Japan wins the heart, India the match

s2h Team



Showcasing one of the best defence tactics, continental champions Japan matched every Indian move in a precision that can evoke awe in any top hockey nation, in the Asian Champions Trophy encounter in Muscat before going down valiantly 3-2 in the second semi-final. Similarly, fluent and gritty, Malaysia stretched dominant Pakistan into a cruelling shoot out where it went down 1-3. The end result is, another India-Pakistan encounter that can bring full stands once again in the desert destination. The short story is the teams that fought for gold in Jakarta a month ago will now play for bronze while the third place contenders there will now lock horns for top honours. Both India and Pak will pitch in for their third title win, indicating return of traditional equation in Asian hockey.