Dearly missed by her brothers, sisters & spouses and all relatives and friends
Saskaar / Cremation: 3pm, 12th December 2023 (Tuesday) at Xiao En Memorial Park Nilai, Negeri Sembilan (Address: 286km, KL-Seremban Highway, 71800, Negeri Sembilan)
Cortège leaves from our residence at 1:45pm from 3314, Jalan Seroja 35, Taman Lee Kian Kee, Seremban Garden, Negeri Sembilan
Path da Bhog: Gurdwara Sahib Seremban, Negeri Sembilan 17th December 2023 (Sunday) 5pm to 7pm Guru ka langgar will be served.
Your presence for all prayers would be much appreciated by the family.
ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs / Punjabis in Southeast Asia and beyond. When you leave a comment at the bottom of this article, it takes time to appear as it is moderated by human being. Unless it is offensive or libelous, it should appear. You can also comment at Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. You can reach us via WhatsApp +6017-335-1399 or email: asia.samachar@gmail.com. For obituary announcements, click here
Kenyan hockey Olympian Avtar Singh Sohal at GSPJ gathering with Malaysian former hockey greats – Photo: Prabhjot Singh
By Asia Samachar | Malaysia |
Octogenarian Avtar Singh Sohal has big dreams of putting Sikh players back into the Kenyan men’s international field hockey team.
Once upon a time, Sikhs made a substantial part of the East African nation whose best performance was when they emerged fourth in the Hockey World Cup in 1971.
As part of the mission, Avtar, fondly known as Tari, is leading 22 young and thriving Sikh junior hockey players and team officials from Kenya to watch the Junior World Cup now going in Kuala Lumpur. At the same time, the team is also playing some friendly matches.
“In the 60s and 70s, Kenya were a formidable team in the world and we did well in our first World Cup in Barcelona in 1971 to finish fourth.
“We used to have a lot of Sikhs representing Kenya’s national team in the past but today we don’t even have a single Sikh player in the national team,” Avtar told the New Straits Times.
Avtar, 85, played hockey for Kenya at four Olympic Games, from 1960-72. He captained the team in 1964, 1968, and 1972, and was also the Kenyan captain at the 1st World Cup of hockey in Barcelona in 1971. He as also involved in one Olympic as head coach and another Olympic as a FIH judge.
Yesterday (11 December 2023), officials and players from the Sikh Union Club Nairobi team were feted at the Gurdwara Sahib Petaling Jaya (GSPJ) to an afternoon tea.
The event brought together former Malaysian hockey captain Sarjit Singh and Avtar, two Olympians who dominated hockey scene for a number of years.
Also present were former Malaysian Vice Captain Maninderjit Singh, former Malaysian hockey players Surinder Singh and Avtar Singh Gill and veteran player Captain Jasbir Singh.
Early this year, Matador Club of Malaysia had taken veteran and Junior teams to Nairobi to participate in the Vaisakhi Cup Hockey Tournament. The two Clubs have now decided for regular exchange of visits for promoting hockey at sub junior and junior level.
Almost all members of the visiting Sikh Union Club are turban wearing boys with 12-year-old Harwinder Singh as while youngest while two members of the Kenyan team that played in the Junior World Cup qualifier are also accompanying the delegation.
ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs / Punjabis in Southeast Asia and beyond. When you leave a comment at the bottom of this article, it takes time to appear as it is moderated by human being. Unless it is offensive or libelous, it should appear. You can also comment at Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. You can reach us via WhatsApp +6017-335-1399 or email: asia.samachar@gmail.com. For obituary announcements, click here
D/O Late Sardar Gurmukh Singh Baba Bakala Late Sardarni Vajinder Kaur
Will be dearly remembered and fondly missed by her son, Kuldip Singh, daughter in law, Manmohan Kaur, grandchildren, grand son in law, great grandchildren and loved ones.
We, Kuldip Singh and Family, wish to express our heartfelt gratitude to all our relatives and friends for their love, messages of condolence, generosity and prayers during our recent bereavement.
