Explosive and tight affairs

25/04/2003

THE first leg quarter-finals of the MHF-Milo-Admiral-NSC today promises to
be an explosive affair, as there are no clear favourites among the eight
teams.
Malaysia Sports School are the only team who have a slight advantage
over their younger brothers Sports School Juniors, while the rest of the
matches will be touch-and-go.
Telekom Pahang were beaten 2-1 by Terengganu Schools Sports Council
while Anderson Xybase beat Petaling Jaya Municipal Council also by the
same margin - indicating that very little separates them.
Tenaga and Malacca Municipal Council have yet to meet because Malacca MC
played in Division Two, and it looks like the match of the day.
Tenaga have a slight advantage as they played tougher matches in
Division One, while Malacca MC were pitted against weaker teams in the
League.
But Malacca MC have six goalgetters in Ahmad Anuar Sham Kamar (10
goals), Nor Ikram Sulaiman (10), Nazmi Kamarudin (9), Mohamed Azmir Roslan
(8), Mohamed Faizal Bakar 7 and Mohamed Syakir Hamzah 6.
All six had a gala time sharpening their scoring skills in Division Two
and this is what Tenaga coach K. Rajan is afraid off, what more with his
playmaker Azli Misron benched because he fractured his index finger in the
last League match against Srii Aroma PISC.
Telekom Pahang, the defending overall champions, played with only 16
players in the entire League because four of their players, who received
national call-ups, were barred from the JHL. But still, they finished
third in Division One with 20 points.
Pahang coach Izwan Suhardi was as shocked as the entire hockey
fraternity when his boys lost 2-1 to Terengganu SSC in the League, but he
received a second chance to redeem some pride and the match in Kuantan
today heavily favours the home side.
Anderson Xybase are the revelation of the JHL because they fielded 16-
year-olds and other than the first match hiccup against Old La Sallians
Association of Klang, where they lost 1-0, the boys played above
expectations.
Baljit Singh holds the trump card for Sports School Juniors in their
quest to topple their bigger brothers Malaysia SS.
Baljit emerged the top scorer of the League with 12 penalty corner goals
and one field goal. The lad, solidly built for a 16-year-old, has a
powerfull hit and an eye for placing the ball in between onrushing
defenders.
Both the sports schools train together and have the same system of play.
It will be interesting to see how coaches V. Muraleedharan (juniors) and
Tai Beng Hai plan the quarter-finals.
(END)