MALAYSIAN Hockey Federation (MHF) deputy president Nur Azmi Ahmad welcomes Ernst & Young team manager George Koshy’s stand on helping new clubs, instead of established ones, to widen the base in Malaysia.
MHF president Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah had said that at least five Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) teams will be in for a windfall, as plans are afoot to give them money, clubhouses complete with artificial pitches, and in return they are supposed to start grassroots development.
But Ernst & Young, a strong supporter of hockey, and recently crowned as the Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) League champions, feel that clubs with strong backing should be left out of the proposal.
Koshy had said that it would be too time consuming, and costly to build clubhouses and lay artificial pitches, so instead, the MHF should help clubs like Kelab Aman, Royal Selangor Club and other clubs who already have the fa cilities.
“I am also of the same opinion, as some clubs in the Klang Valley and also in other states, not only have existing facilities, but also many ex-internationals as their mem bers.
“So, I will bring it up with the council, as I also strongly feel that it will be easier to start with clubs that already have a home-ground, than start from scratch,” said Azmi.
Azmi, who had played in the MHL in the mid-80s, would like to see the tournament regain its glory days.
“Back when I was playing in the MHL, there were at least 10 quality teams who could challenge for the title, including the Royal Malay Regiment (RMR).
“But sadly, today, RMR are playing in Division Two, while Ernst & Young were hardly challenged to the League title.
“And I believe, if we start helping new clubs, the MHL can be saved and turned into a thriving league again,” said Azmi.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Spaniard Negre topples Els
SPANIARD Leandro Negre (pic) was elected as the new President of the International Hockey Federation (FIH) after he beat incumbent Els van Breda Vriesman of the Netherlands during the FIH Congress in Los Angeles, USA on Saturday.
Negre will helm the world body for four years, after he received the mandate from a total 89 National Associations who were present at the FIH Congress.
Negre, who is also the President of the European Hockey Federation, was delighted with the result: “I am very happy to be elected and I would like to thank the National Associations for voting for me. And I would also like to appoint Els as the Honorary President of the FIH, as she has been actively promoting the sport since 2001.”
During the Congress, FIH also welcomed five new National Associations: Mongolia, Qatar, Togo, Vanuatu and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. Now, the number of FIH Member Countries stands at 127.
Saturday, November 29, 2008
National Press Club Gala Dinner
Pic: Having her fortune told by a Bird!The National Press Club of Malaysia, of which this blogger is the Secretary General, had some fun with sponsors on 28/11/08 at the Petaling Jaya Hilton. The pictures below speak for themselves, even Elvis the Pelvis attended!
The New Straits Times Futsal champions, walked way with RM3,000 cash!
National Press Club vice-president Joe Fernando, also fondly known as JoeKuda.
VVIP's at the main table, waiting for Godot!
National Press Club president Mokhtar Hussin.
With amber liquids in their stomachs, this group had great fun.
Journalists and guests having their Palm-lines read. Good or bad, got to work tomorrow...
Futsal champions planning to play in the World Cup next.
Pretty! Pretty! But pity they are guys!
Big sponsors in small talk.
Energetic like men!
Wanna share the joke?
Elvis showed up, and the crowd went wild....
Ranch-hands rode in on their horses, right to the doorsteps of the Hilton.
Elvis is alive! Elvis is Alive!
NST Journalists with National Press Club manager Stephen Francis (right).
Here is more proof Elvis is alive...
Dog-gone-it, he just refuses to fade away....
The New Straits Times men and women's Futsal champions high in spirits....
Welcome, guests mingling before the function.
Rajan will leave sentiments at home
AFTER 10 years of siting on the Tenaga Nasional bench, National Juniors coach K. Rajan is now plotting for their downfall in the quarter-finals of the Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) which starts on Dec 5.
And he will not allow sentiments to get the better of him.
“There is no question of sentiments creeping in, as I will be planning for a win, and it is not impossible judging from our League encounters,” said Rajan.
In the League, National Juniors lost 3-1, and drew 2-2 in the return leg.
“Tenaga have a solid defence, but their forward line has been severely hit after Selva (S. Selvaraju) pulled a ham string.
“However, it will not be an easy encounter as Tenaga, even with retired internationals, have always proven to be deadly in the knock-out stages,” said Rajan.
Rajan knows the Tenaga players like the back of his hands, and Tenaga proved their mettle last season when they limped into the final, but beat Ernst & Young on penalty strokes in the final.
“It will be experience (Tenaga) versus fitness, and since we will be playing in a two-leg format, we will have to go all out in the first match, as Tenaga are masters of upset in the return leg,” said Rajan.
The National Juniors are preparing for the Junior World Cup next year, and the MHL is a selection of sorts, as Rajan plans to trim his squad of 30 by January.
“The boys know the score, those who do not perform in the MHL will be axed by January, so they better give their best in the knock-out stages.”
QUARTER-FINALS -- Dec 5: Ernst & Young v Royal Malay Regiment (National Stadium), National Juniors v Tenaga Nasional (National Stadium), JLJ v Sapura (Tun Razak Stadium); Dec 10: Nur Insafi v Maybank (Penang).
RETURN LEG -- Dec 7: Royal Malay Regiment v Ernst & Young (Tun Razak), Tenaga Nasional v National Juniors (KLHA), Sapura v JLJ (KLHA); Dec 13: Maybank v Nur Isnafi (Seremban II).
And he will not allow sentiments to get the better of him.
“There is no question of sentiments creeping in, as I will be planning for a win, and it is not impossible judging from our League encounters,” said Rajan.
In the League, National Juniors lost 3-1, and drew 2-2 in the return leg.
“Tenaga have a solid defence, but their forward line has been severely hit after Selva (S. Selvaraju) pulled a ham string.
“However, it will not be an easy encounter as Tenaga, even with retired internationals, have always proven to be deadly in the knock-out stages,” said Rajan.
Rajan knows the Tenaga players like the back of his hands, and Tenaga proved their mettle last season when they limped into the final, but beat Ernst & Young on penalty strokes in the final.
“It will be experience (Tenaga) versus fitness, and since we will be playing in a two-leg format, we will have to go all out in the first match, as Tenaga are masters of upset in the return leg,” said Rajan.
The National Juniors are preparing for the Junior World Cup next year, and the MHL is a selection of sorts, as Rajan plans to trim his squad of 30 by January.
“The boys know the score, those who do not perform in the MHL will be axed by January, so they better give their best in the knock-out stages.”
QUARTER-FINALS -- Dec 5: Ernst & Young v Royal Malay Regiment (National Stadium), National Juniors v Tenaga Nasional (National Stadium), JLJ v Sapura (Tun Razak Stadium); Dec 10: Nur Insafi v Maybank (Penang).
RETURN LEG -- Dec 7: Royal Malay Regiment v Ernst & Young (Tun Razak), Tenaga Nasional v National Juniors (KLHA), Sapura v JLJ (KLHA); Dec 13: Maybank v Nur Isnafi (Seremban II).
Friday, November 28, 2008
Koshy: Leave top clubs out of plan
ERNST & Young team manager George Koshy welcomes the move by Malaysian Hockey Federation (MHF) to help revive the club structure in Malaysia, but with a different twist.
MHF president Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah had said that at least five Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) teams will be in for a windfall, as plans are afoot to give them money, clubhouses complete with artificial pitches, and in return they are supposed to start grassroots development.
Koshy, who is also the Kuala Lumpur HA president, supports the idea, but feels MHL teams must not be the target group.
“Four teams in the MHL have their own strong corporate sponsors, and so I feel they should be left alone as com plications might arise if the MHF starts to fund, or provide a clubhouse for them.
“They have their own corporate image, and respon sibilities, and many issues need to be ironed out before the project can be launched.
“The idea is good, but it will take a long time to, say, build a clubhouse and lay the artificial pitches. Not to mention the high cost.
“So, I feel it would be better is MHF start with clubs which already have a home-ground, and playing fields like Kelab Aman, Royal Selangor Club, and other clubs in different states.
“These clubs also have many ex-internationals as mem bers, and if the MHF support them further, I am sure hockey will mushroom with parental support,” said Koshy.
In the MHL, Ernst & Young, Tenaga Nasional, Sapura and Maybank have solid backing and are able to fend for themselves, but the same cant be said about teams in Division Two.
And the cost to play in the MHL?
“It is a corporate secret, but I can safely say that it costs more than an arm and a leg, especially since we have hired the best players in the country,” said Koshy.
Royal Selangor Club and Kelab Aman have a strong hockey tradition, but funding and coaching has always been a major problem.
“I am sure that if the MHF sponsors established clubs, it will not only cost less, but the country will also have a bigger pool of player in a short span,” said Koshy.
MHF president Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah had said that at least five Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) teams will be in for a windfall, as plans are afoot to give them money, clubhouses complete with artificial pitches, and in return they are supposed to start grassroots development.
Koshy, who is also the Kuala Lumpur HA president, supports the idea, but feels MHL teams must not be the target group.
“Four teams in the MHL have their own strong corporate sponsors, and so I feel they should be left alone as com plications might arise if the MHF starts to fund, or provide a clubhouse for them.
“They have their own corporate image, and respon sibilities, and many issues need to be ironed out before the project can be launched.
“The idea is good, but it will take a long time to, say, build a clubhouse and lay the artificial pitches. Not to mention the high cost.
“So, I feel it would be better is MHF start with clubs which already have a home-ground, and playing fields like Kelab Aman, Royal Selangor Club, and other clubs in different states.
“These clubs also have many ex-internationals as mem bers, and if the MHF support them further, I am sure hockey will mushroom with parental support,” said Koshy.
In the MHL, Ernst & Young, Tenaga Nasional, Sapura and Maybank have solid backing and are able to fend for themselves, but the same cant be said about teams in Division Two.
And the cost to play in the MHL?
“It is a corporate secret, but I can safely say that it costs more than an arm and a leg, especially since we have hired the best players in the country,” said Koshy.
Royal Selangor Club and Kelab Aman have a strong hockey tradition, but funding and coaching has always been a major problem.
“I am sure that if the MHF sponsors established clubs, it will not only cost less, but the country will also have a bigger pool of player in a short span,” said Koshy.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
It's now of never for E&Y
ERNST & Young team manager George Koshy summed up his team’s chances in the Malaysia Hockey League TNB Cup by saying “It’s now or never.”
The League champions, who won all nine matches com fortably, not only have 12 national players in their fold, but also received a kind draw in the quarter-finals on Dec 5.
Ernst & Young will be playing Division Two runners-up Royal Malay Regiment (RAMD) and it is expected to be a walk in the park, and even in the semi-finals, they only have to contend with wither Nur Isnafi, or Maybank.
Division One runners-up Sapura will have a tougher path, as they meet dark horses Jurulatih dan Jentera (JLJ), aptly nicknamed Lightning Hose, who are the Division Two cham pions.
“We have been bridesmaid for far too long, and with the present batch of players, and a kind draw, we are knocking on the doors of our first Overall (TNB Cup) title,” said Koshy.
Ernst & Young have the distinction of playing in six Overall finals, and it was heart-break each time as they only have silver medals to show.
Their first final appearance was in 2001, and then they made the cut on five consecutive occasions from 2003.
The last two years were especially disappointing, as the gold medals slipped between their fingers on penalty strokes to Sapura and Tenaga Nasional.
“Basically we have the same players from last year, with only two changes. But with the National Juniors playing as a team this season, the other Division One teams are a little ‘diluted’ as they had to source for more experienced players,” said George.