Path Da Bhog will be held as follows: Date: 16 December 2023 (Saturday) Time: 10am to 12pm Location: Gurdwara Sahib Pulapol, Kuala Lumpur
ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs / Punjabis in Southeast Asia and beyond. When you leave a comment at the bottom of this article, it takes time to appear as it is moderated by human being. Unless it is offensive or libelous, it should appear. You can also comment at Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. You can reach us via WhatsApp +6017-335-1399 or email: asia.samachar@gmail.com. For obituary announcements, click here
Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis (3rd from left) and Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner (2nd from right), both bearing turbans, at The Sikh Center’s golden jubilee celebration on Dec 3, 2023. Also present was Judge Manpreet “Monica” Kaur (3rd from right) – Photo: Jaswant Singh Jassi
By Bhupinder ‘Bo’ Singh | United States |
The Sikh Center was established in 1972. Then there were about a dozen Sikh families who had just made Houston their home.
These early pioneers felt a void for their religious and spiritual needs. They decided to fill that void by holding a monthly meeting in a volunteer family’s home for a session of Gurbani Keertan. Soon they realized that holding monthly Diwans was not a practical solution for their needs, binging up the idea of having a community place of worship.
That led to the decision of having a Gurudwara. Designated volunteers started scouting for a piece of land and selected the lot on 8819 Prairie Drive. The fledgling community decided to build the place of worship in August 1973.
These professionals could only muster evenings on weekdays, and the weekends, for construction. The modest wooden Gurudwara building was inaugurated in November 1973 on Parkash Purab of Guru Nanak, founder of Sikhism.
We are now celebrating golden jubilee of this modest vision of the early pioneers, which has grown over the period and with the recent modifications-cum-upgrades completed in 2019.
The managing committee of The Sikh Center drew up a calendar of events to commemorate this major milestone as under:
Oct 14, 2023, Saturday: Interfaith Seminar Nov 5, 2023, Sunday: Amrit Sanchar Nov 19, 2023, Sunday: Blood Drive Nov 24-25, 2023: Morning Akhand Paath Arambh, evening Kirtan Programs: Special invitee was Dr. Gurnam Singh Jatha & Local Jatha performed. Nishan Sahib Sewa was performed on Sunday followed by the children’s kirtan performance. Nov 27, 2023, Monday: Guru Nanak Dev Ji Gurpurab (Actual Day), evening Kirtan & Katha by The Sikh Center Jatha. Nov 28, 2023, Tuesday evening: Kirtan: Local Gurdwara’s Kirtan Jathas Nov 29-Dec 2, 2023: Daily evening Kirtan by Sant Anoop Singh Unawale & Sikh Center Jatha. Arambh Akhand Paath on Dec 1 morning.
The culmination of the celebrations was on Dec 3, 2023, Sunday which started with the Paath Bhog. This was followed by the Kirtan of Sikh Center Jatha. After the Center Jatha the special invitee Jatha of Sant Anoop Singh Unawale enthralled the devotees with their melodious Kirtan.
It was followed by a speech by Dr. Sukhmander Singh, 84, Co Assoc. Dean School of Engineering from Santa Clara University and an original pioneer of The Sikh Center. He shared with sangat about the historic challenges the fledgling community endured in the early days of Houston’s growth.
After his speech Bobby Singh introduced Judge Manpreet “Monica” Kaur, who further introduced Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner. Next Bobby Singh introduced Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis. Commissioner Ellis and Mayor Turner expressed their desire to wear a turban. They also presented framed Proclamations.
Amrik Singh Nijjar, President Sikh Center thanked the mayor and commissioner presented them with a pictorial book titled Golden Temple by Patwant Singh.
This was followed by Katha by Bhai Kuldeep Singh, speech by Dr. Kanwaljeet Singh and the final conclusion of the program.
