KL deny Terengganu to lift Tan Sri P Alagendra Cup

KUALA LUMPUR: The Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club ( KLHC) opened the 2018 season on the right footing by emerging champions in the Tan Sri P Alagendra Cup competition after vanquishing defending champion Terengganu Hockey Team ( THT) 4- 3 in a penalty decider in the final at the National Hockey Stadium, Bukit Jalil on Sunday.

KLHC under head coach Lim Chiow Chuan, nevertheless, did not have it easy after trailing 0-2 in the 11th minute before rising to lead 3-2, but THT managed to score the equaliser to take the game to a penalty shootout after a 3-3 draw in the actual game time.

Two early goals from THT came from two penalty corners by Argentina’s world’s best penalty corner specialist, Gonzalo Peillat in the 10th minute, followed by Manraj Singh Sarjit Singh (11th minute).

Jarred by the two early goals, KLHC spruced up its game and South Korean import, Jang Jonghyun scored KLHC’s first goal via a penalty corner in the 16th minute followed by an equaliser from Mohd Shamim Mohd Yusof seven minutes later to make the score 2-2 in the second quarter of the game.

KLHC then stepped on its attacks before scoring its third goal to lead 3-2 via a field goal from Australian import Joshua Pol lard in 34 minutes but THT leveled through a penalty stroke by Peillat in the last seven minutes of the game.

In the penalty shoot- out, THT failed to convert three penalties through Manraj Singh and brothers Faizal and Mohd Fitri Saari to give the first victory in three years to KLHC.

Speaking to reporters after the match, Chiow Chuan described it as a sweet victory and praised his squad who managed to keep their focus to surge ahead to win the game through a penalty shootout.

“Of course, this success is something that is very sweet to us especially after we managed to go through a difficult game.

“We were down by two easy goals in the early part of the game but credit should be given to all players because they did not panic and played their roles and responsibilities according to the planned strategy,” he said.

KLHC and THT each took home RM50,000 while Peillat was named the best player of the tournament to bag home a RM1,000 prize. — Bernama