QUARTER-FINALS -- Dec 5: Ernst & Young v Royal Malay Regiment (National Stadium), National Juniors v Tenaga Nasional (National Stadium), JLJ v Sapura (Tun Razak Stadium); Dec 10: Nur Insafi v Maybank (Penang).
RETURN LEG -- Dec 7: Royal Malay Regiment v Ernst & Young (Tun Razak), Tenaga Nasional v National Juniors (KLHA), Sapura v JLJ (KLHA); Dec 13: Maybank v Nur Isnafi (Seremban II).
The League champions, who won all nine matches com fortably, not only have 12 national players in their fold, but also received a kind draw in the quarter-finals on Dec 5.
Ernst & Young will be playing Division Two runners-up Royal Malay Regiment (RAMD) and it is expected to be a walk in the park, and even in the semi-finals, they only have to contend with wither Nur Isnafi, or Maybank.
Division One runners-up Sapura will have a tougher path, as they meet dark horses Jurulatih dan Jentera (JLJ), aptly nicknamed Lightning Hose, who are the Division Two cham pions.
“We have been bridesmaid for far too long, and with the present batch of players, and a kind draw, we are knocking on the doors of our first Overall (TNB Cup) title,” said Koshy.
Ernst & Young have the distinction of playing in six Overall finals, and it was heart-break each time as they only have silver medals to show.
Their first final appearance was in 2001, and then they made the cut on five consecutive occasions from 2003.
The last two years were especially disappointing, as the gold medals slipped between their fingers on penalty strokes to Sapura and Tenaga Nasional.
“Basically we have the same players from last year, with only two changes. But with the National Juniors playing as a team this season, the other Division One teams are a little ‘diluted’ as they had to source for more experienced players,” said George.
QUARTER-FINALS -- Dec 5: Ernst & Young v Royal Malay Regiment (National Stadium), National Juniors v Tenaga Nasional (National Stadium), JLJ v Sapura (Tun Razak Stadium); Dec 10: Nur Insafi v Maybank (Penang).
RETURN LEG -- Dec 7: Royal Malay Regiment v Ernst & Young (Tun Razak), Tenaga Nasional v National Juniors (KLHA), Sapura v JLJ (KLHA); Dec 13: Maybank v Nur Isnafi (Seremban II).
JLJ out for upset, then walkover...
DIVISION TWO champions Jurulatih dan Jentera (JLJ) will be banking on their 19-year-old penalty corner flicker to do the damage against Sapura in the quarter-finals of the Malaysia Hockey League on Dec 5.
But the irony is that, even if they advance to the semi-finals, JLJ will give a walk-over.
“We will give our best in the quarter-finals, with an eye to upset Sapura, but after that, we have a prior arrangement to play in Brunei on Dec 21, which clashes with the semi- finals.
“Even if we advance, we will have to give a walkover,” said JLJ coach Kamaruddin Misman.
Their exciting flicker is Shafiq Yaakob, who has scored 10 goals in eight matches. JLJ also have the distinction of scoring 24 goals, and only conceding nine.
“We were playing at a different level (Division Two), so it will be interesting to see how my boys stand up against the runners-up of Division One (Sapura),” said Kamaruddin.
The coach has been training his charges, with an average age of 25, for the past six months. JLJ were also the champions of the Armed Forces games last month.
“Shafiq has a powerful flick, and his placing is also intelligent. And now he will get a chance to pit his skills against an established goalkeeper (former international Nasihin Nubli).
“My defense has also proven to be solid, but then, we were playing against our peers. I know we will be tested to the limit, but my team is not afraid, instead, they are eager to play in the last eight,” said Kamaruddin.
But the irony is that, even if they advance to the semi-finals, JLJ will give a walk-over.
“We will give our best in the quarter-finals, with an eye to upset Sapura, but after that, we have a prior arrangement to play in Brunei on Dec 21, which clashes with the semi- finals.
“Even if we advance, we will have to give a walkover,” said JLJ coach Kamaruddin Misman.
Their exciting flicker is Shafiq Yaakob, who has scored 10 goals in eight matches. JLJ also have the distinction of scoring 24 goals, and only conceding nine.
“We were playing at a different level (Division Two), so it will be interesting to see how my boys stand up against the runners-up of Division One (Sapura),” said Kamaruddin.
The coach has been training his charges, with an average age of 25, for the past six months. JLJ were also the champions of the Armed Forces games last month.
“Shafiq has a powerful flick, and his placing is also intelligent. And now he will get a chance to pit his skills against an established goalkeeper (former international Nasihin Nubli).
“My defense has also proven to be solid, but then, we were playing against our peers. I know we will be tested to the limit, but my team is not afraid, instead, they are eager to play in the last eight,” said Kamaruddin.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Junior World Cup Qualifier in Seremban
SEREMBAN, Nov 24 (Bernama) — Nine countries will do battle in the 5th Asian Women’s Junior Hockey Championship to be held at the Tan Sri Dr Mohd Said Sports Complex in Seremban II here from Dec 13 till 21.
Malaysian Women’s Hockey Association Raja Puan Sri Noora Ashikin Raja Abdullah said the top three finishers will qualify for next year’s Women’s Junior World Cup that will be held in Boston, United States in June.
“China, Japan, South Korea and India are the top teams but we will do our best to qualify for Boston,” she told reporters at the pre-launch of the tournament here today.
At the pre-launch, Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan handed over the challenge trophy to Noora Ashikin.
In Group A are China, Japan Thailand, Pakistan and hosts Malaysia while Group B is made up of South Korea, India, Singapore and Chinese Taipei.
Malaysia are ranked fifth in Asia behind South Korea, China, Japan and India and 25th in the world.
Malaysian Women’s Hockey Association Raja Puan Sri Noora Ashikin Raja Abdullah said the top three finishers will qualify for next year’s Women’s Junior World Cup that will be held in Boston, United States in June.
“China, Japan, South Korea and India are the top teams but we will do our best to qualify for Boston,” she told reporters at the pre-launch of the tournament here today.
At the pre-launch, Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan handed over the challenge trophy to Noora Ashikin.
In Group A are China, Japan Thailand, Pakistan and hosts Malaysia while Group B is made up of South Korea, India, Singapore and Chinese Taipei.
Malaysia are ranked fifth in Asia behind South Korea, China, Japan and India and 25th in the world.
Youth Olympics test
THE National Juniors will be involved in a four-nation tournament at the Australian Youth Olympics on Jan 14-18, which will give coach K. Rajan a good indication on how his charges have progressed.
Also involved in the tournament to be played in Sydney and which could be Malaysia’s last before the Junior World Cup in June, are former Junior World Cup silver medallists Australia, New Zealand and Britain.
“The team have progressed well by playing in the MHL (Malaysia Hockey League), and although I am happy with their work rate, I am worried about the defenders,” said Rajan.
The Junior World Cup, which Malaysia and Singapore will co-host, will be held on June 7-21 and will involve 20 teams playing in two groups.
The teams which have qualified are defending champions Argentina, Australia, South Africa, Egypt, Malaysia, Singapore, India, South Korea, Pakistan, Japan, Spain, Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, England, Poland, Russia, Chile, US and New Zealand.
And with only about seven months left to the main event, the Juniors have a poor record in the MHL having scored just 13 goals and letting in a massive 34 in nine matches.
“We are doing quite well up front, but too many soft goals were let in during the nine matches. I will be working on this until the Youth Olympics where I will get to see how they have progressed,” said Rajan.
There are a few more friendlies lined up with a South Korean University after the Youth Olympics but friendlies are not a good yardstick.
“After playing against the University team, we will head to Europe to play Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. And once the World Cup facilities are ready (by April), the team will start training at the tournament venue, and play any friendly that comes our way there,” added Rajan.
Rajan’s 35-member training squad will be trimmed in January as preparations enter the next stage.
Also involved in the tournament to be played in Sydney and which could be Malaysia’s last before the Junior World Cup in June, are former Junior World Cup silver medallists Australia, New Zealand and Britain.
“The team have progressed well by playing in the MHL (Malaysia Hockey League), and although I am happy with their work rate, I am worried about the defenders,” said Rajan.
The Junior World Cup, which Malaysia and Singapore will co-host, will be held on June 7-21 and will involve 20 teams playing in two groups.
The teams which have qualified are defending champions Argentina, Australia, South Africa, Egypt, Malaysia, Singapore, India, South Korea, Pakistan, Japan, Spain, Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, England, Poland, Russia, Chile, US and New Zealand.
And with only about seven months left to the main event, the Juniors have a poor record in the MHL having scored just 13 goals and letting in a massive 34 in nine matches.
“We are doing quite well up front, but too many soft goals were let in during the nine matches. I will be working on this until the Youth Olympics where I will get to see how they have progressed,” said Rajan.
There are a few more friendlies lined up with a South Korean University after the Youth Olympics but friendlies are not a good yardstick.
“After playing against the University team, we will head to Europe to play Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. And once the World Cup facilities are ready (by April), the team will start training at the tournament venue, and play any friendly that comes our way there,” added Rajan.
Rajan’s 35-member training squad will be trimmed in January as preparations enter the next stage.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Army men 1-2 in Division Two
ARMY outfit Jurulatih dan Jentera (JLJ) lived up to their nickname Lightning Horse when they bolted away with the Division Two title by beating UNIMAP 6-3 at the Tun Razak Stadium yesterday.
The win earned them a bonus of RM20,000 and a slot to play in the quarter-finals of the TNB Cup.
And joining them in the knock-out stage from Division Two are Royal Malay Regiment, who beat UiTM 3-1 yesterday, for the second spot which came with RM15,000.
RESULTS: Division One: Maybank 2 Tenaga Nasional 2, Sapura 2 Nur Insafi 1, Ernst & Young 9 National Juniors 2.
Division Two: UNIMAP 3 JLJ 6, RMR 3 UiTM 1, BPSS 4 Dolphins 2, Alam Shah 1 BJSS 3.
TOMORROW: Division One -- Ernst & Young v Tenaga (National Stadium, 5pm), Sapura v National Juniors (KLHA Stadium, 5pm), Nur Insafi v Maybank (USM Stadium, 5pm).
Division Two: UNIMAP v Bukit Jalil SS (Alor Star, 5pm), Dolphins v Alam Shah (Lumut, 5pm).
STANDINGS
DIVISION ONE
P W D L F A Pts
E & Y 8 8 0 0 37 7 24
Sapura 9 4 3 2 18 15 15
TNB 9 3 4 2 22 18 13
Maybank 8 2 4 2 13 11 10
Nat Juniors 8 1 3 4 13 29 6
Nur Insafi 8 0 0 8 12 35 0
DIVISION 2
P W D L F A Pts
JLJ 8 6 1 1 24 9 19
RAMD 8 6 0 2 27 14 18
BPSS 8 5 0 3 31 16 15
UiTM 8 4 1 3 18 13 13
Dolphin 7 3 2 2 24 14 11
BJSS 7 3 2 2 11 6 11
UNIMAP 7 2 1 4 9 25 7
SSAS 7 1 1 5 11 18 4
RS Club 8 0 0 8 7 47 0
The win earned them a bonus of RM20,000 and a slot to play in the quarter-finals of the TNB Cup.
And joining them in the knock-out stage from Division Two are Royal Malay Regiment, who beat UiTM 3-1 yesterday, for the second spot which came with RM15,000.
RESULTS: Division One: Maybank 2 Tenaga Nasional 2, Sapura 2 Nur Insafi 1, Ernst & Young 9 National Juniors 2.
Division Two: UNIMAP 3 JLJ 6, RMR 3 UiTM 1, BPSS 4 Dolphins 2, Alam Shah 1 BJSS 3.
