the bronze from New Delhi 1982, followed by fourth place at Seoul 1986.
Women's semi-final line-up
According to the NST:
- South Korea vs India
- China vs Japan (China are the defending champions)
Speedy Tigers into the last four
The men's team have been Malaysia's standout hockey side in Gifu. They won their first four Group B matches, including a 10-0 win over Thailand and a dramatic 5-4 comeback over Pakistan. Azrai Aizad Abu Kamal scored the winner against Pakistan three minutes from time.
That put Malaysia top of the group on 12 points before Monday's final group match against China. The Star said the Pakistan win took the Speedy Tigers into the semi-finals.
Team manager Datuk Ahmad Najmi Abdul Razak set the target before the tournament. "Our target is simple. Any team would want to reach the final, and once you are in the final, anything can happen," he told Bernama.
Road to the final
Hockey schedule listings put the men's semi-finals on 1 October. The Pool A winner plays the Pool B runner-up, and the Pool B winner plays the Pool A runner-up. The gold medal match is on 3 October.
India and Japan have been the strongest teams in Pool A. India beat South Korea 8-2 on their way to the semi-finals. The result of Malaysia's match against China decides where the Speedy Tigers finish in Group B, and so which of those teams they meet in the last four.
Key takeaways
- The Tigress lost 2-1 to South Korea, finished third in Group A and missed the semi-finals.
- They play Indonesia in the fifth-to-eighth round and want to finish fifth.
- Women's semi-finals: South Korea vs India and China vs Japan.
- The Speedy Tigers won their first four Group B games before facing China. The men's semi-finals are on 1 October and the final on 3 October.
FAQ
Who scored for the Tigress against South Korea? Nurmaizatul Hanim Syafi, from a penalty corner in the 60th minute.
What is Malaysia's best Asian Games result in women's hockey? Bronze at New Delhi 1982.
When are the men's hockey semi-finals? On 1 October 2026, with the gold medal match on 3 October.
Sources: New Straits Times, Bernama, The Star, SBS News, Olympics.com, givemehockey.com