MHF urged to stick with Rajan

THOUGH Malaysia failed to meet the target of reaching the semi-finals of the Junior World Cup and are reduced to fighting for 11th place today with Belgium, Johor HA president Tunku Majid Sultan Iskandar will propose to the Malaysian Hockey Federation (MHF) that K. Rajan be retained as Juniors coach.

Tunku Majid feels that Rajan, whose contract expires after the Junior World Cup, has done an excellent job in turning around a bunch of no-hopers into a fighting side in just eight months, and as such, he should be given the task of training a team for the 2013 Junior World Cup.

"I took him in to coach the Juniors when I was the president of the MHF, and back then, even I was worried that this bunch of Juniors could become better players in time for the World Cup.

"But Rajan has done an excellent job and the Johor HA will propose to the MHF council to offer him a contract to train the next Junior World Cup team," said Tunku Majid.

Rajan was the third coach hired to train the Juniors after two others quit because the boys were in such poor shape that beating Singapore was also an uphill task.
Even in March,when Rajan was rebuilding the team, his boys could only score a pathetic 2-1 win over Singapore in a friendly.

Last year, Tai Beng Hai, who is now coach of the national senior team, quit the Juniors team after they went on a losing spree of 30 friendly and tournament matches.