About 2,000 fans watched Australia beat Chile 5-0 at the World Cup Qualifier, in Santiago.COMMENT
By Jugjet Singh
THE International Hockey Federation (FIH) are supposed to be the guardians of hockey around the globe, and their officials blind to colour and creed.
FIH officials are also expected to be the experts when it comes to drawing up fixtures in major tournaments, to make sure that no team is in a fix due to lack of rest or there is no fixing of matches to allow a favourite to sail away with gold.
The key word in both the above paragraphs is ‘supposed’ and FIH officials shot themselves on the foot when they drew up the second fixtures in the Women’s World Cup Qualifier in Chile, where Malaysia are also involved.
The first fixtures went up in smoke together with the volcano in Iceland which grounded air-travel and Malaysia, Scotland and Ireland could not make it in time for the tournament.
FIH then drew-up a second schedule, as only Chile and Australia were at the tournament grounds, while three other teams were stranded back home.
The FIH experts fixed Australia to play Chile first, and the Aussies drubbed the hosts 5-0. Then the experts gave the tournament a two-day rest, after which Malaysia were drawn to play three matches in a row with no rest.
In the same breath, FIH gave Australia a four-day rest before they meet a tired and exhausted Malaysia in their third match.
It is a norm, in any tournament, to allow any team, a days’ rest after playing two matches in a row and the FIH officials know it like the back of their hands.
But the supposedly brilliant minds in the parent body favoured Australia and Malaysia received the short end of the stick. Probably because Australia are ranked No 5 in the World while the Malaysian women No 22.
The Australians were forced to play in the Qualifier when they lost to World No 9 New Zealand in the Oceania tour nament.
Which means they are not unbeatable, and Malaysia, like any of the other teams in the Qualifier, have a shot at the glory of playing in the Argentina World Cup.
The Malaysian officials protested the second fixtures when they arrived in Chile, and interestingly, FIH agreed to draw- up a third fixture for the tournament.
And now, Malaysia will play two matches, take a day off and then play against Australia in the round-bobbin tournament which sees the most consistent team playing in the World Cup.
The Malaysian women went to New Zealand to play a few friendlies last month, and in the four matches against the NZ national team they lost 2- 0, 2-1, 2-0 and 4-0.
Considering NZ had beaten Australia, it can be concluded that the Malaysian women will give the Aussies a fight of their lives.
The national women meet Chile today, and if they can score five goals against the hosts, they will be on par with the Australians.
Japan qualified for the Argentina World Cup when they beat Azerbaijan in the Kazan Qualifier on Sunday. Japan are ranked No 8, while Azerbaijan No 14 in the World but the winning margin was only 1-0.
Hopefully, the Malaysian women take a leaf from their Asian sisters as well as Azerbaijan to return from Chile with at least a silver medal, if not the gold itself.
