Malaysia far from ready for Razak Cup

19/10/2002

THE National Juniors squad was named a month ago, but due to technical
glitches, they have yet to train as a team. And now, it looks like there
may be more changes before the Razak Cup starts on Wednesday.
Juniors coach Stephen van Huizen said yesterday that they might not have
the services of some of the 18 players picked due to year-end
examinations.
"We named the junior squad for the Razak Cup one month in advance to
give ample notice to State teams who might have been interested in them.
But it looks like we might have to make a few adjustments because of study
commitments," said van Huizen.
"Some of the players - Mohamed Sufian, Fakhrulrazi Baharuddin and Ismail
Abu - are currently sitting for their examinations and we will only know
their status a day before the Razak Cup begins.
"That is why we have placed some of those not selected earlier on
standby," said van Huizen.
Suprisingly, Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin's name was missing from the list.
Tengku was named as the Player-Of-The-Tournament in the FIH World Youth
Festival in Poznan, Poland where he helped Malaysia beat Germany 3-1 in
the final.
"Tengku and four other players who won the Poznan gold are on standby
and if any of the 18 named earlier can't make it due to studies or
injuries, we will include them," said Stephen.
The national juniors, who are part of the 2005 Project Team, have a good
side but the best that they can look forward to is a silver medal in the
Razak Cup.
Kuala Lumpur, going by the turnout for their trials on Thursday, should
win the title hands down.
"The juniors are in it for the exposure only, so I will not be expecting
results from them. I am more interested in how they play as a team, and
how they cope playing against more experienced players," said van Huizen.
Kuala Lumpur, coached by Tenaga Nasional Bhd coach K. Rajan, saw almost
the entire Asian Games bronze-winning side turning up for trials on
Thursday.
The only national player missing was S. Kuhan, who said he needed a
short break from hockey.
National goalkeepers Roslan Jamaludin and S. Kumar, Chua Boon Huat, Amin
Rahim, Azlan Misron, Madzli Ikmar, Norazlan Rahim, Zaharin Zakariah, and
Fairus Ramli turned up for Kuala Lumpur yesterday.
So did former skipper Nor Saiful Zaini and M. Kaliswaran and three
national players who took a year's break to concentrate on their studies -
Tajol Rosli, Jiwa Mohan and Nor Azlan Bakar.
Kuala Lumpur have a situation whereby one official summed up as: "The
problem is not who to select, it is who to drop."
Kuala Lumpur will play a friendly against Armed Forces before naming
their Razak Cup team, but it is a foregone conclusion that the rest of the
teams will be fighting for the silver.
National juniors - Goalkeepers: Mohamed Hanafi Hassan, Khairul Nizam
Ibrahim; Defenders: Abdul Shukor Adam, Bubalan Sandrakasi, Engku Abdul
Malek, Megat Azrafiq Megat Termizi, S. Vatu Malia; Midfielders: M. Jiva
Mohan, P. Prabahkaran, Azlan Misron, Mohamed Sufian, Fakhrulrazi
Baharuddin, Iazan Hassan; Forwards: Redzuan Nasir, Ismail Abu, Ikmar Abdul
Jabar, Fairuz Hamsani, Hoesni Rahmat.
(END)