Edited by Deepali Verma
The final encounter of the FIH Hockey5s Men’s World Cup Oman 2024 saw the Indian Men’s Hockey Team clinch an enthralling 6-4 triumph over Egypt in Muscat, Oman, on January 31, securing a fifth-place finish in the tournament.
The goals from the Indian side were contributed by Mohammed Raheel (8′), Pawan Rajbhar (9′), Maninder Singh (10′, 23′), Mandeep Mor (11′), and Uttam Singh (13′), while from the Egyptian side, it was Captain Amr Sayed (14′, 19′), Mostafa Ragab (23′), and Karim Atef (24′), according to the release from Hockey India.
India had dominated right from the start, with Mohammed Raheel (8′) and Pawan Rajbhar (9′) scoring early to establish a 2-0 lead. The momentum was carried on as Maninder Singh (10′), Mandeep Mor (11′), and Uttam Singh (13′) added goals in quick succession, escalating India’s advantage.
In the interim, Egypt intensified their attacks as Captain Amr Sayed (14′, 19′) secured two goals, keeping his team in contention.Irrespective of this, India maintained a 5-2 lead at halftime.
The second half witnessed Egypt engaging in aggressive attacks to stage a comeback, but it was Maninder Singh (23′) who scored again, giving India a 6-2 advantage. Meanwhile, Egypt netted quick goals via Mostafa Ragab (23′) and Karim Atef (24′), after which India shifted focus to defence and ball possession, which ultimately contributed to them registering a 6-4 victory.
India managed to finish second in Pool B with two wins and a loss, recording a total of six points. India lost to Netherlands by 4-7 in the quarterfinals.
Netherlands, Poland, Oman and Malaysia qualified for the semifinals of the tournament. Netherlands beat Oman by 5-3. On the other hand, Malaysia beat Poland 4-3 in the second semifinal on January 30.
Netherlands beat Malaysia by 5-2 to win the trophy on January 31.
