Razali a pillar of strength

19/08/1997

RAZALI Razman, 23, has been out of touch with hockey for three years, but
his comeback with the Kuala Langat team in the ongoing Malaysia Hockey
League has been tremendous.
He played a pivotal role defending the newcomers' fort and guiding them
into the quarterfinals.
Once a member of the then MHF Bakat Team, Razali was sidelined with a
spinal injury which saw him consulting many doctors to find an acurate
diagnosis.
"In the end, a doctor from China pinpointed the injury and I went for
the corrective operation. I was out of hockey for almost three years,"
said Razali.
Razali, a fourth-year Accountancy student at Universiti Malaya, started
playing hockey for the Victoria Institution in Kuala Lumpur and was the
youngest player in the Malaysia Hockey League when he represented Perwira
Habib Bank (now Perwira Affin) as a guest player.
With Kuala Langat, Razali has scored five goals and the one against
former champions Tenaga Nasional was pivotal in their 4-2 win.
"The injury slowed down my game a little and I started toying around in
the UM college team, but once I got back into the game, I was selected to
play for the university," said Razali.
"And when I heard that Kuala Langat were looking for a defender, I knew
that this was my best chance to do what I love most."
His father Razman, an avid hockey fan, has two other reasons to be proud
of. His eldest son, Rizal, is also in the Kuala Langat team and the
youngest played in the recent Junior League.
"My sons had hockey sticks in their hands even before they went to
school, I am proud to say that they turned out to be capable players,"
said Razman.
Razali's main target right now is to don the national colours: "That
would be great, playing for the national team is what every player wants,
but only a selected few make it. It is every hockey players' dream."
(END)