TOMORROW: Division One -- Ernst & Young v Tenaga (National Stadium, 5pm), Sapura v National Juniors (KLHA Stadium, 5pm), Nur Insafi v Maybank (USM Stadium, 5pm).
Division Two: UNIMAP v Bukit Jalil SS (Alor Star, 5pm), Dolphins v Alam Shah (Lumut, 5pm).
STANDINGS
DIVISION ONE
P W D L F A Pts
E & Y 8 8 0 0 37 7 24
Sapura 9 4 3 2 18 15 15
TNB 9 3 4 2 22 18 13
Maybank 8 2 4 2 13 11 10
Nat Juniors 8 1 3 4 13 29 6
Nur Insafi 8 0 0 8 12 35 0
DIVISION 2
P W D L F A Pts
JLJ 8 6 1 1 24 9 19
RAMD 8 6 0 2 27 14 18
BPSS 8 5 0 3 31 16 15
UiTM 8 4 1 3 18 13 13
Dolphin 7 3 2 2 24 14 11
BJSS 7 3 2 2 11 6 11
UNIMAP 7 2 1 4 9 25 7
SSAS 7 1 1 5 11 18 4
RS Club 8 0 0 8 7 47 0
Army men 1-2 in Division Two
ARMY outfit Jurulatih dan Jentera (JLJ) lived up to their nickname Lightning Horse when they bolted away with the Division Two title by beating UNIMAP 6-3 at the Tun Razak Stadium yesterday.
The win earned them a bonus of RM20,000 and a slot to play in the quarter-finals of the TNB Cup.
And joining them in the knock-out stage from Division Two are Royal Malay Regiment, who beat UiTM 3-1 yesterday, for the second spot which came with RM15,000.
RESULTS: Division One: Maybank 2 Tenaga Nasional 2, Sapura 2 Nur Insafi 1, Ernst & Young 9 National Juniors 2.
Division Two: UNIMAP 3 JLJ 6, RMR 3 UiTM 1, BPSS 4 Dolphins 2, Alam Shah 1 BJSS 3.
TOMORROW: Division One -- Ernst & Young v Tenaga (National Stadium, 5pm), Sapura v National Juniors (KLHA Stadium, 5pm), Nur Insafi v Maybank (USM Stadium, 5pm).
Division Two: UNIMAP v Bukit Jalil SS (Alor Star, 5pm), Dolphins v Alam Shah (Lumut, 5pm).
STANDINGS
DIVISION ONE
P W D L F A Pts
E & Y 8 8 0 0 37 7 24
Sapura 9 4 3 2 18 15 15
TNB 9 3 4 2 22 18 13
Maybank 8 2 4 2 13 11 10
Nat Juniors 8 1 3 4 13 29 6
Nur Insafi 8 0 0 8 12 35 0
DIVISION 2
P W D L F A Pts
JLJ 8 6 1 1 24 9 19
RAMD 8 6 0 2 27 14 18
BPSS 8 5 0 3 31 16 15
UiTM 8 4 1 3 18 13 13
Dolphin 7 3 2 2 24 14 11
BJSS 7 3 2 2 11 6 11
UNIMAP 7 2 1 4 9 25 7
SSAS 7 1 1 5 11 18 4
RS Club 8 0 0 8 7 47 0
The win earned them a bonus of RM20,000 and a slot to play in the quarter-finals of the TNB Cup.
And joining them in the knock-out stage from Division Two are Royal Malay Regiment, who beat UiTM 3-1 yesterday, for the second spot which came with RM15,000.
RESULTS: Division One: Maybank 2 Tenaga Nasional 2, Sapura 2 Nur Insafi 1, Ernst & Young 9 National Juniors 2.
Division Two: UNIMAP 3 JLJ 6, RMR 3 UiTM 1, BPSS 4 Dolphins 2, Alam Shah 1 BJSS 3.
TOMORROW: Division One -- Ernst & Young v Tenaga (National Stadium, 5pm), Sapura v National Juniors (KLHA Stadium, 5pm), Nur Insafi v Maybank (USM Stadium, 5pm).
Division Two: UNIMAP v Bukit Jalil SS (Alor Star, 5pm), Dolphins v Alam Shah (Lumut, 5pm).
STANDINGS
DIVISION ONE
P W D L F A Pts
E & Y 8 8 0 0 37 7 24
Sapura 9 4 3 2 18 15 15
TNB 9 3 4 2 22 18 13
Maybank 8 2 4 2 13 11 10
Nat Juniors 8 1 3 4 13 29 6
Nur Insafi 8 0 0 8 12 35 0
DIVISION 2
P W D L F A Pts
JLJ 8 6 1 1 24 9 19
RAMD 8 6 0 2 27 14 18
BPSS 8 5 0 3 31 16 15
UiTM 8 4 1 3 18 13 13
Dolphin 7 3 2 2 24 14 11
BJSS 7 3 2 2 11 6 11
UNIMAP 7 2 1 4 9 25 7
SSAS 7 1 1 5 11 18 4
RS Club 8 0 0 8 7 47 0
Umpires Board chairman to keep blowing
PIC: Amarjit Singh in the thick of action.
Pic: Amarjit to keep his whistle.NEWLY appointed Malaysian Hockey Federation Umpires Board (MHFUB) chairman Amarjit Singh knows his work is cut out, as he will have to start from scratch to re-build this often neglected side of hockey.
And the fact that Amarjit, 44, still wants to actively blow at the international level until the mandatory retirement age of 47, is going to make it more challenging for him.
“I will be frank on my appointment. There is much work to do, and two years is not enough to complete it. But I will give my best, especially in the development of young umpires.
“I also intent to keep of umpiring at the international level, as my appointments come directly from either the AHF (Asian Hockey Federation) or the FIH (International Hockey Federation) and there is no question of being biased to my fellow umpires,” said Amarjit.
The Ipoh-born Amarjit is credited with having umpired at three World Cups and four Olympics, with his last ap pointment being the Beijing Olympics.
And if anybody knows the problems that have been hindering development in MHFUB, it is Amarjit.
“I will be holding my first MHFUB committee meeting in December where I will give my views, and get feedback from members on how to uplift the standard of umpires and umpiring in the country.
“Basically, from my two decades experience of umpiring at the local and international level I know what are the problems faced by my fellow umpires, and it will make my work that much easier as I will be going in with many ideas.
“But I need help from all quarters in the MHF and my fellow umpires as the time-frame is too short, while there is plenty of work to do,” said Amarjit.
His next appointment as an umpire, as listed on the FIH website, is the Punjab Gold Cup in January 2009.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Battle for the second spot
PIC: Ernst & Young players celebrate winning the League title.LEAGUE Champions Ernst & Young will be involved in an academic match against National Juniors today, while the battle Malaysia Hockey League’s (MHL) second spot in tensifies.
Tenaga Nasional and Sapura, both tied on 12 points, have two more matches in hand before they complete their League fixtures.
And Sapura look like they have the easier path, as they play Nur Insafi today, and then National Juniors, while Tenaga will have to beat Maybank and Ernst & Young if they want to keep pace.
The League matches end this weekend, after which the six teams in Division One and top-two teams in Division Two play in the quarter-finals for the TNB Cup.
TODAY: Division One: Maybank v Tenaga Nasional (Serem ban II Hockey Stadium, 5pm); Sapura v Nur Insafi (KLHA Stadium, 7pm); Ernst & Young v National Juniors (National Hockey Stadium, 7pm).
Division Two: UNIMAP v JLJ (Alor Star, 5pm); RMR vs UiTM (Tun Razak Stadium, 7pm); BPSS v Dolphin (Bandar Penawar SS, 5pm); Alam Shah v BJSS (National Stadium, 7pm).
Coach to be appointed soon
THE National Sports Council (NSC) is on standby mode, while waiting for the Malaysian Hockey Federation (MHF) to submit names of potential coaches to chart the future of hockey in the country.
And among the coaches who have been approached is South Korean Kim Sang Ryul.
“We are waiting for the MHF to submit a name to take charge of Malaysian hockey, and I believe they already have several names and will short-list soon,” said National Sports Council director of international preparations Ariffin Ghani.
The MHF council did not seek renewal of chief coach Sarit Singh, his assistant Gurmit Singn and goalkeepers coach Shahid Ali Khan’s contracts which expire on Dec 31.
And this has brought about a massive vacuum, and the names of a few former local coaches is being tossed around as Sang Ryul’s assistants.
MHF secretary Hashim Yusoff said they will get to the bottom of matters, once coaching chairman Datuk Poon Fook Loke returns from London.
“The coaching chairman is overseas and will return in a few days. A meting will be called and I can only start my work after the coaching committee submits their candidate or candidates,” said Hashim.
Hashim said the coach or coaches will then be called for an interview, before they forward the selected coaches’ name the NSC.
“The council did decide that they are in favour of a foreign coach, and we will see what the coaching committee can come up with.”
However, it is no secret that senior members of the NSC had a meeting with with Sang Ryul in Thailand, and the MHF is also in favour of the South Korean.
Sang Ryul’s last assignment was with China, who finished 11th out of 12 teams in the Beijing Olympics.
He was with South Korea for 12 years, 1988-2000, and his team delivered silver medal in the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
And among the coaches who have been approached is South Korean Kim Sang Ryul.
“We are waiting for the MHF to submit a name to take charge of Malaysian hockey, and I believe they already have several names and will short-list soon,” said National Sports Council director of international preparations Ariffin Ghani.
The MHF council did not seek renewal of chief coach Sarit Singh, his assistant Gurmit Singn and goalkeepers coach Shahid Ali Khan’s contracts which expire on Dec 31.
And this has brought about a massive vacuum, and the names of a few former local coaches is being tossed around as Sang Ryul’s assistants.
MHF secretary Hashim Yusoff said they will get to the bottom of matters, once coaching chairman Datuk Poon Fook Loke returns from London.
“The coaching chairman is overseas and will return in a few days. A meting will be called and I can only start my work after the coaching committee submits their candidate or candidates,” said Hashim.
Hashim said the coach or coaches will then be called for an interview, before they forward the selected coaches’ name the NSC.
“The council did decide that they are in favour of a foreign coach, and we will see what the coaching committee can come up with.”
However, it is no secret that senior members of the NSC had a meeting with with Sang Ryul in Thailand, and the MHF is also in favour of the South Korean.
Sang Ryul’s last assignment was with China, who finished 11th out of 12 teams in the Beijing Olympics.
He was with South Korea for 12 years, 1988-2000, and his team delivered silver medal in the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
Sang Ryul to face a lazy lot
MALAYSIA hockey players are a lucky lot, because they have been coached by the best in the world for the last 20 years, but we only have Sea Games gold medals to be proud of.
Malaysia have the distinction of having played at World Cups, Olympics, Champions Trophy, Champions Challenge, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games and our very own Azlan Shah Cup.
But right from the first whistle way back at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics until today, the Malaysian Hockey Federation (MHF) trophy cabinet has yet to house the glitter of gold, other than the pathetic Sea Games ‘achievements’.
The impressive foreign coaches’ list is Australian Terry Walsh, German Volker Knapp, German Paul Lissek, and now South Korean Kim Sang Ryul.
And other than Knapp, the rest are internationally ac claimed coaches who many a player would envy just to shake hands with.
But Walsh ran the race of his life towards the airport, while Lissek faced many brick-bats but held on grimly, and his contract as a consultant expires towards the end of next year.
Then there were the string of local coaches who came aboard with much fan-fare, but were shooed out like flies when their charges played like novices at the international level.
