Japan lift Asian futsal title

Ho Chi Minh City, May 11 (IANS) Goalkeeper Yushi Sekiguchi saved three penalties in the shootout as Japan retained the AFC Futsal Championship title Saturday, Xinhua reported.

Defending champion Japan drew 2-2 with Iran after extra time and the game went into the shootout.

Sekiguchi saved shots from Mohammad Taheri, Ghodrat Bahadori and Asghar Hassanzadeh, while Kazuhiro Nibuya, Tomoki Yoshikawa and Akira Minamoto converted for Japan to seal a 3-0 penalty shootout victory.

Earlier in the day, Uzbekistan beat Kuwait 2-1 to take bronze.

The AFC Futsal Championship was first held in 1999 and has been played annually. This year, the tournament is held in Vietnam's southern Ho Chi Minh City from April 30 through May 10, attracting 16 countries and regions, divided into four groups.