BJSS planning for JHL assault

BUKIT Jalil Sports School will field a young side in the Division One of the Malaysia Hockey League (MHL), with an eye to prepare a team for the Junior Hockey League (JHL) next year.
The MHL Division One tournament will start on Dec 3, with seven teams battling for honours. The top-two will qualify for the Premier Division quarter-finals, and also gain automatic entry into the higher division.
The seven aspirants this year are Ipoh City Council, Bandar Penawar Sports School, Bukit Jalil Sports School, Armed Forces Juniors, Universiti Tenaga Nasional, Universiti Sains Malaysia and Malacca Municipal Council.
BJSS will also be fielding a budding 16-year-old Chinese player, Thung Wei Chia, from Kelantan.
“Basically, 18 out of my 20 players will be eligible to compete in the JHL next season and that is our end target. The school will be exposing many new young players, so that they will be better prepared for the junior league,” said BJSS coach S. Prakash.
BJSS will open accounts against Armed Forces Juniors on Dec 3, and the League will end on Feb 25.
The Premier Division of the MHL will start on Dec 17.
“We have a relatively good side, but most of the lack exposure and that is why we are eager to see them in action in the MHL. Also, our Chinese payer Thung has proved to become a promising defender in friendlies, and the MHL will better prepare him to play in the JHL, just like the others,” said Prakash.
The current national seniors and juniors teams do not have a single Chinese player, with the last to represent Malaysian was Chua Boon Huat.
Thung is also the only Chines listed in the seven-team MHL Division One tournament.