BELGIUM LIFT FIRST SULTAN AZLAN SHAH CUP, MALAYSIA FOURTH

IPOH, Nov 30 (Bernama) -- Belgium created their own history by clinching their maiden Sultan Azlan Shah Cup title after defeating India 1-0 in the final at the Sultan Azlan Shah Hockey Stadium here tonight.

The result prolonged India’s drought since their last triumph in the prestigious tournament back in 2010.

Belgium, who recorded four wins and one draw in the round-robin stage, proved to be in a class of their own with their swift movements troubling Craig Fulton’s men.

The first two quarters saw both sides trading attacks but neither managed to break the deadlock.

In the third quarter, Belgium opened the scoring in the 34th minute through Thibeau Stockbroekx via a field goal, and the 1-0 lead remained until the end of the period.

Entering the final quarter, Shane McLeod’s charges intensified their attacks, but India’s goalkeeper Shashikumar Mohith Honnenahalli denied four penalty corners.

The 1-0 scoreline stood until the final whistle, sealing Belgium’s first-ever title in the tournament’s history.

The Sultan of Perak, Sultan Nazrin Shah, graced the final together with Raja Permaisuri Perak, Tuanku Zara Salim, and later presented the trophy to the Belgian team led by Arthur Van Doren.

Meanwhile, the national squad’s hopes of finishing third in this edition fell short after a heavy 6-1 defeat to New Zealand in the 3/4 classification match earlier.

The Speedy Tigers’ mission to avenge their earlier round-robin loss to the Kiwis failed as they ended the prestigious tournament in fourth place.

Canada settled for fifth after defeating South Korea.

National head coach Sarjit Singh attributed the heavy loss to two early goals conceded within the opening minutes, which made it difficult for the team to stage a comeback.

He said the situation forced the players to chase the game early, leaving gaps for the opponents to widen their lead.

“We knew the match would be extremely challenging after going three goals down, but the team still showed high commitment, especially in trying to find the net.

“But after that, I think the players realised it was going to be a very tough match, and we had to accept it. New Zealand played very well,” he said.

Full results:

Champion: Belgium

Runner-up: India

Best Player: Tom Boon (Belgium)

Fair Play Award: South Korea

Top Scorer: Sam Lane (New Zealand) – 9 goals

Best Goalkeeper: Vincent Vanasch (Belgium)

Man-of-the Match (Final): Thibeau Stockbroekx (Belgium)  

-- BERNAMA