Ipoh (Malaysia): India began their campaign in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup hockey tournament with a hard-fought 1–0 victory over three-time champions South Korea on Sunday. The six-time champions India last featured in this event in 2019, finishing as runners-up, while Korea clinched the title. This time, India started the new edition by defeating the same opponents.
Mohammed Raheel scored the only goal of the match in the 15th minute, soon after the start. Although India could not add more to the tally later, a solid defensive effort ensured Korea were denied any chance of equalising.
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Since India returned to this tournament after six years, the Korean team approached the contest with high confidence. However, Dilpreet Singh’s determined play created the perfect opportunity for Raheel to finish successfully. Notably, this Indian squad is considered a ‘B’ team, yet they overcame the strong challenge from Korea.
In the midfield, captain Sanjay and Abhishek took control, repeatedly intercepting the Korean forwards and preventing their advances. India will next face Belgium on Monday.
