Iran crowned Asian indoor hockey champion
Iran defeated Malaysia 7-1 in the final to lift a record-extending ninth trophy at the Men’s Indoor Hockey Asia Cup in Taldykorgan, Kazakhstan.
Amir-Mahdi Mirzakhani, Payam Lashgari, and Hamid Nouranian scored two apiece, with Sajjad Mamizadeh also on the scoresheet, as Iran made up for the shootout loss to the Southeast Asian opponent in the 2022 final in Bangkok.
Mirzakhani was the top scorer of the eight-team event with 24 goals, while Mamizadeh was named the most valuable player of the tournament.
Iran began its campaign with three emphatic victories over Singapore (8-0), Thailand (10-4), and Tajikistan (37-0) in the preliminary round to ease into the top-four group phase.
A 5-3 win against the host was followed by a 3-3 stalemate against Malaysia in Pool C for Iran, which won the group for a place in Saturday’s final showpiece and will be joined by the runner-up team in representing the continent at the 12-team FIH Indoor Hockey World Cup – starting February 3 next year in Porec, Croatia.
Kazakhstan beat Thailand 7-2 in the third-place playoff.