All present founder family members were given gifts of The Sikh Center History Book & Souvenir Book plus 50th Anniversary celebration T-shirts. (Photos by Jaswant Singh Jassi)
ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs / Punjabis in Southeast Asia and beyond. When you leave a comment at the bottom of this article, it takes time to appear as it is moderated by human being. Unless it is offensive or libelous, it should appear. You can also comment at Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. You can reach us via WhatsApp +6017-335-1399 or email: asia.samachar@gmail.com. For obituary announcements, click here
Malaysian Sikh bikers reached Umling La, the highest motorable pass in the world at the height of 19,204 feet above sea level.
By Asia Samachar | India |
Three Sikh bikers from Malaysia undertook a 11-day bike journey in India, with the highlight being reaching Umling La, the highest motorable pass in the world, standing at 19,204 feet above sea level.
Avethar Singh, Harbhajan Singh and Jaspal Singh, all members of the Kuala Lumpur based SSU Kelab Aman, began their journey from Moga, Panjab, on Aug 4, 2023.
The team also conquered the Mighty Khardung La (17,982 ft), a mountain pass in the Leh district of the Indian union territory of Ladakh.
ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs / Punjabis in Southeast Asia and beyond. When you leave a comment at the bottom of this article, it takes time to appear as it is moderated by human being. Unless it is offensive or libelous, it should appear. You can also comment at Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. You can reach us via WhatsApp +6017-335-1399 or email: asia.samachar@gmail.com. For obituary announcements, click here
An artist impression of Guru Gobind Singh and his Fauj crossing the Sarsa River – Source: Unknown
By Dr. B. S. Bains | Sikh History |
GEO-POSITIONING GURU GOBIND SINGH JI RESIDENCE AND EVENTS
River Sarsa in Punjab holds a somber significance in Sikh history, being regarded as a cursed river. In connection with my article titled The Sikh December Blues (Asia Samachar, Dec 6, 2023), I invite readers to delve deeper into the second part. This crucial moment transpired in December 1704, during the winter season, marking a pivotal juncture in the life of Guru Gobind Singh—the last living Guru of the Sikhs. It signifies the historical separation of his family, never to reunite again.
Emerging from the Shivalik foothills in Southern Himachal Pradesh, a state located to the east of Punjab, with Shimla serving as its capital, the river Sarsa courses its way towards the western part of the Solan district before entering Punjab. Eventually, Sarsa converges with the river Sutlej, the longest among the renowned five tributaries (Jhelum, Bias, Chenab, and Ravi) of the Indus River, a region where the ancient Indus civilization once thrived. Collectively, these five rivers bestow the name Punjab, with “Panj” denoting FIVE in the northern undivided Panjab province. Upon joining the Sutlej at the eastern border of Punjab in the Rupnagar district, near Chandigarh, the river continues its journey towards the western Indian Ocean, passing through part of today’s Panjab in Pakistan.
ANANDPUR SAHIB – LAND PURCHASED BY GURU TEG BAHADUR JI
Formerly known as “Chak Nanaki,” Anandpur is a town situated to the east of Punjab, founded by Guru Teg Bahadur, the 9th Guru of the Sikhs and the father of Guru Gobind Singh Ji. Following the brutal decapitation of his father, under the order of Mughal King Aurangzeb, Guru Gobind Singh Ji erected a fort in Anandpur to safeguard and alert the city from invaders. Positioned between the Shivalik hills to the east and the river Sarsa to its southwest, Anandpur holds a significant historical presence.
The Sikh Gurus posed a formidable challenge to the Mughal Kingdom that held sway over India at the time. The Mughals sought to compel the entire Indian populace to embrace Islam as their religion. In the face of this, the Sikhs of Punjab emerged as a staunch resistance, confronting numerous wars initiated by the Mughals. Demonstrating remarkable resilience, unwavering loyalty to their faith, and being spiritually and physically charged by their Gurus, the Sikhs stood firm. After the assassination of Guru Teg Bahadur, the Mughals targeted the young Guru Gobind Singh Ji, who was merely 9 years old, but was imbued with the divine wisdom of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, guided by the Will of the Almighty.
