8th Match handball 18th Asian Games 2018

18th  Asian Games Jakarta

Palembang 2018

Japan thrashes Malaysian women’s 

Handball team

In

Asian Games 2018

Final score of  64-3

Antara/Palembang

Japan’s national team trounced Malaysia with a convincing score of 64-3 in the knockout round of the Group B women’s handball in the 2018 Asian Games at the POPKI Sports Stadium, Cibubur, East Jakarta on Sunday.

Malaysia coach Syihabuddin Ismail said after the match that the defeat was a valuable lesson that would serve as an opportunity for the further upgrading of the Malaysian women’s team.

“Our team members are young athletes with less experience than that of Japanese players and this loss certainly is a precious lesson for our team,” he acknowledged.

Japan had indeed been aggressive from the beginning, with Sayo Shiota in the 38th second breaking through Malaysia to score after getting an easy pass from Aya Yokoshima.

Persistent attacks were launched by the protégés of Japan’s trainer from Denmark, Ulrik Kirkely, leading to the score of 32-2 for Japan at the end of the first half, after Malaysia’s team captain overcame goalkeeper Minami Itano in the 19th and 27th minute.

In the second half, the Japanese players intensified their attacks and in the 30th minute Nozomi Hara increased the score to 33-2. Japan continued to pose pressure under team captain Nozomi Hara to disrupt the Malaysian defense and make the score 59-2 in the 55th minute.

In the 56th minute, Norsyamini Nazri reduced the loss of Malaysia from 59-2 to 59-3. In the next minute, Japan’s Shiota and Fujito took turns to send the ball into the goal guarded by Hafizah Nurul, finishing the second half 64-3.

The victory over Malaysia meant Japan topped Group B in the women’s handball. Ulrik Kirkely said the Japanese team had in fact been better trained from an early age, so his group displayed a very good performance.

“They [Malaysia] are young players and I think they can still grow to become better and their handball will surely make headway,” Kirkely added. Japan’s top goal scorer was Tomomi Kawata and Malaysia’s was Atifah Farah with two goals.

AG media publication in cooperation with The Jakarta Post