Indian Under 21 men’s hockey team defeated Australia in a nail-biting final to lift the Sultan of Johor Cup 2022 in Malaysia yesterday. wo-time champions India defeated Australia 5-4 in a nail-biting penalty shootout to reclaim the Sultan of Johor Cup crown, breaking their five-year-old title jinx on Saturday. The teams were level at 1-1 after regulation time in the title encounter.
India beat Australia 5-4 in shootout
After the scores were tied 1-1 at the end of regular time, India finally braved past a stiff Australian challenge to clinch a 5-4 victory in the penalty shootout. This is the third time India has won the Sultan of Johor Cup. Indian team scored the first goal with Sudeep Chirmako’s field goal in the 14th minute. However, Australia came back in the second quarter as Jack Holland equalised with India.
In the shootout, both teams ended with 3-3 scoreline, forcing the match into sudden death. Uttam Singh scored twice in the shootout, including in sudden death, while Vishnukant Singh, Ankit Pal, Sudeep Chirmako also sounded the board for Indian team. For Australia, Burns Cooper, Foster Brodee, Brooks Joshua and Hart Liam entered their names on the scoresheet.
India’s previous two titles came in 2013 and 2014. The top-scorer at the 10th Sultan of Johor Cup was India’s Sharda Nand Tiwari with seven goals to his name, and the Player of the Match in the final against Australia was Sudeep Chirmako.
India finished second best four times in 2012, 2015, 2018 and the last edition of the event in 2019. The tournament was not held in 2020 and 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
