Hockey India announces Rs two lakh each for Sultan of Johor Cup-winning team

Hockey India on Saturday announced Rs 2 lakh each to the players and Rs 1 lakh each for the support staff of the Indian junior men's hockey team that won the prestigious 10th Sultan of Johor Cup after a tense penalty shootout against Australia on Saturday.

The two teams were tied at 1-1 in regulation time, following which 9 penalty shots were needed to decide the winner. India edged the shootout 5-4 and won their third Sultan of Johor Cup title.

The last time the India Colts won the tournament was in 2014 and earlier in 2013. In the previous two editions held in 2019 and 2018, India had lost the final to Great Britain and had finished third in 2017.

Announcing the cash award to the team, Hockey India President Dilip Tirkey was quoted as saying in a press release by the sport's governing body in the country, "Hockey India is delighted to announce Rs two lakh each for the players and Rs one lakh each for the support staff of the Indian Junior Men's Team for the winning performance at the 10th Sultan of Johor Cup. They have made us all very proud with their fighting spirit in this entire tournament. As a federation, it is very important for us to invest in our junior programs and I am hopeful this victory will give the players more confidence as they prepare for the FIH Hockey Men's Junior World Cup to be held in Malaysia next year."

Congratulating the team on the historic performance, Hockey India Secretary General Bholanath Singh said, "I congratulate the entire team including the support staff for this incredible win against Australia. The team showed great spirit throughout the match and did not give up till the last minute. All the hard work the team has put in over the past couple of months has paid off and I believe they will continue to build on this momentum as they prepare for the FIH Hockey Men's Junior World Cup."

The top-scorer at the 10th Sultan of Johor Cup was India's Sharda Nand Tiwari with 7 goals to his name, and the Player of the Match in the Final against Australia was Sudeep Chirmako.

( With inputs from ANI )

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