SELANGOR Boys' played the game of their lives to upset Sabah 4-1 and advance to the final of the 1MAS-Milo National Under-16 hockey tournament Saturday.
Selangor will play Terengganu for the title Sunday, after the East Coast side beat Pahang 2-1.
Selangor Girls' also made the final after they hammered Kedah 6-1 and will play Penang.
Selangor HA secretary P. Kuganesan was elated with his boys determination.
"They started the match knowing well that they need a high scoring win to pip Sabah out of the final and they gave their best to achieve the target. It is not easy to socore four goals against favourites Sabah, but they achieved it with sheer determination," said Kuganesan.
And with both the Petaling Jaya City Centre and Pandamaran pitches ready for action after years ot neglect, Selangor look like they might just gain back their glory days.
The Selangor boys goals were scored by Halif Fadzly (10th), Zafri Afiq (27th), Rusydi Yusop (39th) and Zarreman Shamier (43rd). Sabah got their goal off Morris Ramilan in the 12th minute.
Sabah threw away a chance to play in the final, as they started off with a better goal difference, and only needed a draw and could have even lost by a goal -- but they blew it big time.
Meanwhile, the national seniors team were drubbed 7-1 by world no 1 Australia in their First Test yesterday.
The Malaysian goal was scored by Marhan Jalil in the first quarter. The team will play two more Tests in preparation for the Azlan Shah Cup on April 6-16.
RESULTS: Boys' Group X: Sabah 1 Selangor 4; Group Y: Pahang 1 Terengganu 2.
Seventh-Ninth: Perak 2 Penang 4.
Girls Group X: Negri 0 Penang 2; Group Y: Kedah 1 Selangor 6.
Seventh-Ninth: Terenggnau 0 Sabah 2.
SUNDAY: Boys' final: Selangor v Terengganu (KLHA, 6pm); Third-fourth: Sabah v Pahang (KLHA, 3pm); Fifth-Sixth: Malacca v Johor (KLHA, 8am).
Girls' final: Penang v Selangor (KLHA, 4.30pm); Third-fourth: Malacca v Kuala Lumpur (MOE, 3pm); Fifth-Sixth: Negri v Kedah (MOE, 8am).
NOTE: All matches at Ministry of Education (MOE) and Kuala Lumpur HA (KLHA) at Jalan Pantai.