Umpires Board strikes Nur Insafi

THE Malaysian Hockey Federation Umpires Board (MH FUB) yesterday strongly condemned Nur Insafi club pres ident M. Thaitchana over his statement on their umpires, calling it malicious and unprofessional.
Thaitchana had said that his team is being victimised by umpires in the Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) Premier Division matches, and if the MHF does not bring in foreign umpires next season, he will not field a team.
“As far as the MHFUB is concerned, the umpires appointed in the Premier League are the best available in the country, with a good reputation and with International standings with the FIH.
“The statement by Nur Insafi Club President (Thaitchana) at this late stage of the tournament lacks attitude, is ma licious and very unprofessional,” saif MHFUB chairman Amarjit Singh.
Thaitchana, who is also Nur Insafi coach, has hired 16 foreign players for the MHL, but after seven matches, they have only one draw and six defeats to show.
The coach had said that he has spent RM500,000 on the foreign players but the umpires have been dictation who wins: “We have been playing against 13 players, including two umpires, who dictate which team should win the match,” Thaitchana had said.
“After discussions and feedback from the other five teams, it has been accepted that the standard of umpiring in the Premier League has been up to mark as expected.
“The issue of biasness does not arise at all as all appointed umpires are neutral and have no personal agenda or interest in any of the teams.
“As such, hiring or appointing foreign umpires in this tournament does not arise at all,” said Amarjit.
“As the President of Nur Insafi has confessed in his statement that his team played most of their matches in rain which was not favourable to his foreign singings and that his players performance has been very poor, the umpires should not be made scapegoats or victims of their failure because of nature and poor performances at this late stage of the tournament,” added Amarjit.
Meanwhile, Nur Insafi will be without Pakistan penalty corner flicker Imran Warsi for the last three matches, as he went back on Monday.
Nur Insafi will play Maybank today, and UniKL-Ibil to morrow, and it looks like another uphill exercise for them at the Taman Daya Stadium in Johor Baru..
League leaders Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club, after a shock 1-1 darw with Maybank last weekend, will be looking to collect maximum points against UniKl-Ibil and Sapura.
TODAY: Tenaga Nasional v Sapura (4.30pm), Maybank v Nur Insafi (6.30pm), KL Hockey Club v UniKL-Ibil (8.30pm).
TOMORROW: Nur Insafi v UniKL-Ibil (4.30pm), Sapura v KL Hockey Club (6.30pm), Tenaga Nasional v Maybank (8.30pm).
All matches at the Taman Daya Stadium in Johor Baru.


STANDINGS

P W D L F A Pts
KLHC 7 6 1 0 25 8 19
TENAGA 7 5 0 2 19 7 15
MAYBANK 7 3 3 1 14 9 12
SAPURA 7 3 2 2 15 10 11
UNIKL 7 0 1 6 2 19 1
NUR INSAFI 7 0 1 6 8 30 1