Believing that the Sikhs would be weakened after the assassination of Guru Teg Bahadur and anticipating no resistance, the Mughals endeavored to annihilate Anandpur Sahib and eradicate the Sikh faith entirely. Contrary to their expectations, young Guru Gobind Singh, a spiritual prowess, proved to be a formidable adversary, outsmarting them and presenting a significant challenge. Despite multiple Mughal attacks, the Mughals suffered substantial defeats
Their military engagements were strictly defensive, with the primary objective of preserving humanity and ensuring the rights and dignity of the people in the Northern Indian region at that time. The goal was to create an environment where individuals could live harmoniously and freely practice their faith without fear. Guru Ji’s protection extended not only to Sikhs and his followers but also encompassed Hindus, Buddhists, Shia Muslims, and Jains in the region. He demonstrated profound love and affection, encouraging them to remain in tune with the Almighty. This sentiment is encapsulated in his renowned sayings:
“Manas ki Jaat sabhe eke pehchanbo” (ਮਾਨਸ ਕੀ ਜਾਤ ਸਬੈ ਏਕੈ ਪਹਿਚਾਨਬੋ) – Recognize the entire human race as of one caste.
“Deora masit soi, pooja namaz ohi” – The temple and mosque are the same, and worship and prayer are the same
As Guru Ji strengthened his followers spiritually, he recognized the need to prepare them as warriors against the Mughal Kings and the Rajput Hill Rajas. To achieve this, he established an institution known as the Khalsa, which he referred to as the Pure Defenders of Humanity. This development heightened tensions with the Hill Rajas, who were opposed to Guru Gobind Singh remaining at Anandpur on his own terms. Despite numerous attempts by the hill chiefs, they failed to dislodge him from Anandpur in most of the battles.
Facing diplomatic challenges, the hill chiefs, supported by the Mughal authorities, urged Guru Ji to leave Anandpur. In a diplomatic maneuver, they promised a safe evacuation of Anandpur Sahib town. Seeking assurance from Aurangzeb, they secured his pledge on the Qur’an for a peaceful and voluntary evacuation. Faced with pressure from the town’s residents, including some of his Khalsa, Guru Gobind Singh reluctantly decided to leave Anandpur against his own judgment, as he knew the oaths sworn upon by the Mughals and Hill Rajas will not be honored.
Guru Ji opted for the early hours of the day to depart from Anandpur. In the bleak and ominous night, marked by a chilling wind hinting at an approaching thunderstorm, Guru Ji, accompanied by his beloved Sikhs and family, vacated the fort in December 1704.
True to form, despite the adverse weather conditions and the rising tide of the Sarsa, the Mughals and Hill Rajahs betrayed Guru Ji, breaking their oaths. In fact, they clandestinely trailed Guru Ji’s entourage with a substantial force of soldiers and initiated a fierce attack, commencing from the rear, at Shahi Tibbi 14km away from Anandpur, with utmost intensity, aiming to capture Guru Ji.
Guru Ji had previously organized groups in anticipation of an impending attack. The group led by Sahibzada Baba Ajit Singh Ji, the eldest son of Guru Ji at the age of 17, made the decision to confront the attackers and stood resolute to prevent them from advancing any further, thereby protecting Guru Ji and the rest of the group.
Nevertheless, Baba Ajit Singh Ji received a recall on the directive of the Five Beloved (Panj Pyare), the individuals initiated by Guru Ji to form the first Five Khalsa in Anandpur. They commanded him to rejoin Guru Ji and traverse the Sarsa River, as a formidable army led by Mughal Generals Zabardast Khan and Wazir Khan, in collaboration with the Hill Rajas, sought to obliterate the entourage, capture Guru Ji, and bring a conclusion to the Sikh chapter. Reports indicate that a force of 500,000 soldiers was mobilized with the aim of eliminating Guru Ji’s entire entourage, resulting in a devastating loss of life. The victors, unsurprisingly, were the Mughals and the Hill Rajas, as Guru Ji witnessed a significant toll on his Sikh followers.
It stands as one of the most sorrowful moments in Sikh history; not only did Guru Ji lose numerous cherished fellow Sikhs in this battle, but also invaluable possessions, documents, and writings. Crossing the wild and unforgiving River Sarsa amidst a thunderstorm and high tide, Guru Ji and some of his entourage experienced a tragic separation, with the family never to reunite again.
