Tampin and PJMC capable of providing the sparks

28/06/1997

THE fight for third placing between Tampin District and Petaling Jaya
Municipal Council (PJMC) in the MHF-Milo-NSC Junior League hockey at the
Bukit Jalil Stadium today is expected to be just as keen as the final.
PJMC are one of the better teams in the League but inconsistency has
cost them dearly.
They have capable players such as League top scorers Hafiz Hussin, Azrul
Affendy and Samsul Kamal while Tampin's aces are Nishel Kumar, S.
Sarawanan and Azman Shamsuddin.
In the preliminaries, they beat Andersonians 6-1 and Penang Juniors 8-0
only to draw 2-2 with Electrical Switchgear Automation (ESA) of Penang and
1-1 with Sultan Abu Bakar College from Johor and Bukit Jalil Sports
School.
PJMC's Hafiz has scored 17 goals in the League and with one more match
in hand, he looks set to walk away with the top scorer's award.
His closest contenders are Nishel and Old La Sallians of Klang (Olak)
skipper Syayrim Uda Karim with nine goals each.
Syayrim will not play in the final against ESA today due to a one-match
suspension while Nishel will have a mammoth task of scoring nine goals
against PJMC if he wants to topple Hafiz.
"We started the League on a shaky note but the players got their act
together and reached our target of making the semifinals," said Tampin
team manager Jusvir Singh.
"Our president Datuk Dr R.L. Anandan, an active hand behind our
`success', is very pleased with the boys and we have decided to keep the
team intact for the coming year. We will only miss the services of Nishel
and S. Arul Kumar who will be overaged."
Malaysian Hockey Federation (MHF) Talent Squad player Suhaimi Ibrahim,
suspended for one match by the Tampin Disciplinary Board for not attending
two matches, will play against PJMC and is expected to provide the extra
punch.
"Although we lost 5-2 to PJMC in the preliminaries, we have improved
much since and if the boys play their hearts out, third placing will be
good for the record," said Jusvir.
PJMC will find in-form goalkeeper S. Kumar tough to beat. They will also
have to improve on their penalty corners if they want to finish third.
"Although we have one of the best penalty corner conversion percentage
in the League, it is still not good enough. We must improve further," said
PJMC coach Avtar Singh after losing to Olak in the semis.
PJMC: Adzarin Shah, S. Suresh, Ahmad Zanawi, Rozhan Mohamed, Fakhrul
Adabi, Mohamed Faizal, Sharizal Shamsudin, Mohamed Redzuan, Khairul Nizam,
Azrul Affendy, Hafiz Hussin, Azlan Saufi, Chua Boon Huat, Mohamed
Rashidan, Samsul Kamal, Mohamed Zabidi, Azizi Mutalib, Ng Su Khiam, Yaacub
Yusof, Sharizam Mat Zian.
TAMPIN: S. Kumar, Hazazie Hashim, Niza Herme, S. Arul Kumar, Ali Afdah,
Candra Zulkifli, Mohamed Taqrish, Azman Shamsuddin, Hasnor Hafiz, Nishel
Kumar, Suhaimi Ibrahim, S. Saravanan, Mohamed Fairuz, Noreffendy Ramli,
Norazlan Rahim, S. Sethupathi, G. Vijayan, Mohamed Kamarul, Raymond Chee,
Mohamed Faries.
TODAY - 3rd placing: Tampin v PJMC (3.30); Final: Olak v ESA (5.30) -
Bukit Jalil Hockey Stadium.
(END)