The latest penalty stroke was awarded against Sarjit Singh, who started by training juniors for the 2005 Junior World Cup, and rose to the senior ranks in 2007, only to be unceremoniously dumped -- without so much as a telephone call or SMS from the Malaysian Hockey Federation (MHF) or his paymasters the National Sports Council (NSC).
Sarjit, a former national player who was a terror in his heydays, is now hockey history material, so lets look ahead and see what Sang Ryul can offer.
The FIH Master Coach is credited with uplifting the standard of hockey in South Korea and China men and women, and will soon arrive to coach a team who is ranked 15th in the world, and have a major assignment in the Asia Cup next year.
He coached China who finished 11th out of 12 teams in the Beijing Olympics, and was with South Korea for 12 years 1988-2000 and his team delivered silver medal in the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
Sang Ryul is well-known as a fitness freak, and this is where he will find the going tough in Malaysia. South Korea and China players improved under Sang Ryul because they not only relied on the coach, but followed his training programme when left on their own.
In Malaysia, the centralised training culture is our biggest downfall. All the previous coaches found out, the hard way, that Malaysian players are generally a lazy lot, who only train when the coach is around and even when given even a 10-day break, they return with extra kilos.
A good example for Sang Ryul will be to watch the ongoing Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) where all the national players are playing in.
A majority of the national players have put on weight since started playing in the MHL, and are now overweight and sluggish.
And when Sang Ryul takes over, he will have to start from scratch and many players will find the going too tough to handle. This is the least of the coaches’ problems.
Among the present batch, there are many skillful players but only a handful of thinking players who can change the game-plan when defending or attacking.
Too much of side-line coaching has turned many of them into robots who consistently need to be told where to pass the ball, when to attack, and when to defend.
Sang Ryul is no rookie, he knows the Malaysian players like the back of his hands, as he has plotted many times to beat them when coaching South Korea and China.
He is coming in with his eyes open, but will still find himself facing his worse coaching experience, as Malaysian players have a knack of baffling the best in the sport.
Good bye Sarjit, and good luck to Sang Ryul.
Malaysia have the distinction of having played at World Cups, Olympics, Champions Trophy, Champions Challenge, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games and our very own Azlan Shah Cup.
But right from the first whistle way back at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics until today, the Malaysian Hockey Federation (MHF) trophy cabinet has yet to house the glitter of gold, other than the pathetic Sea Games ‘achievements’.
The impressive foreign coaches’ list is Australian Terry Walsh, German Volker Knapp, German Paul Lissek, and now South Korean Kim Sang Ryul.
And other than Knapp, the rest are internationally ac claimed coaches who many a player would envy just to shake hands with.
But Walsh ran the race of his life towards the airport, while Lissek faced many brick-bats but held on grimly, and his contract as a consultant expires towards the end of next year.
Then there were the string of local coaches who came aboard with much fan-fare, but were shooed out like flies when their charges played like novices at the international level.
The latest penalty stroke was awarded against Sarjit Singh, who started by training juniors for the 2005 Junior World Cup, and rose to the senior ranks in 2007, only to be unceremoniously dumped -- without so much as a telephone call or SMS from the Malaysian Hockey Federation (MHF) or his paymasters the National Sports Council (NSC).
Sarjit, a former national player who was a terror in his heydays, is now hockey history material, so lets look ahead and see what Sang Ryul can offer.
The FIH Master Coach is credited with uplifting the standard of hockey in South Korea and China men and women, and will soon arrive to coach a team who is ranked 15th in the world, and have a major assignment in the Asia Cup next year.
He coached China who finished 11th out of 12 teams in the Beijing Olympics, and was with South Korea for 12 years 1988-2000 and his team delivered silver medal in the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
Sang Ryul is well-known as a fitness freak, and this is where he will find the going tough in Malaysia. South Korea and China players improved under Sang Ryul because they not only relied on the coach, but followed his training programme when left on their own.
In Malaysia, the centralised training culture is our biggest downfall. All the previous coaches found out, the hard way, that Malaysian players are generally a lazy lot, who only train when the coach is around and even when given even a 10-day break, they return with extra kilos.
A good example for Sang Ryul will be to watch the ongoing Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) where all the national players are playing in.
A majority of the national players have put on weight since started playing in the MHL, and are now overweight and sluggish.
And when Sang Ryul takes over, he will have to start from scratch and many players will find the going too tough to handle. This is the least of the coaches’ problems.
Among the present batch, there are many skillful players but only a handful of thinking players who can change the game-plan when defending or attacking.
Too much of side-line coaching has turned many of them into robots who consistently need to be told where to pass the ball, when to attack, and when to defend.
Sang Ryul is no rookie, he knows the Malaysian players like the back of his hands, as he has plotted many times to beat them when coaching South Korea and China.
He is coming in with his eyes open, but will still find himself facing his worse coaching experience, as Malaysian players have a knack of baffling the best in the sport.
Good bye Sarjit, and good luck to Sang Ryul.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Sarjit disappointed, not dejected
NATIONAL hockey coach Sarjit Singh had a
meet-the-press session yesterday, and his only
bone of contention was that he had to read in the
papers that his contract will not be extended. Otherwise, he has no regrets coaching for the
past 22 months, as his record shows that he is
the most successfull local or foreign coach for
the past decade.
The Malaysian Hockey Federation (MHF) council
decided on Saturday not to extend his contract,
which expires on Dec 31. The council is now
looking towards hiring South Korean coach Kim
Sang Ryul instead.
"I feel a little sad that I had to read in the
papers that my contract will not be renewed. I
feel the proper way would have been to inform me
first, and then make the announcement," lamented
Sarjit.
"Im also disappointed that the new MHF council
members did not meet with me to discuss, or hear
me out. The NSC (National Sports Council) who are
my paymasters, also did not talk to me about it,
although its their preregotive to make any
changes," said Sarjit.
But still, the former national skipper bears no
grudge against any party:
"I accept the change
and will take leave to assess my options. I would
like to be involved with hockey in the future,
but at what level, it still remains to be seen." When Sarjit took over in 2007, the national
team were ranked 16th, and now they are 15th.
"When I was appointed as national coach, the
task given to me was to prepare a team for the
2010 World Cup and the 2012 Olympics. And I would
like to state here that the Olympic Qualifiers in
Japan (April this year) was not a target set for
me, because the team had failed in the Doha Asian
Games, and were forced into the Qualifier.
"The Olympic Qualidiers in Japan was a
difficult tournament, as world No 1 Germany were
in our pool. Germany went on to win the Olympics
gold, and that sould tell what we were against,"
said Sarjit.
During his 22-month stint, Sarjit succeeded in
taking his team to silver in the 2007 Azlan Shah
Cup, a feat which was last achieved 22 years ago. And his charges also finished with a bronze
medal in the Asia Cup, which was a first for
Malaysia.
"My team also finsihed second in the recent
Hamburg Masters, which was the best achievement
by Malaysia as our previous best was a bronze in
2002.
"I feel it is unfair to be fast on the draw
when it involves local coaches, as we should be
given at least four years to prove ourselves,
like what the foreign coaches are given.
" He has set a target of Qualifying for the 2010
World Cup by virtue of the Asia Cup next year,
and the 2012 Olympics by being among the top-two
in the Asian Games.
"Lasty I would like to wish the new MHF
council all the best, and hope they will be able
to take hockey to a higher level.
"I would like to end by thanking all my players
who had given their full co-operation, as well as
former MHF deputy president Tunku Majid Sultan
Iskandar and the former MHF coaching committee."
meet-the-press session yesterday, and his only
bone of contention was that he had to read in the
papers that his contract will not be extended. Otherwise, he has no regrets coaching for the
past 22 months, as his record shows that he is
the most successfull local or foreign coach for
the past decade.
The Malaysian Hockey Federation (MHF) council
decided on Saturday not to extend his contract,
which expires on Dec 31. The council is now
looking towards hiring South Korean coach Kim
Sang Ryul instead.
"I feel a little sad that I had to read in the
papers that my contract will not be renewed. I
feel the proper way would have been to inform me
first, and then make the announcement," lamented
Sarjit.
"Im also disappointed that the new MHF council
members did not meet with me to discuss, or hear
me out. The NSC (National Sports Council) who are
my paymasters, also did not talk to me about it,
although its their preregotive to make any
changes," said Sarjit.
But still, the former national skipper bears no
grudge against any party:
"I accept the change
and will take leave to assess my options. I would
like to be involved with hockey in the future,
but at what level, it still remains to be seen." When Sarjit took over in 2007, the national
team were ranked 16th, and now they are 15th.
"When I was appointed as national coach, the
task given to me was to prepare a team for the
2010 World Cup and the 2012 Olympics. And I would
like to state here that the Olympic Qualifiers in
Japan (April this year) was not a target set for
me, because the team had failed in the Doha Asian
Games, and were forced into the Qualifier.
"The Olympic Qualidiers in Japan was a
difficult tournament, as world No 1 Germany were
in our pool. Germany went on to win the Olympics
gold, and that sould tell what we were against,"
said Sarjit.
During his 22-month stint, Sarjit succeeded in
taking his team to silver in the 2007 Azlan Shah
Cup, a feat which was last achieved 22 years ago. And his charges also finished with a bronze
medal in the Asia Cup, which was a first for
Malaysia.
"My team also finsihed second in the recent
Hamburg Masters, which was the best achievement
by Malaysia as our previous best was a bronze in
2002.
"I feel it is unfair to be fast on the draw
when it involves local coaches, as we should be
given at least four years to prove ourselves,
like what the foreign coaches are given.
" He has set a target of Qualifying for the 2010
World Cup by virtue of the Asia Cup next year,
and the 2012 Olympics by being among the top-two
in the Asian Games.
"Lasty I would like to wish the new MHF
council all the best, and hope they will be able
to take hockey to a higher level.
"I would like to end by thanking all my players
who had given their full co-operation, as well as
former MHF deputy president Tunku Majid Sultan
Iskandar and the former MHF coaching committee."
Saturday, November 15, 2008
End of the road for coach Sarjit Singh
MALAYSIAN Hockey Federation (MHF) president Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah chaired his first council meeting yesterday and did not waste any time in making a dramatic change in the coaching department withthe contracts of three senior team coaches not being renewed.Chief coach Sarjit Singh (pic), assistant coach Gurmit Singh and goalkeeping coach Shahid Ali Khan will not have their respective contracts renewed. The council has decided to hire South Korean Kim Sang Ryul as head coach.
All three local coaches’ contracts expire on Dec 31.
Sang Ryul, who is credited with uplifting the standard of hockey in South Korea and China, is expected to arrive soon. The council has also given him a free hand to select his team of assistant coaches and physical trainers.
Sarjit, when contacted, said he will make a statement today.
And there were also new faces appointed to the various committees with some former MHF hands re-appointed.
Chairing the Consultative Committee is previous president Tan Sri Admiral (rtd) Anwar Mohd Nor, while past MHF deputy president Tan Sri P. Alagendra, National Sports Council director general Datul Zolkples Embong and National Sports Institute director general Datuk Ramlan Aziz are among its members.
And in the Wawasan Committee, the chairman is Datuk Mazlan Ahmad, while among the members are Datuk Ho Koh Chye, and former players Mirnawan Nawawi and Maninderjit Singh.
The Coaching Committee is now chaired by Datuk Poon Fook Loke, while the Development Committee is chaired by Ken Pereira.
The Umpires Board also saw a change with international umpire Amarjit Singh tasked to helm it, while Datuk Dr S.S. Cheema will chair the Medical Committee.
Tengku Abdullah, as promised after taking over the MHF, has made some drastic changes in coaching as well as the various committees which have been entrusted with taking Malaysia into the top-10 bracket in the world by the 2010 London Olympics.