Left with only 40 Sikhs, Guru Ji and his two elder sons, Sahibzada Ajit Singh and Sahibzada Jujhar Singh proceeded towards Bhoor Majra and eventually reached Chamkaur. Guru Ji’s wife Mata Sundar Kaur, Mata Sahib Kaur, and Bhai Mani Singh Ji, Guru Ji’s close associate, journeyed towards Delhi, while Mata Gujari, mother of Guru Ji. along with Guru Ji’s younger sons Sahibzada Zorawar Singh Ji and Sahibzada Fateh Singh Ji, was escorted by Ganggu, their cook, to his village Kheri. All of these villages are situated in today’s Ropar District, 45km east of Chandigarh.
This historical separation of Guru Gobind Singh represents an unparalleled agony, surpassing any suffering that a saint may endure on the surface of the earth. These immense sacrifices remain etched in the collective memory of Sikhs. Despite efforts to chronicle the events, the harrowing scenes call upon us to imagine and empathize with the grief and agony embedded deep within our beloved Guru Ji.
Even in contemporary times, it remains a tradition for Sikh passersby to express their discontent when crossing the River Sarsa. Some pedestrians opt to remove their shoes and strike the riverbank, while others may vocalize their frustration towards the river. A Gurdwara named Parivar Vichora (Family Separation Gurdwara) has been erected at the site, commemorating Guru Gobind Singh’s separation with artifacts recovered from the river. Additionally, another Gurdwara stands in memory of the location where Guru Ji’s entourage was attacked before crossing the River Sarsa, known as Gurdwara Sahib Shahi Tibbi.
(Parts III and IV of “The December Blues of the Sikh” are currently in the process of being constructed.)
Dr Balwant Singh Bains is a Malaysia-based kirtan enthusiast and a practicing physiotherapist with a chain of physiotherapy clinics.
ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs / Punjabis in Southeast Asia and beyond. When you leave a comment at the bottom of this article, it takes time to appear as it is moderated by human being. Unless it is offensive or libelous, it should appear. You can also comment at Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. You can reach us via WhatsApp +6017-335-1399 or email: asia.samachar@gmail.com. For obituary announcements, click here.
The Sikh Next Door: An Identity in Transition by Manpreet J Singh
By Navtej Sarna | Book Review |Scroll.In |
While reading The Sikh Next Door: An Identity in Transition, three incidents sprang to mind. A quarter of a century ago, I was walking along the inner streets of New Orleans. I had taken off my turban for the afternoon and worn my long hair in a ponytail, perhaps to blend in better. A smart gentleman in a beret was having tea with his wife on a balcony. On seeing me he leaned over the wrought-iron railing and said: “You are a Sikh from the Punjab.”
My attempts at blending into the crowd having been hit for a six, I quickly claimed my Sikh identity and asked him how he had guessed. Was he perhaps a frequent visitor to Punjab? He replied that he had never visited India but “there’s something in your walk and something about your nose.” I accepted his reply as a compliment.
The second incident is from the 1980s. I had to make an unplanned train journey in an unreserved railway compartment in West Bengal. The trauma of 1984 in which innocent Sikhs had been murdered in trains was still fresh; I decided to replace my turban with a black knitted cap. A few minutes later, my co-passenger addressed me as “Sardarji” and that was that.
The third incident, more recent, was a diasporic dispute between a young Sikh and a compatriot from another part of India. When tempers rose, the Sikh, who no longer wore a turban and had shorn his long hair and beard shouted: “Oye, I may not wear a turban but I am a Sikh,” and in a show of the proverbial Sikh machismo pulled out his belt to better make his point.
Pluralism in Sikh identities
At one level these incidents may be passed over with a smile. But they reveal the complexities of a communal identity. What is the Sikh identity? And is it always the same, everywhere? Do the stereotypes that so readily attach themselves to it do it any justice, or are they only partially representative, if at all? How does a Sikh adjust to the wider world, to a diasporic existence, to racism and to inevitable othering? Is he feared or does he live in unspoken fear? And so on and so forth. These are some of the difficult questions that Manpreet J Singh has set herself in this competent, much needed and deeply-felt work which has already been successfully published abroad and now comes to Indian readers.
