The lengthy 9th Asia Cup men's hockey tournament ran from Aug 24 to Sept 1. The official dinner, or gala dinner, was held on the only off day for the tournament, on Aug 29, at the Royal Perak Golf Club in Ipoh, Malaysia. I shall not write too much, as official dinners for sports tournaments are almost ... continue reading »

The 9th Asia Cup men's field hockey tournament 2013 wrapped up in style with an amazing display of fireworks that lasted more than five minutes. Hosted at Ipoh's Azlan Shah hockey stadium, it saw eight Asian nations competing. They were South Korea, Japan, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Oman, Chinese-Taipei (Taiwan) and Malaysia. This tournament was a keen one ... continue reading »

The finals of the 9th Asia Cup was keenly contested between India and South Korea. As defending champions, South Korea had a reputation as the 'best in Asia' to live up to. They are also the first Asian team to secure a spot at the Hockey World Cup at The Hague, Holland in 2014. India, on the ... continue reading »

The bronze medal match saw Malaysia take on Pakistan. The Malaysian boys put on a very disappointing display, especially in the early part of the game. Once the game picked up momentum, it was Pakistan which showed their superiority on the field. Actually, they were like a wounded tiger striking back, after their failure to feature at the ... continue reading »

Despite the many chances Malaysia had, the boys were unable to convert them into goals. It was very disappointing, especially on Merdeka night, when the nation was celebrating Independence Day. India went all out to win from the first minute, to cement their place in the Hockey World Cup at The Hague in the Netherlands next ... continue reading »

It was a crucial match for Pakistan, where this tournament was their last chance to qualify for the World Cup at The Hague in the Netherlands next year. Unfortunately, by losing to Korea 1 - 2, Pakistan will, for the first time in 42 years, fail to qualify for the World Cup, a tournament that they ... continue reading »

Malaysia started the match listlessly and allowed Japan two goals before clamouring to a win with four goals to two. It was a dangerous situation for Malaysia, but now that they are in the semi-finals, and will meet India next, thus it will be a serious test for the team. India is trying to get ... continue reading »