Ernst & Young too strong
ERNST & Young whipped Royal Thai Airforce 13-2 and will meet Olympian Village Club of Pakistan in the final of the Asian Champion Clubs Cup at the Kuala Lumpur HA Stadium today.
And Adijon of Uzbekistan came back from a goal down to beat Singapore Recreation Club 2-1, and will meet Royal Thai Airforce in the third-fourth placing match.
Singapore scored off Baqir Ali in the 18th minute, but Uzbekistan equalised in the 22nd minute with a field effort from Sibqev Roman.
The winner was scored by Uzbek skipper Qalandarov Golib in the 37th minute.
RESULTS -- Group A: Ernst & Young 13 Royal Thai Airforce 2; Group B: Singapore Recreation Club 1 Adijon 2.
TODAY: Final -- Ernst & Young v Olympian Village Club (5.30pm); Third-Fourth: Adijon v Royal Thai Airforce (3pm).
Note: Matches at the KLHA Stadium in Japan Pantai.
And Adijon of Uzbekistan came back from a goal down to beat Singapore Recreation Club 2-1, and will meet Royal Thai Airforce in the third-fourth placing match.
Singapore scored off Baqir Ali in the 18th minute, but Uzbekistan equalised in the 22nd minute with a field effort from Sibqev Roman.
The winner was scored by Uzbek skipper Qalandarov Golib in the 37th minute.
RESULTS -- Group A: Ernst & Young 13 Royal Thai Airforce 2; Group B: Singapore Recreation Club 1 Adijon 2.
TODAY: Final -- Ernst & Young v Olympian Village Club (5.30pm); Third-Fourth: Adijon v Royal Thai Airforce (3pm).
Note: Matches at the KLHA Stadium in Japan Pantai.
Friday, November 14, 2008
Ernst & Young v Village Club final
NATIONAL Juniors whipped Royal Thai Airforce 13-0 in the Asian Champion Clubs Cup at the Kuala Lumpur HA Stadium yesterday, but will not be playing in the third-fourth placing match.
Ernst & Young, who beat the National Juniors 5-2 on Thursday, will meet Royal Thai Airforce today, and even if the Thailand club loses by 30-0, they will still play in the third- fourth placing match.
The Asian Hockey Federation (FIH) decided on this, as the juniors are only a wild card entry in the six-team tournament tournament.
Ernst & Young will meet Olympian Village Club of Pakistan, who beat Singapore Recreation Club 1-0 yesterday, in the final on Sunday.
But for the Juniors, even though the score-line looked impressive, but there was no reason top celebrate, as the Thailand team lacked quality while the Juniors fumbled more than a dozen open chances.
“Thailand is an average team, and even though my boys scored 13 goals, I am not impressed. I used all the reserves, and the fact that our goalkeeper did not have to pulloff any saves tells the story,” said Juniors coach K. Rajan.
The other side of the story is that the forwards, who will lead Malaysia’s charge in the Junior World Cup next year, lack the killer instinct when in the semi-circle.
“Yes, they fumbled many opportunities, and were not sharp in the semi-circle. I will work on that in the MHL (Malaysia Hockey League) as well as the friendlies lined-up before the World Cup,” said Rajan.
The Juniors who got their names on the score-sheet yesterday were Izwan Firdaus (16th, 23rd, 25th, 68th, 69th), R. Nadesh (37th), Faisal Kamarudin (39th, 44th), Ahmad Kazamirul (48th, 51st, 65th, 67th) and Azreen Rizal (52nd).
RESULTS -- Group A: Royal Thai Airforce 0 National Juniors 13; Group B: Singapore Recreation Club 0 Olympian Village Club 1.
Today: Group A: Ernst & Young v Royal Thai Airforce (3pm); Group B: Singapore Recreation Club v Adijon (5pm).
Tomorrow: Final -- 5pm; Third-Fourth: 3pm.
Ernst & Young, who beat the National Juniors 5-2 on Thursday, will meet Royal Thai Airforce today, and even if the Thailand club loses by 30-0, they will still play in the third- fourth placing match.
The Asian Hockey Federation (FIH) decided on this, as the juniors are only a wild card entry in the six-team tournament tournament.
Ernst & Young will meet Olympian Village Club of Pakistan, who beat Singapore Recreation Club 1-0 yesterday, in the final on Sunday.
But for the Juniors, even though the score-line looked impressive, but there was no reason top celebrate, as the Thailand team lacked quality while the Juniors fumbled more than a dozen open chances.
“Thailand is an average team, and even though my boys scored 13 goals, I am not impressed. I used all the reserves, and the fact that our goalkeeper did not have to pulloff any saves tells the story,” said Juniors coach K. Rajan.
The other side of the story is that the forwards, who will lead Malaysia’s charge in the Junior World Cup next year, lack the killer instinct when in the semi-circle.
“Yes, they fumbled many opportunities, and were not sharp in the semi-circle. I will work on that in the MHL (Malaysia Hockey League) as well as the friendlies lined-up before the World Cup,” said Rajan.
The Juniors who got their names on the score-sheet yesterday were Izwan Firdaus (16th, 23rd, 25th, 68th, 69th), R. Nadesh (37th), Faisal Kamarudin (39th, 44th), Ahmad Kazamirul (48th, 51st, 65th, 67th) and Azreen Rizal (52nd).
RESULTS -- Group A: Royal Thai Airforce 0 National Juniors 13; Group B: Singapore Recreation Club 0 Olympian Village Club 1.
Today: Group A: Ernst & Young v Royal Thai Airforce (3pm); Group B: Singapore Recreation Club v Adijon (5pm).
Tomorrow: Final -- 5pm; Third-Fourth: 3pm.
FIH release 20 for Junior World Cup
THE International Hockey Federation (FIH) released the list of teams playing in international tournaments next year and Malaysia have been relegated to play in Champions Challenge II.
And the sad part is, China and Canada are among the teams which will play in Champions Challenge I.
FIH also released 20 teams which will play in the Malaysia- Singapore Junior World Cup, with defending champions Argentina leading the charge. Australia and New Zealand only need to show up at the two-team Oceania Cup, and both will qualify.
Twenty teams, 10 in Malaysia and 10 in Singapore, will play in the Junior World Cup from
The six teams from Asia are both the hosts, India, Pakistan, South Korea and Japan. The groupings have yet to be released.
JUNIOR WORLD CUP TEAMS: 1 South Africa, 2 Egypt, 3 Malaysia, 4 Singapore, 5 India, 6 South Korea, 7 Pakistan, 8 Japan, 9 Spain, 10 Netherlands, 11 Germany, 12 Belgium, 13 England, 14 Poland, 15 Russia, 16 Argentina, 17 Chile, 18 USA, 19 Australia, 20 New Zealand.
Note: Australia and New Zealand need only to participate in the Junior Oceania Cup on Dec 11-14 to qualify.
CHAMPIONS CHALLENGE II TEAMS: 1 Japan, 2 Malaysia, 3 France, 4 Russia, 5 Ireland, 6 Poland, 7 Austria, 8 Chile, 9 Chile.
And the sad part is, China and Canada are among the teams which will play in Champions Challenge I.
FIH also released 20 teams which will play in the Malaysia- Singapore Junior World Cup, with defending champions Argentina leading the charge. Australia and New Zealand only need to show up at the two-team Oceania Cup, and both will qualify.
Twenty teams, 10 in Malaysia and 10 in Singapore, will play in the Junior World Cup from
The six teams from Asia are both the hosts, India, Pakistan, South Korea and Japan. The groupings have yet to be released.
JUNIOR WORLD CUP TEAMS: 1 South Africa, 2 Egypt, 3 Malaysia, 4 Singapore, 5 India, 6 South Korea, 7 Pakistan, 8 Japan, 9 Spain, 10 Netherlands, 11 Germany, 12 Belgium, 13 England, 14 Poland, 15 Russia, 16 Argentina, 17 Chile, 18 USA, 19 Australia, 20 New Zealand.
Note: Australia and New Zealand need only to participate in the Junior Oceania Cup on Dec 11-14 to qualify.
CHAMPIONS CHALLENGE II TEAMS: 1 Japan, 2 Malaysia, 3 France, 4 Russia, 5 Ireland, 6 Poland, 7 Austria, 8 Chile, 9 Chile.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Juniors lose out on experience
ERNST & YOUNG beat National Juniors 5-2 in the Asian Champion Clubs Cup at the Kuala Lumpur HA Stadium yesterday, but the score-line does not describe the match.
Ernst & Young took a 2-0 lead by the 23rd minute, but the National Juniors shocked the gallery by drawing level, only to lose out on inexperience.
Baljit Singh scored off a penalty corner attempt in the 17th minute, and Ismail Abu made it 2-0 with a field attempt in the 23rd minute, and the Juniors looked like they were heading for another 7-0 hiding like they did in the Malaysia Hockey League.
Juniors skipper Ahmad Kazamirul started a fight-back with a penalty corner goal in the 35th minute, and after the breather 16-year-old Kavin Kartik scored the equaliser in the 47th minute.
But that was as far as they went, as Ernst & Young who had 12 senior national players, showed more urgency and nailed three points with goals from Chua Boon Huat (52nd), Zulkifli Rejab (64th) and Baljit Singh closed accounts with a penalty stroke in the 65th minutes.
In another match, Olympian Village Club of Pakistan beat Adijon of Uzbekistan 3-0 with goals from Mahmood Ali (28th and 61st) and Muhammad Tousiq (38th).
But both the Pakistan and Uzbekistan tems looked like amateurs, and Ernst & Young should have no problems lifting the title on Sunday.
Malaysian Hockey Federation (MHF) president Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah watched the senior and junior teams in action for the first time, and felt there is room for improvement.
“My first impression after watching national juniors and seniors play is that both play attacking hockey and there is room for improvement, especially in fitness and strength,” said Tengku Abdullah.
He is still optimistic, that his target of taking Malaysia into the 10 to five bracket in the world by the 2012 London Olympics is achievable.
“With help from fitness coaches and nutritionist, I feel this team can improve further and MHF’s target is achievable.”
Tengku Abdullah, on his way out, was then shown the pathetic Education Ministry hockey pitch which looks more like an old carpet dump-site than a hockey pitch.
“This is a nice venue (the second pitch) and please bring it up in the council meeting (on Saturday) and lets see what can be done about it,” said Tengku Abdullah.
The Education Ministry pitch has been in a deplorable state for the past two years and millions have gone down the drain trying to repair it, but the the artificial turf refuses to stick, and keeps floating.
RESULTS -- Group A: Ernst & Young 5 National Juniors 2; Group B: Olympian Village Club 3 Adijon 0.
TODAY: Group A: Royal Thai Airforce v National Juniors (3pm); Group B: Singapore Recreation Club v Olympian Village Club (5pm).
Tomorrow: Group A: Ernst & Young v Royal Thai Airforce (3pm); Group B: Singapore Recreation Club v Adijon (5pm).
Sunday: Final -- 5pm; Third-Fourth: 3pm.
Ernst & Young took a 2-0 lead by the 23rd minute, but the National Juniors shocked the gallery by drawing level, only to lose out on inexperience.
Baljit Singh scored off a penalty corner attempt in the 17th minute, and Ismail Abu made it 2-0 with a field attempt in the 23rd minute, and the Juniors looked like they were heading for another 7-0 hiding like they did in the Malaysia Hockey League.
Juniors skipper Ahmad Kazamirul started a fight-back with a penalty corner goal in the 35th minute, and after the breather 16-year-old Kavin Kartik scored the equaliser in the 47th minute.
