Tampin drawn to meet champions ESA in the semifinals

17/06/1997

TAMPIN District, who upset last year's runners-up Andersonians 2-1 at the
Sultan Azlan Shah Stadium in Ipoh on Sunday, will have to bring out their
best again in the semifinals of the MHF-Milo-NSC Junior League hockey.
They meet Electrical Switchgear Automation (ESA) of Penang while
Petaling Jaya Municipal Council (PJMC) play Old La Sallians of Klang
(Olak) for a place in the final.
ESA beat Tampin 5-0 in the earlier matches.
"It will be an uphill task but if the players produce the form against
Andersonians, we have a good chance of making the final," said Tampin team
manager Jusvir Singh after the semifinals draw at the Bukit Jalil Hockey
Stadium.
"Tampin did not do well in the earlier part of the League because we met
the top teams in MPPJ, Olak and ESA. Once the players got their act
together, we even managed to upset Andersonians so nothing is impossible."
Tampin is a place where many national and former national players were
produced and for this League they have national trainee S. Nishel Kumar,
who has scored nine goals thus far, and a host of talented players to bank
on for the crunch against ESA.
Olak team manager Joseph de Silva said: "I'm happy with the draw, we
drew 1-1 with MPPJ in the preliminaries. Now we have a chance of becoming
double champions."
Malaysia Hockey Federation (MHF) deputy president Datuk P. Alagendra
announced at the draw that the RM500 per-win reward in the preliminaries
have been extended for the semifinals and the final as well.
"There will be no gate collections for the final, we hope the fans will
turn out in force," he said.
FIXTURES - June 20 s-finals, 1st leg: PJMC v Olak (PJMC Stadium, 5.0);
ESA v Tampin (Universiti Sains Malaysia, 5.0).
June 22 - 2nd leg: Olak v PJMC (PJMC Stadium, 5.0); Tampin v ESA (Bkt
Jalil, 5.0).
June 28 - 3rd (3.30); Final (5.30) - Bukit Jalil.
(END)