Her fundamental premise is that the Sikh identity is not homogenous but envelops within itself various heterogeneities that have different historical trajectories. Each of these streams is impacted by its lived experience and worldview which can sometimes be different from each other. While there is an increasingly accepted physical and cultural image of the community – well-built, boisterous, colourful, turbaned, there is insufficient understanding of the reality of this image across the community. And of those strands that may fall short, or differ from it. Do those strands then struggle to catch up with that image, or do they submit to its dominance and agree to live with what the author calls a “skewed perception of the community?”
This is a premise that one sees being played out daily in the media, the cinema, in party conversations, and in cheap jokes being traded on WhatsApp. What we see mostly, to quote the author, are “images of men in bhangra regalia dancing in mustard fields and the obtuse Santa-Banta stereotype, between the dichotomous images of valorous soldiers and hated terrorists, the blingy sardar of Bollywood movies and the exotic Nihang.”
For the full article, click here.‘The Sikh Next Door’: A rich study of a complex community as it grows in space, time, representation
ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs / Punjabis in Southeast Asia and beyond. When you leave a comment at the bottom of this article, it takes time to appear as it is moderated by human being. Unless it is offensive or libelous, it should appear. You can also comment at Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. You can reach us via WhatsApp +6017-335-1399 or email: asia.samachar@gmail.com. For obituary announcements, click here
Please join us, her family and friends, to remember our Dialoji and celebrate her life
Path da Bhog will be held on Monday 25th December 2023, from 9.30am-12pm, at Gurdwara Sahib Seremban. Followed by Guru ka Laggar
Contact 014 325 2678 (Kiran)
| Entry: 9 Dec 2023 | Source: Family
ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs / Punjabis in Southeast Asia and beyond. When you leave a comment at the bottom of this article, it takes time to appear as it is moderated by human being. Unless it is offensive or libelous, it should appear. You can also comment at Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. You can reach us via WhatsApp +6017-335-1399 or email: asia.samachar@gmail.com. For obituary announcements, click here
Argentina vs Australia action in the Men’s FIH Hockey Junior World Cup 2023 – Photo: Toby Mallon / 2023 FIH Junior World Cup (M)
By Prabhjot Singh | Malaysia |
Hosting a prestigious FIH event did not bring luck to Malaysia as it joined Egypt, South Africa and Chile among the teams that would not advance to the knockout round of the FIH Hockey World Cup for Junior Men.
Malaysia suffered a major heartbreak as it lost 2-5 to Australia in its last pool A game on “Jumma” day while South Africa went down fighting an exciting game against France to face elimination from the knock out stage.
Malaysia is hosting the FIH Hockey World Cup for Junior Men for the fourth time. It has been missing the podium.
Besides South Africa, other African team in the competition, Egypt too, got eliminated after the preliminary pool round.
It was a day that sprung few surprises in the FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup Malaysia 2023, as the final games from Pool A and Pool B fell the way that many would have expected, to decide the final rankings in each pool.
The Pool A games witnessed some fairly convincing results for both Australia and Argentina. Defending Champions Argentina punched another stamp of confidence onto its campaign as it beat its continental rivals, Chile , 8-0, thus relegating the Chileans to their bottom spot, with the Argentinians finishing on top of Pool A. In the other game, Australia finished its pool stage with a 5-2 victory over Malaysia to decide second and third place. Having only lost to Argentina so far, the Australians fell into second place, whilst the tournament hosts rested in third.
France’s high-octane back-and-forth win over South Africa kept it at top of Pool B, continuing its perfect record in the tournament so far. Elsewhere in the group, Germans registered a more convincing 10-0 win over Egypt, forcing themselves into second place, leaving Egypt last with no points and South Africa settled in the third-place spot.
