Pic: Stick2hockey.comJunior Asia Cup Semi-finals: India 3 Pakistan 1, South Korea 4 Japan 2. Classification: Malaysia 5 Oman 1, Singapore 0 Bangladesh 0 (Bangladesh win 4-1 on penalties).
By Ajitpal Singh
COACHES should be given a free hand in preparing athletes or teams for competitions. National Sports Council (NSC) director general Datuk Zolkples Embong, in making this call, also advised national sports associations (NSAs) to stop meddling in the duties entrusted to coaches. "The NSAs should stop this practice. It's not healthy as it gives the impression that they don't trust their coaches.
"Why hire them in the first place then?," said Zolkples yesterday.
He was commenting in response to national junior hockey coach V.Muraleedharan's claim on Wednesday that he was not the decision-maker in preparing his charges for next year's Junior World Cup.
The coach attributed his team's current poor results in tournaments to the Malaysian Hockey Federation (MHF), who often make decisions on the team without consulting him.
Zolkples is also unhappy with the series of failures by the national senior and junior hockey teams.
"I need to hold a meeting with them as what's happening now is unacceptable. Problems after problems are arising in hockey and they must be resolved soon. The MHF will have to table their report to me and from there, I will see what can be done to improve the current situation."
Meanwhile, Malaysia notched their first win in the Junior Asia Cup, by defeating minnows Oman 5-1 in the fifth to eight classification match in Hyderabad, India, yesterday. Malaysia scored through Ahmad Kazamirul Nasruddin in the sixth and 32nd minutes, Azreen Rizal Nasir (24th), Muhammad Azammi Adabi (64th) and Mohd Noor Khairul Azrain Adnan (69th). Oman replied in the 39th minute.
Malaysia will face Bangladesh in the fifth placing classification match.
