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India finishes behind Australia in Sultan of Johor Cup
A major consolation came for India from its 3-3 drawn game against arch-rival and neighbour Pakistan.
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Prabhjot Paul Singh - Tue, 21, Oct 2025
- 00:04 EDT
- 25
India playing against Australia in Johor Cup / Hockey India
With less than six weeks to go in the FIH Hockey World Cup for Junior Men to commence in Chennai/Madurai, India had mixed luck in the just-concluded Sultan of Johor Cup Hockey Tournament in Johor, Malaysia.
India lost the final to Australia 1-2. For Australia, it was their second consecutive win over India in the tournament, as earlier in a round robin game, the Aussies had recorded a fluent 4-2 win over Indian Colts.
A major consolation came for India from its 3-3 drawn game against arch-rival and neighbour Pakistan. Pakistan finished a poor fourth as it lost the losing semi-finalist game to Great Britain 3-2. Earlier, in the round robin match, Great Britain had a comfortable 5-1 win against Pakistan. On its way to the semi-final, India overcame stiff resistance from hosts Malaysia with a narrow 2-1 win.
India started the tournament on a winning note, defeating Great Britain 3-2. India followed it up with a 4-2 win over New Zealand before putting everything into its game in the match against India. The absorbing encounter saw the teams’ split points.
Pakistan, after putting problems at home behind, started on an impressive note with a thunderous 7-2 win against the hosts, Malaysia. However, the team could not repeat its performance in the next game against Great Britain and lost 1-5. After playing a 3-3 draw with India, Pakistan went down fighting 2-3 to New Zealand but displayed remarkable recovery in holding the ultimate winners, Australia, 3-3, in the last round robin game.
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Australians were also patchy in the group matches. After a 4-0 triumph over New Zealand, the Kangaroos were held to a 1-1 draw by spirited Malaysians. They recovered quickly to beat Great Britain 2-0 in the next match before notching up a splendid 4-2 win over India.
Australians dropped a point to Pakistan with a 3-3 draw on the way to the final, where they edged out India 2-1 for the title.
For India, it was the fifth time to finish with a silver medal after 2012, 2015, 2018, and 2019.
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