But that was as far as they went, as Ernst & Young who had 12 senior national players, showed more urgency and nailed three points with goals from Chua Boon Huat (52nd), Zulkifli Rejab (64th) and Baljit Singh closed accounts with a penalty stroke in the 65th minutes.
In another match, Olympian Village Club of Pakistan beat Adijon of Uzbekistan 3-0 with goals from Mahmood Ali (28th and 61st) and Muhammad Tousiq (38th).
But both the Pakistan and Uzbekistan tems looked like amateurs, and Ernst & Young should have no problems lifting the title on Sunday.
Malaysian Hockey Federation (MHF) president Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah watched the senior and junior teams in action for the first time, and felt there is room for improvement.
“My first impression after watching national juniors and seniors play is that both play attacking hockey and there is room for improvement, especially in fitness and strength,” said Tengku Abdullah.
He is still optimistic, that his target of taking Malaysia into the 10 to five bracket in the world by the 2012 London Olympics is achievable.
“With help from fitness coaches and nutritionist, I feel this team can improve further and MHF’s target is achievable.”
Tengku Abdullah, on his way out, was then shown the pathetic Education Ministry hockey pitch which looks more like an old carpet dump-site than a hockey pitch.
“This is a nice venue (the second pitch) and please bring it up in the council meeting (on Saturday) and lets see what can be done about it,” said Tengku Abdullah.
The Education Ministry pitch has been in a deplorable state for the past two years and millions have gone down the drain trying to repair it, but the the artificial turf refuses to stick, and keeps floating.
RESULTS -- Group A: Ernst & Young 5 National Juniors 2; Group B: Olympian Village Club 3 Adijon 0.
TODAY: Group A: Royal Thai Airforce v National Juniors (3pm); Group B: Singapore Recreation Club v Olympian Village Club (5pm).
Tomorrow: Group A: Ernst & Young v Royal Thai Airforce (3pm); Group B: Singapore Recreation Club v Adijon (5pm).
Sunday: Final -- 5pm; Third-Fourth: 3pm.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Dying MHL needs talent CPR
AT Least five Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) teams are in for a windfall, if the proposed plans to revive the dying league takes wing.
Newly elected Malaysian Hockey federation (MHF) pres ident Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, in his maiden speech, had said that MHL clubs will receive more attention, and their management will be turned professional with even club-houses being built and junior teams being formed.
The 2008-1010 MHF council will meet for the first time on Saturday, and states as well as clubs have been told to submit their plans as well as their problems.
The reality is that the MHL is almost a non-event, if one takes the six-team Division One as an example.
The league has just entered its return-leg, but Ernst & Young are already the run-away winners with 18 points after six matches, while Tenaga and Sapura are a distant nine points adrift.
Maybank, National Juniors and Nur-Isafi are just making up the numbers in Division One. And although the Penang- based Nur Insafi have spent good money to buy nine foreign players, they have lost all six of their matches to date.
The MHL, as recent as 10 years ago, used to be a close tournament with at least six teams going to the wire before the winner barely breaks free, but due to lack of caliber players, it is now a one-horse race.
The president was briefed about the MHL, before he made up his mind to accept nominations, and his first council meeting must start shaking and moving clubs.
The MHL fixtures are a clear indication of how pathetic the league is. The Six Division One teams are automatic quarter- finalists, while the top-two in Division Two will join the knock- out stage.
And going by current form, the two from Division Two will be knocked out early, and Ernst & Young will finally lift their maiden MHL double -- simply because they have 12 national players in their team, while there’s not enough quality players for the other teams to pick.
The talent pool has dried up, and action, not plans are needed to revive this once prestigious tournament.
Newly elected Malaysian Hockey federation (MHF) pres ident Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, in his maiden speech, had said that MHL clubs will receive more attention, and their management will be turned professional with even club-houses being built and junior teams being formed.
The 2008-1010 MHF council will meet for the first time on Saturday, and states as well as clubs have been told to submit their plans as well as their problems.
The reality is that the MHL is almost a non-event, if one takes the six-team Division One as an example.
The league has just entered its return-leg, but Ernst & Young are already the run-away winners with 18 points after six matches, while Tenaga and Sapura are a distant nine points adrift.
Maybank, National Juniors and Nur-Isafi are just making up the numbers in Division One. And although the Penang- based Nur Insafi have spent good money to buy nine foreign players, they have lost all six of their matches to date.
The MHL, as recent as 10 years ago, used to be a close tournament with at least six teams going to the wire before the winner barely breaks free, but due to lack of caliber players, it is now a one-horse race.
The president was briefed about the MHL, before he made up his mind to accept nominations, and his first council meeting must start shaking and moving clubs.
The MHL fixtures are a clear indication of how pathetic the league is. The Six Division One teams are automatic quarter- finalists, while the top-two in Division Two will join the knock- out stage.
And going by current form, the two from Division Two will be knocked out early, and Ernst & Young will finally lift their maiden MHL double -- simply because they have 12 national players in their team, while there’s not enough quality players for the other teams to pick.
The talent pool has dried up, and action, not plans are needed to revive this once prestigious tournament.
Juniors: Don't count us out
THE National Juniors coach K. Rajan sees his charges’ wild-card entry in to the Third Asian Champion Clubs Cup on Nov 13-16th at the Kuala Lumpur HA Stadium, as a challenge which they will stand up to.
The Juniors were invited to play in the tournament by the Asian Hockey Federation at the 11th-hour, so that two groups of three teams would play in the tournament which is being revived after a lapse of 15 years.
“The invitation came at the right time, as my players graph is on an upward trend in the MHL (Malaysia Hockey League).
“I believe, we will make an impact in the Club tournament, and even the outcome against Ernst & Young, our opening match, will be close,” said Rajan.
The Juniors are with Ernst & Young and Royal Thai Airforce in Group A, while in Group B are Olympian Village Club of Pakistan, Singapore Recreation Club and Adijon of Uzbek istan.
And the fact that Rajan will have all is players back, is another reason for his confidence.
“Seven players with other MHL teams are also back with me, and now they must fight to get their first-11 spot again.
“This is healthy competition, and I believe the players will give their best, because I aim to trim the number of trainees soon.”
The Juniors training squad, numbering 34, will be trimmed after December, and the MHL as well as the Asian Club tournament is a selection of sorts for the final Junior World Cup squad.
FIXTURES -- Thursday: Ernst & Young v National Juniors (5pm), Olympian Village Club v Adijon (7pm).
Friday: Royal Thai Airforce v National Juniors (5pm), Singapore Recreation Club v Olympian Village Club (7pm).
Saturday: Ernst & Young v Royal Thai Airforce (5pm), Singapore Recreation Club v Adijon (7pm).
Sunday: Final -- 5pm; Third-Fourth: 3pm.
The Juniors were invited to play in the tournament by the Asian Hockey Federation at the 11th-hour, so that two groups of three teams would play in the tournament which is being revived after a lapse of 15 years.
“The invitation came at the right time, as my players graph is on an upward trend in the MHL (Malaysia Hockey League).
“I believe, we will make an impact in the Club tournament, and even the outcome against Ernst & Young, our opening match, will be close,” said Rajan.
The Juniors are with Ernst & Young and Royal Thai Airforce in Group A, while in Group B are Olympian Village Club of Pakistan, Singapore Recreation Club and Adijon of Uzbek istan.
And the fact that Rajan will have all is players back, is another reason for his confidence.
“Seven players with other MHL teams are also back with me, and now they must fight to get their first-11 spot again.
“This is healthy competition, and I believe the players will give their best, because I aim to trim the number of trainees soon.”
The Juniors training squad, numbering 34, will be trimmed after December, and the MHL as well as the Asian Club tournament is a selection of sorts for the final Junior World Cup squad.
FIXTURES -- Thursday: Ernst & Young v National Juniors (5pm), Olympian Village Club v Adijon (7pm).
Friday: Royal Thai Airforce v National Juniors (5pm), Singapore Recreation Club v Olympian Village Club (7pm).
Saturday: Ernst & Young v Royal Thai Airforce (5pm), Singapore Recreation Club v Adijon (7pm).
Sunday: Final -- 5pm; Third-Fourth: 3pm.
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Asian Wild Card for Juniors
THE National Juniors received a wild card to play in the Third Asian Champion Clubs Cup on Nov 13-16th at the Kuala Lumpur HA Stadium.
Initially, the tournament was supposed to be a five-team affair, with Malaysia being represented by Ernst & Young, but the Juniors were roped in to make it more exciting.
In Group A are Ernst & Young, National Juniors and, Royal Thai Airforce, while in Group B are Olympian Village Club of Pakistan, Singapore Recreation Club and Adijon of Uzbek istan.
The tournament is being revived by the Asian Hockey Federation (AFH) after a 15-year lapse, and the champions will play in the World Club Championships in Barcelona in January.
But if the National Juniors win, they will not be eligible to play in Barcelona. The Juniors are currently in training for the 2009 Junior World Cup which Malaysia and Singapore will co-host in June next year.
The Champion Clubs Cup clashes with MHL, and so the local league will be extended by 10 days.
FIXTURES -- Nov 13: Ernst & Young v National Juniors (5pm), Olympian Village Club v Adijon (7pm).
Nov 14: Royal Thai Airforce v National Juniors (5pm), Singapore Recreation Club v Olympian Village Club (7pm).
Nov 15: Ernst & Young v Royal Thai Airforce (5pm), Singapore Recreation Club v Adijon (7pm).
Nov 16: Final -- 5pm; Third-Fourth: 3pm.
Initially, the tournament was supposed to be a five-team affair, with Malaysia being represented by Ernst & Young, but the Juniors were roped in to make it more exciting.
In Group A are Ernst & Young, National Juniors and, Royal Thai Airforce, while in Group B are Olympian Village Club of Pakistan, Singapore Recreation Club and Adijon of Uzbek istan.
The tournament is being revived by the Asian Hockey Federation (AFH) after a 15-year lapse, and the champions will play in the World Club Championships in Barcelona in January.
But if the National Juniors win, they will not be eligible to play in Barcelona. The Juniors are currently in training for the 2009 Junior World Cup which Malaysia and Singapore will co-host in June next year.
The Champion Clubs Cup clashes with MHL, and so the local league will be extended by 10 days.
FIXTURES -- Nov 13: Ernst & Young v National Juniors (5pm), Olympian Village Club v Adijon (7pm).
Nov 14: Royal Thai Airforce v National Juniors (5pm), Singapore Recreation Club v Olympian Village Club (7pm).
Nov 15: Ernst & Young v Royal Thai Airforce (5pm), Singapore Recreation Club v Adijon (7pm).
Nov 16: Final -- 5pm; Third-Fourth: 3pm.
Ernst & Young ahead by seven
ERNST & YOUNG edged Tenaga Nasional 3-2 to pull clear by seven points in Division One of the Malaysia Hockey League.
The match was an exciting affair, with Tenaga scoring first to send their fans into wild celebrations, but Tenaga fans turned unruly and hurled water bottles into the pitch when the final whistle blew, as they felt the umpires robbed them of a draw.
Tenaga scored off Fairuz Ramli in the fifth minute, but Baljit Singh scored the equaliser in the 19th minute. Ernst & Young started playing better after drawing level, and took the lead in the 42nd minute when Ismail Abu was on target.
Tenaga drew level in the 53rd minute off an Amin Rahim penalty corner effort, but the Ernst & Young winner was delivered by Sukri Abdul Jalil in the 58th minute.
And Tenaga had a golden opportunity to steal one point when they received a penalty corner with minutes left, but Amin’s push was deflected out by a defender, and the fans cried for the umpires blood as they felt the ball hit the defenders foot, and a penalty stroke should have been awarded.
