| Kuantan, Malaysia | 31 Oct 2016 | Asia Samachar |
The paronthay at the Kuantan gurdwara must have powered Rupinder Pal Singh to emerge as the top scorer at the just-concluded Asian Champions Trophy Hockey tournament in Malaysia.
India edged out Pakistan 3-2 in the finals on Sunday to lift the cup for the second time, and with Rupinder scoring 13 goals.
Every morning, they would visit the only gurdara in Kuantan, the state capital of Pahang where the tournament was held, for some hearty Punjabi-style breakfast.
“We were happy to host them,” Gurdwara Sahib Kuantan committee president Dr Dharshan Singh tells Asia Samachar. “Before they left Kuantan today, they paid another visit to the gurdwara.”
They stuck to their simple, plain menu: paronthay, dhehi, acar and chaa.
“That’s all they wanted, nothing more,” said Dr Dharshan. “Even this morning, we wanted to prepare a few other dishes, but they declined.”
India goals in the final came from Rupinder Pal Singh (18th minute), Yousuf Affan (23rd) and Nikkin Thimmaiah (51st), while Pakistan scorers were Muhammad Aleem Bilal (26th) and Ali Shaan (38th).
This was the first time the teams were meeting in the final of a continental tournament since India dethroned Pakistan as the Asian Games champions in Incheon, South Korea in 2014.
India had won the inaugural edition of the Asian Champions Trophy by defeating Pakistan in the final in 2011.
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