The junior men’s team of India secured a bronze medal at the Sultan of Johor Cup by defeating Pakistan in a penalty shootout with a score of 6-5 after a 3-3 draw in regulation time.
After a 3-6 loss to Germany in the semi-finals, defending champion India made a strong comeback by defeating Pakistan to secure their 9th medal in 11 editions of the U21 tournament.
India was ahead 1-0 at halftime, thanks to Arun Sahani’s 11th-minute goal. Sufyan Khan managed to score the equalizer for Pakistan in the 33rd minute, but CB Poovana restored the lead for the Indian team just nine minutes later.
In the 50th minute, Abdul Qayyum’s field goal rejuvenated Pakistan’s chances in the match. Just two minutes later, Indian Captain Uttam Singh appeared to have secured the winning goal for his team. Nonetheless, for the third time in the game, Pakistan managed to level the score, as skipper Hannan Shahid netted a Penalty Corner.
At the conclusion of the standard playing time, the two teams ended with a score of 3-3, mirroring the result of their initial encounter in the group stage.
During the penalty shootout, the initial four attempts from both teams resulted in goals. However, Pakistan’s Murtaza Yaqoob became the first player to miss the target.
Fortunately for Pakistan, Aman Deep was unable to secure a victory as Pakistan’s goalkeeper, Ali Raza, made a comfortable save on his initial shot. Unfortunately for India, the rebound was sent wide, leading to sudden death in the shootout.
In the sudden-death scenario, India initiated the shootout with Vishnukant Singh skillfully netting the ball past Raza, securing the initial advantage.
Arshad Liaqat of Pakistan managed to equalize, keeping his team in contention. Nonetheless, in the sixth round, the Indian goalkeeper thwarted Shahid’s attempt, ultimately securing the victory for Coach CR Kumar’s squad following Angad Bir Singh’s earlier goal that had put the Indian Colts ahead.
In the pool stage, Pakistan accumulated seven points by securing victories against New Zealand and Malaysia, both with a 3-2 scoreline, as well as playing to a 3-3 draw against India.
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