India share trophy with South Korea

Defending champions India and South Korea were today declared joint winners of the Sultan Azlan Shah hockey tournament as the summit clash between the two teams was called off due to rain here. The final match was abandoned after six minutes of play as the heavy showers lashed the turf. India had lost only one match, against Malaysia, en route to final.

This is the first time in the history of the tournament, which began in 1983, that there have been joint winners. Indian defender Sardar Singh was adjuged the best player of the tournament. The Indian team management, when called by the FIH Tournament Director Paul Richards, expressed the desire to be given the winners trophy since they had topped the seven team round-robin league with 13 points as well as having beaten the Koreans 3-2 at that stage.

However, it was decided to give the winners cup to both the teams which gave India their fifth title and the Koreans grabbed their second. India had made six appearances in the final of the tournament and ended on the victorious side on four occasions in 1985, 1991, 1995 and 2009. They had lost the title clash of the 2008 event to Argentina via golden goal.

Aus win bronze

World champions Australia scored a hard-fought 5-3 victory over Malaysia to win the bronze in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup hockey tournament here today. Mathew Swann (34th), Russel Ford (43rd), Kieran Govers (50th), Christopher Ciriello (54th) and captain Grant Schubert (65th) scored for Australia while Haffihafiz Hanafi (14th), Amin Mohd Rahim (48th) and Tajudin (70th) found the target for the hosts.

In another classification match, Pakistan finished fifth after pipping China 6-5 in the sudden death tie-breaker after being locked 1-1 till extra time. Malaysia took the lead in 14th minute when striker Haffihafiz Hanafi pushed past Australian goalkeeper George Bazeley after being put through by Faisal Saari. The Aussies found the equaliser when birthday boy Mathew Swann tapped in via a reverse flick from a goalmouth melee in the 34th minute to go into the breather 1-1. — PTI