Having witnessed India captain Harmanpreet Singh’s drag-flicking prowess at the recent Asian Games, Malaysia captain Marhan Jalil said denying the star penalty corner specialist goal-scoring opportunities will be key to his team’s title-winning chances at the upcoming hockey Asian Champions Trophy.India beat Malaysia 5-1 in the final of the Asian Games, with Harmanpreet scoring two goals. Speaking to The Tribune, Jalil said Malaysia were keen to reach the final with India and hoped to win this time. “This time as well, we want to reach the final with India, but hopefully, we will win this time,” he said.Jalil said his team was well prepared for the tournament and was enjoying its stay in Punjab. Praising the venue, he said the view at the stadium was amazing and expressed confidence that his team would perform well. He also spoke about his experience of trying Punjabi cuisine, saying he enjoyed eating dal here.Meanwhile, Bangladesh captain Islam Ashraful described India as the most challenging team in the tournament. He said Bangladesh would also aim to put up a good performance. Both the Malaysian and Bangladeshi teams received a traditional Punjabi welcome at the Surjit Hockey Stadium, where they were greeted with lively bhangra performances and the beats of dhol. The Asian Champions Trophy is scheduled to begin on October 27.


