KUALA LUMPUR: The national team secured their berth in the quarter-finals of the inaugural Hockey 5s World Cup after beating Fiji 8-3 in Muscat today.
Akhimullah Anuar Esook was the star for Malaysia in the Group D encounter, scoring a hat-trick with strikes in the 10th, 15th and 28th minutes. He has scored seven goals in the tournament so far.
Syarman Mat Tee (eighth, 13th), Abid Sufian Mat Ruslee (third), Firdaus Omar (22nd) and Kamarulzaman Kamaruddin (26th) delivered the other goals for Malaysia.
Adrian Smith (13th), Jerome Edwards (18th) and Hector Junior Smith (28th) replied for Fiji.
Syarman said the players executed the plan laid out by national coach Wallace Tan well and it paid off.
"It has been a good experience playing in the first World Cup and we did well to qualify for quarter-finals," said Syarman.
The other Group D fixture today saw hosts Oman downing United States 6-4.
Malaysia and Oman both have seven points, but the latter have a slightly better goals difference which sees them topping Group D.
The national team will face either Trinidad and Tobago or Kenya in the last-eight tomorrow.
Malaysia had beaten United States 3-2 and drawn 3-3 with Oman earlier in the competition.