Malaysian national women’s hockey team kicked off their 2026 Asian Games campaign in sensational fashion, putting on a masterclass to demolish Kazakhstan 5-0 in their Group A opener at the Gifu Prefectural Green Stadium, Gifu.
Right from the opening whistle, the Tigress asserted total dominance, dictating the tempo and choking off Kazakhstan’s attempts to set up any coherent play.
The floodgates opened in the 9th minute when Nuramirah Shakira Zulkifli slotted home a crisp field goal to put Malaysia ahead. Just three minutes later, Khairunnisa Ayuni Sharuddin doubled the lead, calmly executing a penalty corner routine.
Malaysia kept their foot on the gas in the second quarter, punishing Kazakhstan’s defensive lapses. Nur Afiqah Syahzani Azhar joined the scoring spree in the 17th minute, and Nuramirah bagged her second goal of the match in the 21st minute with another sharp finish—putting Malaysia up 4-0 before the break.
Maintaining firm control throughout the final half, the Tigress sealed the statement victory in the 49th minute. Nur Afiqah stepped up to convert a penalty stroke, netting her second goal of the day and closing out an emphatic 5-0 win.
With a clean sheet and five goals under their belt, Malaysia currently sit in a strong position in Group A. The squad turns its focus to their second group fixture against Bangladesh on September 21, aiming to keep this flawless momentum rolling.
Credit Photo : AHF
