Marhan refuses to let past Asiad heartbreaks repeat

GIFU: National men's hockey team captain Marhan Jalil refuses to let disappointment repeat itself as he features for the third time in the Asian Games final, this time against defending champions India at Gifu Stadium on Saturday.

Marhan, who also featured in two previous finals at 2010 Guangzhou and 2018 Jakarta-Palembang, wants this third opportunity to help Malaysia capture the gold medal and automatically qualify for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.

In the 2010 edition, the Speedy Tigers fell 2-0 to Pakistan, while in the 2018 final, Malaysia endured a painful heartbreak after squandering a 5-2 lead to draw 6-6 with Japan, before losing 3-1 in a penalty shootout.

That defeat saw Malaysia miss out on automatic qualification for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Marhan hopes past experiences will serve as motivation for his teammates to realise the dream of bringing home gold.

"After three times, including this time, I hope this is the best opportunity for the Malaysian hockey team," he said.

Acknowledging that India holds an advantage in terms of individual skill as well as exposure to high-intensity competitions like the FIH Pro League, Marhan believes nothing is impossible if Malaysia can maintain their energy and playing intensity.

In fact, the national captain reminded everyone that Malaysia previously defeated India in the semi-finals of the 2018 Asian Games.

"We know the individual skills of the Indian players, and they also play a lot in high-intensity competitions like the Pro League.

"I feel we are capable of applying pressure, and if we can maintain our energy on the pitch, it is not impossible to defeat them. We have done it before in Jakarta, and it is not impossible to repeat it in this final," he said.

Malaysia reached the final after defeating South Korea 2-1, while India overcame Pakistan 4-3 in the semi-finals.

Marhan also described Malaysia's status as underdogs as an advantage, with the pressure mounting on India, allowing the national players to take the pitch with high motivation.

"I feel we will play without massive pressure because the pressure is more on India. I hope all players can execute the plan and enter the match with a strong desire to win," he said.