Tough weekend for Maybank

19/06/2003

MALAYSIA Hockey League (MHL) leaders Maybank are in for a tough weekend
with back-to-back matches against powerhouses Sapura and Ernst & Young.
And with national skipper S. Kuhan available for Sapura, the Lions will
hard pressed to maintain their winning streak.
Kuhan, who received his second yellow card in the match against Dolphins
on June 13, has been spared by the MHL Technical Committee.
"The MHL Technical Committee met yesterday and decided that Sapura had
valid reason to appeal the yellow card incident and we have taken away
four demerit points off his record. He (Kuhan) can play this weekend,"
said Malaysian Hockey Federation secretary S. Satgunam.
But Navy Dolphins' Zulkarnain Embi and Pahang Sports Council manager
Mohamed Yazid were not so lucky, as both were banned for the remainder of
the MHL.
"Zulkarnain received a red card in the match against Ipoh City Hall and
the Technical Committee found that his actions were serious enough for him
to be banned for the remainder of the MHL.
"In Yazid's case the Technical Official, during the Pahang-Sapura match,
had handed him a written warning to behave, but he tore the note and threw
it away. We have banned him from sitting on the bench for the remainder of
the MHL," said Satgunam.
Controversies aside, the MHL is slowly picking up momentum and it looks
like the League title will be a two-horse race between Sapura and Tenaga.
No disrespect to Maybank who have shown great determination and fighting
spirit, but they lack the firepower to beat either Sapura or Ernst &
Young.
Tenaga Nasional have the best chance of topping the table this week with
easy matches against Srii Aroma and Navy Dolphins.
"We will have to go for goals in both the matches because Sapura have
scored 41," said Tenaga coach K. Rajan.
And now that Rajan has discovered an unpolished gem in Norazlan Bakar,
it will be easier for Tenaga to pile-up their goal tally in case the title
race is decided on goals.
"Norazlan scored two penalty corner goals against Customs last week and
shocked everyone with the power and accuracy of his flicks. He is not a
drag flicker, but his confidence is growing and he can be coached to
become an asset," said Rajan.
(END)