Tenaga coach Lailin Abu Hassan had a heated talk with the umpires, but when asked what happened, he declined to comment.
“I will not comment on the umpires decision, but overall, the match was exciting, and we could have snatched a point and kept in contention for the return leg,” said Lailin.
Ernst & Young coach K. Dharmaraj was relieved as his team took a comfortable cushion into the return leg.
“We now have a good chance of retaining our league title, and even though we were lucky to win today (yesterday), still, the pressure will be less when we resume MHL play after we compete in the Asian Champion Clubs tournament (Nov 13- 16).”
The surprise package of the day were the National Juniors, who held Sapura 4-4.
RESULTS: Division One: Tenaga Nasional 2 Ernst & Young 3, National Juniors 4 Sapura 4, Maybank 5 Nur Insafi 2.
Division Two: Bukit Jalil 2 Border Forces Club 0, Bandar Penawar 5 Royal Malay Regiment 6, UNIMAP 1 Dolphins 5.
SUNDAY: Division One -- National Juniors v Tenaga Na sional (National Stadium I, 5pm), Nur Insafi v Ernst & Young (USM Stadium, 5pm), Sapura v Maybank (KLHA Stadium, 5pm).
Division Two: Alam Shah v Malay Regiment (National Stadium II, 5pm), Bukit Jalil Sports School v JLJ (Tun Razak Stadium, 5pm), Bandar Penawar Sports School v Border Forces Club (Bandar Penawar, 5pm), UiTM v UNIMAP (Pan damaran Stadium, 5pm).
DIVISION ONE
P W D L F A Pts
Ernst & Young 5 5 0 0 23 3 15
Sapura 5 2 2 1 13 10 8
Tenaga 5 2 2 1 11 9 8
Maybank 5 2 1 2 11 9 7
Nat Juniors 5 1 1 3 9 18 4
Nur Insafi 5 0 0 5 7 25 0
DIVISION TWO
P W D L F A Pts
RAMD 5 4 0 1 19 10 12
JLJ 4 3 0 1 9 5 9
Dolphins 5 2 2 1 20 9 8
UiTM 3 2 1 0 12 4 7
Bukit Jalil 4 2 1 1 6 2 7
Bandar Penawar 4 2 0 2 15 9 6
Alam Shah 4 1 1 2 9 10 4
UNIMAP 4 0 1 3 2 18 1
Border Forces 5 0 0 5 6 31 0
The match was an exciting affair, with Tenaga scoring first to send their fans into wild celebrations, but Tenaga fans turned unruly and hurled water bottles into the pitch when the final whistle blew, as they felt the umpires robbed them of a draw.
Tenaga scored off Fairuz Ramli in the fifth minute, but Baljit Singh scored the equaliser in the 19th minute. Ernst & Young started playing better after drawing level, and took the lead in the 42nd minute when Ismail Abu was on target.
Tenaga drew level in the 53rd minute off an Amin Rahim penalty corner effort, but the Ernst & Young winner was delivered by Sukri Abdul Jalil in the 58th minute.
And Tenaga had a golden opportunity to steal one point when they received a penalty corner with minutes left, but Amin’s push was deflected out by a defender, and the fans cried for the umpires blood as they felt the ball hit the defenders foot, and a penalty stroke should have been awarded.
Tenaga coach Lailin Abu Hassan had a heated talk with the umpires, but when asked what happened, he declined to comment.
“I will not comment on the umpires decision, but overall, the match was exciting, and we could have snatched a point and kept in contention for the return leg,” said Lailin.
Ernst & Young coach K. Dharmaraj was relieved as his team took a comfortable cushion into the return leg.
“We now have a good chance of retaining our league title, and even though we were lucky to win today (yesterday), still, the pressure will be less when we resume MHL play after we compete in the Asian Champion Clubs tournament (Nov 13- 16).”
The surprise package of the day were the National Juniors, who held Sapura 4-4.
RESULTS: Division One: Tenaga Nasional 2 Ernst & Young 3, National Juniors 4 Sapura 4, Maybank 5 Nur Insafi 2.
Division Two: Bukit Jalil 2 Border Forces Club 0, Bandar Penawar 5 Royal Malay Regiment 6, UNIMAP 1 Dolphins 5.
SUNDAY: Division One -- National Juniors v Tenaga Na sional (National Stadium I, 5pm), Nur Insafi v Ernst & Young (USM Stadium, 5pm), Sapura v Maybank (KLHA Stadium, 5pm).
Division Two: Alam Shah v Malay Regiment (National Stadium II, 5pm), Bukit Jalil Sports School v JLJ (Tun Razak Stadium, 5pm), Bandar Penawar Sports School v Border Forces Club (Bandar Penawar, 5pm), UiTM v UNIMAP (Pan damaran Stadium, 5pm).
DIVISION ONE
P W D L F A Pts
Ernst & Young 5 5 0 0 23 3 15
Sapura 5 2 2 1 13 10 8
Tenaga 5 2 2 1 11 9 8
Maybank 5 2 1 2 11 9 7
Nat Juniors 5 1 1 3 9 18 4
Nur Insafi 5 0 0 5 7 25 0
DIVISION TWO
P W D L F A Pts
RAMD 5 4 0 1 19 10 12
JLJ 4 3 0 1 9 5 9
Dolphins 5 2 2 1 20 9 8
UiTM 3 2 1 0 12 4 7
Bukit Jalil 4 2 1 1 6 2 7
Bandar Penawar 4 2 0 2 15 9 6
Alam Shah 4 1 1 2 9 10 4
UNIMAP 4 0 1 3 2 18 1
Border Forces 5 0 0 5 6 31 0
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Maybank banking on six points
MAYBANK will be in a fight to remain among the top three in Division One of the Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) this weekend.
After a promising start by their five national juniors, fourth-placed Maybank will find the going tough with three players injured.
“Two national juniors, Hang Edzhar and Shaheeb Shah, as well as key player Nor Ikram picked up injuries last weekend and will be out for at least two matches. Their absence will make our encounters against Nur Insafi and Sapura much tougher,” said Maybank coach S. Velappan.
“We need six points to remain among the top three when the return legs start.”
The coach also lamented that his five national juniors started off well but returned out-of-shape after the 10-day festival break.
The National Juniors are playing as an outfit in the MHL to prepare for the 2009 Junior World Cup, but Maybank have hired five who are not in the squad to beef up their challenge.
“Most of them (juniors) have their basics wrong, and their passes are not sharp which results in many overturns in the run of play. I have been working to improve on this and, hopefully, they will play better this weekend.” said Velappan.
FIXTURES — Today: Division One: Tenaga Nasional v Ernst & Young (KLHA Stadium, 7pm), National Juniors v Sapura (National Stadium, 7pm), Maybank v Nur Insafi (Seremban II, 5pm).
Division Two: Bukit Jalil v Border Forces Club (Tun Razak Stadium, 5pm), Bandar Penawar v Royal Malay Regiment (Bandar Penawar, 5pm), UiTM v JLJ (Pandamaran Stadium, 5pm), UNIMAP v Dolphins (Alor star, 5pm).
DIVISION ONE
P W D L F A Pts
Ernst & Young 4 4 0 0 20 1 12
Tenaga 4 2 2 0 9 6 8
Sapura 4 2 1 1 9 6 7
Maybank 4 1 1 2 6 7 4
Nat Juniors 4 1 0 3 5 14 3
Nur Insafi 4 0 0 4 5 20 0
DIVISION TWO
P W D L F A Pts
RAMD 4 3 0 1 13 5 9
JLJ 4 3 0 1 9 5 9
UiTM 3 2 1 0 12 4 7
Bandar Penawar 3 2 0 1 10 3 6
Dolphins 4 1 2 1 15 8 5
Bukit Jalil 3 1 1 1 4 2 4
Alam Shah 4 1 1 2 9 10 4
UNIMAP 3 0 1 2 1 13 1
Border Forces 4 0 0 4 6 29 0
After a promising start by their five national juniors, fourth-placed Maybank will find the going tough with three players injured.
“Two national juniors, Hang Edzhar and Shaheeb Shah, as well as key player Nor Ikram picked up injuries last weekend and will be out for at least two matches. Their absence will make our encounters against Nur Insafi and Sapura much tougher,” said Maybank coach S. Velappan.
“We need six points to remain among the top three when the return legs start.”
The coach also lamented that his five national juniors started off well but returned out-of-shape after the 10-day festival break.
The National Juniors are playing as an outfit in the MHL to prepare for the 2009 Junior World Cup, but Maybank have hired five who are not in the squad to beef up their challenge.
“Most of them (juniors) have their basics wrong, and their passes are not sharp which results in many overturns in the run of play. I have been working to improve on this and, hopefully, they will play better this weekend.” said Velappan.
FIXTURES — Today: Division One: Tenaga Nasional v Ernst & Young (KLHA Stadium, 7pm), National Juniors v Sapura (National Stadium, 7pm), Maybank v Nur Insafi (Seremban II, 5pm).
Division Two: Bukit Jalil v Border Forces Club (Tun Razak Stadium, 5pm), Bandar Penawar v Royal Malay Regiment (Bandar Penawar, 5pm), UiTM v JLJ (Pandamaran Stadium, 5pm), UNIMAP v Dolphins (Alor star, 5pm).
DIVISION ONE
P W D L F A Pts
Ernst & Young 4 4 0 0 20 1 12
Tenaga 4 2 2 0 9 6 8
Sapura 4 2 1 1 9 6 7
Maybank 4 1 1 2 6 7 4
Nat Juniors 4 1 0 3 5 14 3
Nur Insafi 4 0 0 4 5 20 0
DIVISION TWO
P W D L F A Pts
RAMD 4 3 0 1 13 5 9
JLJ 4 3 0 1 9 5 9
UiTM 3 2 1 0 12 4 7
Bandar Penawar 3 2 0 1 10 3 6
Dolphins 4 1 2 1 15 8 5
Bukit Jalil 3 1 1 1 4 2 4
Alam Shah 4 1 1 2 9 10 4
UNIMAP 3 0 1 2 1 13 1
Border Forces 4 0 0 4 6 29 0
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Ernst & Young thump Juniors
THE future of Malaysian hockey received a 7-0 drubbing from the present national squad when the National Juniors crumbled against Ernst & Young in Division One of the Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil yesterday.
The Juniors, preparing for the 2009 Junior Worls Cup which Malaysia and Singapore will co-host, played in patches, and bungled three attempts in the first half.
There was some good midfield play from the Juniors, but the forwards looked clueless when on the counter.
Ernst & Young, with almost the entire national team in their fold, scored an early goal which rattled the juniors.
Chua Boon Huat had an easy time scoring the first in the first minute, while a penalty stroke in the 10th minute was tucked in by Baljit Singh.
The third goal was scored by Nabil Fiqri in the 22nd minute, while in the second half, Chua (43rd), Baljit (51st), Ismail Abu (68th) and Nabil (69th) completed the drubbing.
In another Division One match, Maybank held Tenaga Nasional 2-2.
The Maybank goals were scored by Hafifihafiz Hanafi in the seventh and 47th minutes, while Tenaga got their goals off Fairuz Ramli in the 16th minute and Fazreen Eksan in the 50th minute.
"My boys gave too much respect to the seniors in E&Y and that is why their movements were stunted today (yesterday). It was a good hockey leason for them, and I will work to improve on the faults that were glaring in this match," said National Juniors coach K. Rajan.
The juniors complete their first leg fixtures against Sapura on Friday, where they are expected to face another torrid time.
