NEW DELHI: Always able to raise the level of their game, Pakistan beat India 2-0 in the final of the third Allwyn Asia Cup Hockey Championship here on December 28th made it a hat trick of cup wins.

Pakistan who led 1-0 at half time had ‘won the first two editions of the tournament too in Karachi in 1982 and in Dhaka in 1985, India had finished runners up both times.

In this match, Pakistan, for whom Shabaz. Ahmed and Arif Bhopali scored once each, showed no signs of the indifferent form they suffered earlier in the tournament and fully deserved the right to receive the up from Sultan Azlan Shah, king of Malaysia and President of the Asian Hockey Federation, who came here especially for the match.

On the other hand India, who had come to the final with the best track record, they had not conceded a goal in the four matches they played so far found that nothing went right for them.

It was a case of bad strategy and poor play and worse, after they were deprived of a certain goal by umpire Saif Mohammed, the Indians wasted a penalty stroke.

The biggest handicap India suffered was the inability of their pivot, Vivek Singh, to get going. With the center half off colour, extra load fell on right half Subramani and inside right Jude Felix while trying to help out, could not keep the forwards moving.

Also with Pargat Singh not always available at the right back position the Pakistani left wingers Shahbaz Ahmed and Wasim Feroz were virtually unchecked, By the time the team management replaced Vivek Singh with Jagdey Singh only three minutes of the match were left.

‘One must, however mention the great role played under the Indian bar by Ashish Ballal. But for him the margin of defeat could have been wider,

It was another overflowing Shivaji Stadium long before the match began. On a ‘number of occasions the large number of fans managed to crash through the tight security cordon,

The match began at a hot pace with the Indians dominating the exchanges early on. In the very opening minute the Pakistani defense failed to clear a DhanrajPillai shot and Jude Felix who latched on to it, was Obstructed just in the circle, India, haw-ever, failed to make anything out of it.

‘An India Pakistan hockey tie brings its ‘own tensions, both on the players and the fans. Tahir Zaman hooked Vivek Singh’s stick on to its own nose in the second minute and had to get medical attention.

India continued to apply pressure and custodian Mansoor Ahmed blocked a Felix shot. Edgar Mascrenhas got to the ball and gave a forward pass to Thoiba Singh whose attempt too was saved by Mansoor Ahmed.

One more Pakistani penalty comer was followed by the best move made by India, in the 58th minute, a Felix initiated move found the ball going via Balwinder Singh and RP Singh to Thoiba Singh, whose goal ward shot was blocked by Mansoor ‘Ahmed, Balwinder Singh latched on to the rebound and put the ball in via a defenders leg.

Instead of awarding a goal, umpire Saif Mohammed of Egypt blew for a penalty stroke and to the horror of the jam packed Shivaji stadium, Sujit Kumar drove the ball wide and out,

Saif told PTI after the match that he had blown promptly “after the shot had struck a defender’s chest.”

If Balwinder Singh had struck the ball a fraction of a second earlier, the goal would be India’s he added.

Though India eared one more penalty ‘comer, they seemed to have given up the fight and with less than two minutes left for the match to end, the Pakistanis took full advantage of a defense lapse for Arif Bhopali to score the second goal after Ballal had blocked a Wasim Feroz shot off Shabaz Ahmed.

Article extracted from this publication >> January 5, 1990