In the nerve-wracking contest between the two arch-rivals India and Pakistan proved to be a crowd seller. India beat Pakistan in penalty shootout and won the coveted hockey gold in men's Asian Games in Incheon on Thursday.
Intricacies of South Asian style of hockey were on full view when a resurgent India took on bitter foes Pakistan and also won a direct entry into the 2016 Rio Olympics.
The two teams were locked at 1-1. Pakistan broke from the right and scored the first goal of the final in the 4th minute of the match. Unmarked Mohammad Rizwan was the goal scorer.
The equalizer came in the 12th minute through Kothajit Singh.
India and Pakistan had last played in the men's hockey final at the quadrennial continental games way back in 1982 at New Delhi's Dhyan Chand Stadium when the latter emerged with a shock 7-1 verdict after which the then goalkeeper Mir Ranjan Negi and the panicky deep defense was castigated.
Thursday's game was India and Pakistan's eighth summit clash at the Asian Games out of which India have won only twice, the last of the triumphs coming way back in 1966 Bangkok Games.
