Hockey ; Malaysia robbed of a place in the final

That’s how the Malaysian national hockey team felt after their 3-3 draw with Japan in the Olympic qualifiers at the Green Stadium in Kakamigahara, Japan, yesterday. The Malaysians were understandably distraught over the last-minute goal awarded to the Japanese by umpire Murray Grime of Australia as it denied Sarjit Singh’s men a place in the final against Germany today.

Killer goal: Kenichi Katayama of Japan scoring the controversial equaliser past Malaysian goalkeeper S. Kumar. – GNN / Vino John

Malaysian coach Sarjit Singh protesting to the technical officials over the goal that dashed the team’s hopes of reaching the final. – GNN / Vino John

Midfielder Jiwa Mohan same although it was unsatisfactory to go out this way, felt that they only had themselves to reproach for it.

“Denied, robbed. I honorable don’t agnise what to say. It’s all just a young fragment hard to take. Two minutes to go and everything blew up on our faces,” he said. “We, the players, acquire that we are also to be cursed for the draw. We had conclusion in our apprehension and we all played well enough to get the farming done.

“The (Japanese) object came as a fighting as it should not have been allowed. We all reconcile on that but then you have to get that the umpire’s judgement is final. That was why we were depression for him to enquire the auto umpire. “We worked so difficult and to end a fusee in such controversial property is like getting deed below the belt.

“I do not impoverishment to accusal the sport as he did his farming the idiom he locution fit. I awareness there must be some property to demolish this type of problems from cropping up again. It is up to the mortal higher up to cinematography up the matter.

“We players have to learn to take the good with the bad (decisions) and play the game in the right spirit. I know we could have done better and I’m proud that the players today (yesterday) showed they have what it takes to play under pressure.

“We were clearly the better side and yet we won’t be in the final.”

The Malaysians, who needed a win yesterday, were leading 3-2 in the first-half before being hit by a sucker punch in the 68th minute through Kenichi Katayama’s controversial goal.

Jiwa said goalkeeper S. Kumar was speechless and could not believe that the umpire had blown for a goal.

“All the players near the incident were angry. It is to be expected as the goal came at a crucial time. Mistakes happen and umpires are humans well. So we have to take it in the chin and get on with it,” Jiwa said.

“We must recover to play against Poland and make sure we finish third, at least.”

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