THE New South Wales AIS (Australian Institute of Sports) team arrived in
Kuala Lumpur yesterday for the Malaysian Hockey Federation-National Sports
Council National Under-21 tournament at the National Hockey Stadium at
Bukit Jalil starting tomorrow.
NSW AIS will be using this tournament as their first step to erasing
memories of the humiliating sixth-place finish at the Junior World Cup in
Hobart, Tasmania in 2001.
As hosts, Australia, with a formidable side, were expected to reach the
final but after opening with a 1-1 draw against Ireland, folllowed with a
0-0 draw with England, everything fell apart.
In the fifth-sixth placing match in Tasmania, Spain beat Australia 2-0
and the whole nation was shellshocked.
"It was a very bad finish in the 2001 Junior World Cup, so we have
started early to prepare a team for the Qualifiers and the 2005 Junior
World Cup," said NSWAIS coach Larry McIntosh yesterday.
The NSWAIS team has only one player from the Tasmania outing - Daniel
McPhearson. The rest are "relatively new" and are still knocking on the
national team's door.
"Everyone in this team is eligible to play in the 2005 Junior World Cup.
We are just giving them international exposure and maybe four or five from
this team will join players from the rest of Australia to play in the
Junior World Cup Qualifiers," said McIntosh.
When asked why did the Aussies picked Malaysia, McIntosh said: "The idea
was actually tossed around by Malaysia's chief coach Paul Lissek during
the 2002 Kuala Lumpur World Cup.
"Lissek suggested that we have a series of matches in the under-21
category in 2003 and we agreed. But the Malaysian HF could not find a
suitable date for the international friendlies because they had the under-
19 tournament slated.
"MHF invited us for the under-21 tournament and we gladly accepted."
"The only other player in the side with international exposure is Darren
Booth who played in the AIS Tour of Europe in 2002. The rest have come out
of Australia for matches for the first time."
NSWAIS are in Group B and open their campaign against Pahang tomorrow.
Singapore are the other foreign team which have been invited for the
under-21.
MHF secretary S. Satgunam confirmed that the two foreign teams are not
guests, and will be handed the trophy if they win.
The tournament ends on Jan 28.
Pool A: Armed Forces, Johor, Kelantan, Kuala Lumpur, Malacca, Perak,
Singapore.
Pool B: Negri Sembilan, NSW AIS, Pahang, Penang, Perlis, Selangor.
Fixtures - Tomorrow: Selangor v Perlis (8am), Kelantan v Malacca
(8.30am), Penang v Negri Sembilan (4pm), Singapore v Armed Forces
(4.30pm), Pahang v NSW AIS (6pm), Kuala Lumpur v Johor (6.30pm).
Tuesday: Perak v Singapore (8am), Penang v Pahang (8.30am), Malacca v
Johor (4pm), Kuala Lumpur v Kelantan (4.30pm), NSW AIS v Selangor
(6.30pm).
Wednesday: Johor v Singapore (4pm), Malacca v Perak (4.30pm), Perlis v
Negri Sembilan (6pm), Armed Forces v Kelantan (6.30pm).
Thursday: Negri Sembilan v NSW AIS (8am), Kuala Lumpur v Forces
(8.30am), Singapore v Malacca (4pm), Pahang v Selangor (4.30pm), Johor v
Perak (6pm), Penang v Perlis (6.30pm).
Note: All matches at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil, Pitch 1
And Pitch 2.
(END)
Kuala Lumpur yesterday for the Malaysian Hockey Federation-National Sports
Council National Under-21 tournament at the National Hockey Stadium at
Bukit Jalil starting tomorrow.
NSW AIS will be using this tournament as their first step to erasing
memories of the humiliating sixth-place finish at the Junior World Cup in
Hobart, Tasmania in 2001.
As hosts, Australia, with a formidable side, were expected to reach the
final but after opening with a 1-1 draw against Ireland, folllowed with a
0-0 draw with England, everything fell apart.
In the fifth-sixth placing match in Tasmania, Spain beat Australia 2-0
and the whole nation was shellshocked.
"It was a very bad finish in the 2001 Junior World Cup, so we have
started early to prepare a team for the Qualifiers and the 2005 Junior
World Cup," said NSWAIS coach Larry McIntosh yesterday.
The NSWAIS team has only one player from the Tasmania outing - Daniel
McPhearson. The rest are "relatively new" and are still knocking on the
national team's door.
"Everyone in this team is eligible to play in the 2005 Junior World Cup.
We are just giving them international exposure and maybe four or five from
this team will join players from the rest of Australia to play in the
Junior World Cup Qualifiers," said McIntosh.
When asked why did the Aussies picked Malaysia, McIntosh said: "The idea
was actually tossed around by Malaysia's chief coach Paul Lissek during
the 2002 Kuala Lumpur World Cup.
"Lissek suggested that we have a series of matches in the under-21
category in 2003 and we agreed. But the Malaysian HF could not find a
suitable date for the international friendlies because they had the under-
19 tournament slated.
"MHF invited us for the under-21 tournament and we gladly accepted."
"The only other player in the side with international exposure is Darren
Booth who played in the AIS Tour of Europe in 2002. The rest have come out
of Australia for matches for the first time."
NSWAIS are in Group B and open their campaign against Pahang tomorrow.
Singapore are the other foreign team which have been invited for the
under-21.
MHF secretary S. Satgunam confirmed that the two foreign teams are not
guests, and will be handed the trophy if they win.
The tournament ends on Jan 28.
Pool A: Armed Forces, Johor, Kelantan, Kuala Lumpur, Malacca, Perak,
Singapore.
Pool B: Negri Sembilan, NSW AIS, Pahang, Penang, Perlis, Selangor.
Fixtures - Tomorrow: Selangor v Perlis (8am), Kelantan v Malacca
(8.30am), Penang v Negri Sembilan (4pm), Singapore v Armed Forces
(4.30pm), Pahang v NSW AIS (6pm), Kuala Lumpur v Johor (6.30pm).
Tuesday: Perak v Singapore (8am), Penang v Pahang (8.30am), Malacca v
Johor (4pm), Kuala Lumpur v Kelantan (4.30pm), NSW AIS v Selangor
(6.30pm).
Wednesday: Johor v Singapore (4pm), Malacca v Perak (4.30pm), Perlis v
Negri Sembilan (6pm), Armed Forces v Kelantan (6.30pm).
Thursday: Negri Sembilan v NSW AIS (8am), Kuala Lumpur v Forces
(8.30am), Singapore v Malacca (4pm), Pahang v Selangor (4.30pm), Johor v
Perak (6pm), Penang v Perlis (6.30pm).
Note: All matches at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil, Pitch 1
And Pitch 2.
(END)
