Jakarta: It was heartbreak for Indian men in hockey as they lost the semi-finals to Malaysia in sudden death penalty shootout at the Asian Games 2018 here on Thursday.
After the regulation period had ended in 2-2, the last-four encounter had to be decided in penalty shootout. The teams were separated after a dramatic sudden death where Malaysia knocked out the defending champions 7-6.
SV Sunil missed India’s final shot in the sudden death, triggering celebrations for Malaysian players.
Earlier, Malaysia had equalised with one minute remaining in the regulation time of 60 minutes.
India had dominated the group stage by winning all their four matches. They had thrashed their opponents by huge margins and had a record tally of 76 goals. But in the knockout phase, they faltered.
Last year too, Malaysia had jolted India with 3-2 win in Hockey World League Semi-final and 1-0 victory in Azlan Shah Cup.
Now, India will have to play in the bronze medal match where they will face Japan or Pakistan, who play the second semi-final later today.