Malaysia Beat China 5-3 To Win WHL R2 In Dhaka

KUALA LUMPUR, March 13 (Bernama) -- Malaysia lived up to expectations by beating China 5-3 on penalties in the final to win the World Hockey League Round 2 held in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The match was forced into a penalty shootout after Malaysia and China drew 2-2 in regulation time. According to the International Hockey Federation (FIH) website www.fih.ch, China had taken a 2-0 lead in the first half with goals from Talake Du in the 15th minute and Jun Su's 22nd minute strike. Malaysia, the top seed in the tournament fought back to reduce the deficit through Shahril Saabah's 46th minute penalty corner strike before Najmi Jazlan equalised in the 55th minute from another penalty corner. The win ensured Malaysia's place in the World Hockey League Round 3 together with China. The WHL R3 will serve as a qualifying tournament for the 2018 World Cup to be hosted by India in Bhubaneswar. In the playoff for third-fourth placing, Egypt shipped Oman 5-1 to take third spot. --BERNAMA