"The team will be better prepared in the return leg, and I believe they will give every team a tougher time," said Rajan.
RESULTS -- Division One -- Tenaga Nasional 2 Maybank 2, Nur Insafi 2 Sapura 5, National Juniors 0 Ernst & Young 7. Division Two: Bukit Jalil SS 0 UiTM 1, Alam Shah School 1 UNIMAP 1, Border Forces Club 2 Dolphins 11, Royal Malay Regiment x JLJD x.
STANDINGS
DIVISION ONE
P W D L F A Pts
Ernst & Young 4 4 0 0 20 1 12
Tenaga 4 2 2 0 9 6 8
Sapura 4 2 1 1 9 6 7
Maybank 4 1 1 2 6 7 4
National Juniors 4 1 0 3 5 8 3
Nur Insafi 4 0 0 4 5 20 0
DIVISION TWO
P W D L F A Pts
JLJD 3 3 0 0 8 3 9
Malay Regiment 3 2 0 1 11 4 6
Bandar Penawar 3 2 0 1 10 3 6
UiTM 3 2 1 0 12 4 7
Dolphins 4 1 2 1 15 8 5
Bukit Jalil 3 1 1 1 4 2 4
Alam Shah 4 1 1 2 29 10 4
UNIMAP 3 0 1 2 1 13 1
Border Forces 4 0 0 4 6 29 0
The Juniors, preparing for the 2009 Junior Worls Cup which Malaysia and Singapore will co-host, played in patches, and bungled three attempts in the first half.
There was some good midfield play from the Juniors, but the forwards looked clueless when on the counter.
Ernst & Young, with almost the entire national team in their fold, scored an early goal which rattled the juniors.
Chua Boon Huat had an easy time scoring the first in the first minute, while a penalty stroke in the 10th minute was tucked in by Baljit Singh.
The third goal was scored by Nabil Fiqri in the 22nd minute, while in the second half, Chua (43rd), Baljit (51st), Ismail Abu (68th) and Nabil (69th) completed the drubbing.
In another Division One match, Maybank held Tenaga Nasional 2-2.
The Maybank goals were scored by Hafifihafiz Hanafi in the seventh and 47th minutes, while Tenaga got their goals off Fairuz Ramli in the 16th minute and Fazreen Eksan in the 50th minute.
"My boys gave too much respect to the seniors in E&Y and that is why their movements were stunted today (yesterday). It was a good hockey leason for them, and I will work to improve on the faults that were glaring in this match," said National Juniors coach K. Rajan.
The juniors complete their first leg fixtures against Sapura on Friday, where they are expected to face another torrid time.
"The team will be better prepared in the return leg, and I believe they will give every team a tougher time," said Rajan.
RESULTS -- Division One -- Tenaga Nasional 2 Maybank 2, Nur Insafi 2 Sapura 5, National Juniors 0 Ernst & Young 7. Division Two: Bukit Jalil SS 0 UiTM 1, Alam Shah School 1 UNIMAP 1, Border Forces Club 2 Dolphins 11, Royal Malay Regiment x JLJD x.
STANDINGS
DIVISION ONE
P W D L F A Pts
Ernst & Young 4 4 0 0 20 1 12
Tenaga 4 2 2 0 9 6 8
Sapura 4 2 1 1 9 6 7
Maybank 4 1 1 2 6 7 4
National Juniors 4 1 0 3 5 8 3
Nur Insafi 4 0 0 4 5 20 0
DIVISION TWO
P W D L F A Pts
JLJD 3 3 0 0 8 3 9
Malay Regiment 3 2 0 1 11 4 6
Bandar Penawar 3 2 0 1 10 3 6
UiTM 3 2 1 0 12 4 7
Dolphins 4 1 2 1 15 8 5
Bukit Jalil 3 1 1 1 4 2 4
Alam Shah 4 1 1 2 29 10 4
UNIMAP 3 0 1 2 1 13 1
Border Forces 4 0 0 4 6 29 0
Saturday, November 1, 2008
New man places old ideas on old horses
NEWLY elected Malaysian Hockey Federation (MHF) president Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah has set himself lofty targets, failing which he will vacate his seat without a fuss.
Among his targets is to see the 15th ranked national team team to break into the top-ten bracket by the 2012 London Olympics.
“Don’t judge me for who I am, make sure we all succeed to uplift the standard of administration and the sport. And if I can’t achieve what I set out for, don’t nominate me for another term,” was his frank advise to delegates.
Tengku Abdullah then whipped out a piece of paper, on which he had jotted down targets to achieve on the road to London.
“First of all, I will have two committees to advise and help achieve the targets set. One will be a Consultative Committee, and the other a Wawasan Committee.
“And I will appoint without prejudice or bias, those who are passionate, have ideas, and complaints about the current situation. The first member appointed is outgoing president Tan Sri Anwar (Mohd Nor) while the other members will be named at a later date.”
And in the Wawasan group will be former internationals, who had submitted a memorandum to the sports minister on how to elevate the standard of hockey.
“The Wawasan will be a study, a think tank and brain storming committee which will also include former in ternationals and the National Sports Council.”
Next on the list is to turn Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) top clubs into professional outfits.
“We will start with five clubs in the MHL (Malaysia Hockey League) and make them financially strong and have their own facilities. I would also expect them to take under their wings at least 150 juniors to strengthen their base, which in the long run will benefit the country.
“In football, we made the players professionals first, and then the clubs. It did not produce results, so we will do the reverse in hockey,” said Tengku Abdullah.
His plans for the MHL, and Razak Cup will need a concerted effort from states.
“I want to see active leagues in states, and there will be re- branding of the Razak Cup, and an Asean or Asian league to attract the sponsors.
“And as for grassroots, inter-school leagues will be revived and placed on our calendar, as I am looking for hockey to be played regularly at every level.”
There will also be two national teams so that competition will be keener among players, courses on sports man agement and sports science for former internationals at least twice a year to make them true professionals in managing all levels of the sport from the pitch to tournaments.
And his long term goals are to have an MHF complex, a nationwide turf campaign, including schools.
“MHF doesn’t even have a home, always tumpang (renting) so how can we become world class? We will work to have a complex to house our office, hockey pitches, an academy and other facilities.
“And I will work to have at least one turf, grass pitch or cement court in every parliament constituency, as the only way to re-brand the sport and make it into an industry.”
And his parting words were: “We have to believe in ourselves, and if I get the desired support from states, we will achieve most of the targets set.”
Among his targets is to see the 15th ranked national team team to break into the top-ten bracket by the 2012 London Olympics.
“Don’t judge me for who I am, make sure we all succeed to uplift the standard of administration and the sport. And if I can’t achieve what I set out for, don’t nominate me for another term,” was his frank advise to delegates.
Tengku Abdullah then whipped out a piece of paper, on which he had jotted down targets to achieve on the road to London.
“First of all, I will have two committees to advise and help achieve the targets set. One will be a Consultative Committee, and the other a Wawasan Committee.
“And I will appoint without prejudice or bias, those who are passionate, have ideas, and complaints about the current situation. The first member appointed is outgoing president Tan Sri Anwar (Mohd Nor) while the other members will be named at a later date.”
And in the Wawasan group will be former internationals, who had submitted a memorandum to the sports minister on how to elevate the standard of hockey.
“The Wawasan will be a study, a think tank and brain storming committee which will also include former in ternationals and the National Sports Council.”
Next on the list is to turn Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) top clubs into professional outfits.
“We will start with five clubs in the MHL (Malaysia Hockey League) and make them financially strong and have their own facilities. I would also expect them to take under their wings at least 150 juniors to strengthen their base, which in the long run will benefit the country.
“In football, we made the players professionals first, and then the clubs. It did not produce results, so we will do the reverse in hockey,” said Tengku Abdullah.
His plans for the MHL, and Razak Cup will need a concerted effort from states.
“I want to see active leagues in states, and there will be re- branding of the Razak Cup, and an Asean or Asian league to attract the sponsors.
“And as for grassroots, inter-school leagues will be revived and placed on our calendar, as I am looking for hockey to be played regularly at every level.”
There will also be two national teams so that competition will be keener among players, courses on sports man agement and sports science for former internationals at least twice a year to make them true professionals in managing all levels of the sport from the pitch to tournaments.
And his long term goals are to have an MHF complex, a nationwide turf campaign, including schools.
“MHF doesn’t even have a home, always tumpang (renting) so how can we become world class? We will work to have a complex to house our office, hockey pitches, an academy and other facilities.
“And I will work to have at least one turf, grass pitch or cement court in every parliament constituency, as the only way to re-brand the sport and make it into an industry.”
And his parting words were: “We have to believe in ourselves, and if I get the desired support from states, we will achieve most of the targets set.”
Azmi knocks out Tunku Majid
NUR Azmi Ahmad yanked the deputy president’s chair from Tunku Majid Sultan Iskandar with a 12-vote triumph during the Malaysian Hockey Federation (MHF) elections yesterday.
Azmi, a two-term vice president, garnered 26 votes to Tunku Majid’s 14. Initially, it was supposed to be a three-cornered fight, but Datuk Dr S.S. Cheema withdrew minutes before the elections to concentrate on his veep seat.
And the move paid off as Cheema retained his vice-president’s post for the fourth time when he received 19 votes. The other incumbents voted in again were Datuk Rahim Mohamed Ariff (29 votes), Datuk Sri Che Khalib Mohamed Noh (28 votes) and newcomer M. Gobinathan (25) from Negri Sembilan.
Incumbent treasurer S. Sanjilatheeban beat Abdul Rahman Shariff 29-11.
The election saw the entry of only two new faces — president Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah and Gobinathan.
The total number eligible votes was 42, with only TunkuMajid absent from yesterday’s proceedings.
MHF Council 2008-2010: President: Tengku Abdullah Sul tan Ahmad Shah (unopposed).
Deputy President: Nur Azmi Ahmad.
Vice-Presidents: Datuk Sri Che Khalib Mohamed Noh, Datuk Dr S.S. Cheema, Datuk Rahim Mohamed Ariff , M. Gobinathan.
Automatic Vice-presidents: Sabah -- Datuk Ramilee Mara haban; Sarawak: Datuk Bustari Yusof.
Secretary: Hashim Yusoff (unopposed).
Treasurer: S. Sanjilatheeban.
Azmi, a two-term vice president, garnered 26 votes to Tunku Majid’s 14. Initially, it was supposed to be a three-cornered fight, but Datuk Dr S.S. Cheema withdrew minutes before the elections to concentrate on his veep seat.
And the move paid off as Cheema retained his vice-president’s post for the fourth time when he received 19 votes. The other incumbents voted in again were Datuk Rahim Mohamed Ariff (29 votes), Datuk Sri Che Khalib Mohamed Noh (28 votes) and newcomer M. Gobinathan (25) from Negri Sembilan.
Incumbent treasurer S. Sanjilatheeban beat Abdul Rahman Shariff 29-11.
The election saw the entry of only two new faces — president Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah and Gobinathan.
The total number eligible votes was 42, with only TunkuMajid absent from yesterday’s proceedings.
MHF Council 2008-2010: President: Tengku Abdullah Sul tan Ahmad Shah (unopposed).
Deputy President: Nur Azmi Ahmad.
Vice-Presidents: Datuk Sri Che Khalib Mohamed Noh, Datuk Dr S.S. Cheema, Datuk Rahim Mohamed Ariff , M. Gobinathan.
Automatic Vice-presidents: Sabah -- Datuk Ramilee Mara haban; Sarawak: Datuk Bustari Yusof.
Secretary: Hashim Yusoff (unopposed).
Treasurer: S. Sanjilatheeban.
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