YOUNG TIGRESS QUALIFY FOR 2025 WOMEN'S HOCKEY JUNIOR WORLD CUP ON MERIT

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 15 (Bernama) – The national women’s junior hockey squad qualified for the 2025 Women’s Hockey Junior World Cup in Santiago, Chile on merit for the very first time today.

In an audio recording shared by the Malaysian Hockey Confederation, team manager Datuk Mohd Saiyuti Abd Samat expressed his satisfaction over the squad’s success and said that they would plan a series of tours abroad to prepare for Chile next year, adding that the team would also have the opportunity to play in the local league next year to gain exposure.

Malaysia’s qualification came courtesy of their 6-0 trashing of Thailand in the fifth/sixth place decider of the 2024 Women’s Hockey Junior Asia Cup in Muscat, Oman today, during which striker Nurshamine Azureen Mohammed Badusha stood out with a personal hattrick of field goals – in the second, ninth and 19^th minute, putting her team in a comfortable lead.

But her teammates did  not take things easy, as striker Azmyra Mia Sofea Azhairy extended their lead in the 30^th minute field goal, followed by a goal from a penality corner by Thibatharshini James in te 47^th minute.

Azmyra then crowned the victory with her second personal goal of the match, a field gold just seven minutes before the match ended.

The Young Tigress had finished third in Group A with six points from two wins, 6-1 against Bangladesh and 3-0 against Thailand, and two losses, 0-5 against India and 0-4 against China, allowing them to compete in the fifth-eighth place classification, in which they beat Hong Kong 11-0 yesterday and today’s victory against Thailand.

There were five berths to Chile up for grabs at the Women’s Hockey Junior Asian Cup this year.

-- BERNAMA