The most action packed game of the day saw nine goals scored in the first half as France beat South Africa 5-4. With the starting buzzer still ringing in South African ears, France netted two field goals in the first four minutes. The game then found some relative calm, before South Africa sparked it into frantic life yet again with a field goal reply in the 14th minute. France then converted a penalty corner a minute later to put themselves 3-1 up, before South Africa scored their own penalty corner within the same minute.
With the score at 3-2 going into the second quarter, punches did not stop being thrown by either side. South Africa wrestled the score back to 3-3 in the 21st minute, a goal that was answered a minute later by a French field goal to restore their lead. Three minutes of peace was interrupted by Cameron Le Foriester’s second field goal of the game, which equalised the game once again. France then took two minutes to find their fifth goal, the final one of the quarter, the half and the game. Two wasted penalty corners from South Africa in the third quarter, followed by France failing to convert one in the final quarter, left the game at 5-4, France managing to just about extend their blisteringly early lead to the final buzzer.
Player of the match, Mathis Clément, called it a “super hockey game” where his team “fought well” to win.
Despite Argentina’s 8 goal winning margin, the most destructive game of the day was won by Germany as they put ten goals past the Egyptian team. The Germans, clearly intent on one-upping their quarter-final opponents, scored with brutal regularity. With two goals coming in each quarter – other than the second which saw four breach Egypt’s goal line – Germany rounded off the pool stage in a remarkable manner. Even leaving five penalty corners unconverted, the Germans still scored five corners and five field goals to reach their impressive ten.
The Egyptians did manage to win two penalty corners, one in each of the third and fourth quarter, but could not take advantage. Nikas Berendts’ hat-trick was not enough to win him player of the match as Florian Sperling’s two field goals earned him the award.
After the game, Sperling commented that it was an “early morning game, tough game – the heat is so intense – but I think we did the easy things right [and] we did them with high intensity. In the last quarter they had no more stamina so we won and I’m very happy.”
Argentina continued its faultless pool stage in Kuala Lumpur as it thrashed Chile 8-0. The Chileans made a decent effort of damage control across the first three quarters, managing to keep the score to only 3-0 at the end of the third quarter, however, the final quarter saw the floodgates open. The defending Champions scored five more times to reach 8-0, with Cappuro Bautista’s hat-trick the highlight of an impressive goal-scoring performance.
Argentinian captain, Inaki Minadeo, focussed his attention very quickly towards their quarter-final match against Germany, a repeat of the last tournament’s final. He commented “I feel very happy. We are proud of the team and now we have to prepare for the quarter-finals with Germany. It will be a very difficult match, but we have to play as we do and we’re prepared.”
Australia stamped its authority early on in its final group match against Malaysia, as the Kangaroos found themselves 3-0 up at the end of the first quarter. Two converted penalty corners and a field goal left Malaysia with what proved to be too much to do in the final three quarters. Even when Malaysia managed to claw a goal back in the 21st minute, Australia’s reply, six minutes later, reasserted its three goal lead.
Similarly, in the third quarter, Malaysia’s 44th minute field goal made it 4-2 before the Australians found their three-goal lead again just a minute later from a successful penalty corner. The game finished 5-2 as Australia maintained the lead they established right from the first quarter, with goals coming from Cooper Burns, Geddes Cambell and Jake Lambeth, the latter two finding the net twice each.
ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs / Punjabis in Southeast Asia and beyond. When you leave a comment at the bottom of this article, it takes time to appear as it is moderated by human being. Unless it is offensive or libelous, it should appear. You can also comment at Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. You can reach us via WhatsApp +6017-335-1399 or email: asia.samachar@gmail.com. For obituary announcements, click here
| Entry: 9 Dec 2023; Updated: 10 Dec 2023 | Source: Family
ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs / Punjabis in Southeast Asia and beyond. When you leave a comment at the bottom of this article, it takes time to appear as it is moderated by human being. Unless it is offensive or libelous, it should appear. You can also comment at Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. You can reach us via WhatsApp +6017-335-1399 or email: asia.samachar@gmail.com. For obituary announcements, click here
