COMMENT
By Vijesh Rai
INCENTIVES have been announced, targets set and team officials finalised as the Malaysian Hockey Federation (MHF) eyes the 2012 London Olympics and the urgency is understandable for failure to qualify is not an option, not after having missed the last two Olympics.
Sydney 2000 was Malaysia's last appearance at the Olympics and MHF knows that not joining the world's best in London could well spell the end for the game in the country.
The players -- the main characters in the plot -- must understand this and vow to work hard and cut no corners for if they fail, they will go down in history as part of the reason why Malaysian hockey went from appearing at the highest of stages to disappearing completely.
This doesn't have to happen though for in winning silver at last year's Guangzhou Asian Games, the players proved that there is still hope for the sport but the challenge now is to translate this into brilliance.
It would have been a much easier task had MHF succeeded in securing the hosting of a Qualifier but it wasn't meant to be and the task now is to give undivided attention to sealing a place in London.
Malaysia are still in the dark as to which Qualifier they will play in -- Japan and India will host one each next year while the third has yet to be decided -- but that shouldn't be of concern for none will be easy.
MHF has done well in making early key decisions but that isn't enough for the players need to be pushed and playing in invitational tournaments and friendly matches alone won't be enough.
Sending the players abroad for playing stints with European clubs will help but what will really go a long way in making the task a little bit easier is for them to realise just how crucial it is for Malaysia to qualify for the Olympics.
Hockey is among the luckier sports for it isn't among those who have seen their funding from the National Sports Council reduced but this isn't necessarily a situation MHF will be in forever.
Other sports, including the hugely successful bowling, are having to cope with cuts and if hockey doesn't qualify for the Olympics, it will become increasingly hard for NSC to justify spending huge amounts on it.
More is set to be spent over the next year or so in the build-up to the Olympic Qualifier but the players have to account for the millions of Ringgit that have been budgeted for training, exposure and allowances for the Malaysian taxpayers expect returns on their investment.
MHF president Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah is leading by example and the fact that he has pledged to also contribute to the incentives announced is proof that he is committed to the MHF cause.
Though there is still room for improvement in the MHF set-up, Tengku Abdullah has done well since assuming the presidency, which has also silenced his doubters who felt that his passion for football would be at the expense of hockey.
Tengku Abdullah has played a key role in trying to bring hockey back to the masses -- the 1Mas Project and the MHL being shown live on Astro being part of the plan to make the sport boom again.
It won't be easy though and the near empty stadiums in which the MHL matches have been played in are proof of that as fans will only return in droves if the national team are successful.
The footballers have shown that this is exactly the case and the Olympic side's qualifier against Pakistan drew a reasonable turnout only because fans have started to believe again after the Laos Sea Games and AFF Cup triumphs.
For their efforts, the footballers have been well rewarded, there is renewed interest in the game and more money has been pledged to ensure the FA of Malaysia continues to progress.
Tengku Abdullah is trying to do the same with MHF but all the good work and pledge of incentives will mean nothing if the national hockey team are not in London come August 2012.
What will be worse is if this results in even more declining interest in the sport.
Only the players can prevent this.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Saturday, February 26, 2011
You May Bank on Sapura
KLHC skipper Azlan Misron receiving the League trophy from Malacca governor Tan Sri Khalil Yaakob. Pictures from www.tnbmhl.com.mySAPURA took it easy against Armed Forces-Airod but still won 5-1 in the final league match at the Premier Division of the Malaysia Hockey League in Malacca yesterday.
However, they might lose an influential player for the quarter-finals stage to the Police force.
Even though the top-three positions were already sealed before the Malacca fixtures, but the quarter-finalists took them seriously as a warm-up.
League champions Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) pocketed RM60,000, second placed Tenaga Nasional RM40,00 and third placed Sapura RM30,000.
There was another winner yesterday, when national No 1 goalkeeper S. Kumar, playing for Tenaga, received an incentive of RM5,000 for being named as the Best Player in Asia by the Asian Hockey Federation recently.
Sapura, 2005 and 2006 Overall champions, have a good chance of reaching the semi-finals as they play Maybank, whom they beat 2-0 and 4-0 in the League.
However, Sapura might feel a void in the knock-out, as national player Jivan Mohan has joined the Police force, and will be reporting for training on March 1.
“Jivan will be reporting for training at the end of the month, and we might lose him for the last-eight. However, we are hoping to get a special release for him, and are keeping our fingers crossed,” said Sapura coach I. Vickneswaran.
Sapura had the better of Maybank in the League but: “Although we beat them on both occasions in the League, I believe the knock-out will be a different match all together. Maybank have the players to cause an upset, and we will not take them lightly.”
KLHC are virtually assured of a semis spot, as they play Bandar Penawar Sports School, while Tenaga Nasional will also have an easy time as they meat Armed Forces Juniors.
The only well balanced match will be between Yayasan Negri Sembilan v UniKL, which might go to the wire.
PREMIER DIVISION: RESULTS -- UniKL 3 UiTm 0, May bank 3 Yayasan Negri Sembilan 5, Sapura 5 Armed Forces- Airod 1, Tenaga Nasional 0 Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club 3.
TNB CUP -- Quarter-finals (first leg): March 4 -- Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club v Bandar Penawar Sports School (Tun RAzak, 4pm), Yayasan Negri Sembilan v UniKL (Tun Razak, 6pm), Sapura v Maybank (Tun Razak, 8pm), Armed Forces Juniors v Tenaga Nasional (KLHA, 5pm).
March 6 (second leg): Tenaga Nasional v Armed Forces Juniors (Tun Razak, 4pm), Maybank v Sapura (Tun Razak, 6pm), UniKL v Yayasan Negri Sembilan (Tun Razak, 8pm), Bandar Penawar Sports School v Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHA, 5pm).
FINAL STANDINGS
PREMIER DIVISION
P W D L F A Pt
KLHC 16 14 1 1 75 20 43
TNB 16 11 1 4 46 20 34
SAPURA 16 11 0 5 48 29 33
UNIKL 16 9 3 4 30 27 30
YNS 16 8 0 8 49 44 24
MAYBANK 16 4 3 9 21 30 15
NUR INSAFI 16 4 2 10 27 51 14
UITM 16 3 0 13 21 53 9
ATM 16 3 0 13 19 62 9
DIVISION ONE
P W D L F A Pt
ATM JNR 12 9 2 1 31 12 29
BPSS 12 8 0 4 27 19 24
BJSS 12 7 1 4 33 15 22
MALACCA CC 12 5 1 6 16 16 16
IPOH CH 12 4 3 5 19 24 15
USM 12 3 0 9 18 36 9
UNITEN 12 1 3 8 12 34 6
Money for nothing, and chicks for free...
NATIONAL hockey players stand to pocket at least RM20,000 each if they qualify for the London 2010 Olympics.The Malaysian Hockey Federation (MHF) council yesterday endorsed this barrel of cookies as an added incentive, as Malaysia last played in the Sydney 2000 Olympics.
“The council today (yesterday) endorsed RM1,000 per player for each win in the Olympics Qualifier, and if Malaysia qualify, there is an added RM15,000 bonus for each player,” said MHF secretary Maninderjit Singh after MHF held their council meeting in Malacca yesterday.
MHF will foot 50 per cent of the incentive bill, while the remainder will come from their president Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah.
And there is also a major change in the coaching structure, as Tai Beng Hai was elevated from assistant to his old post of chief coach for the senior side.
Stephen van Huizen was elevated to National Team Co ordinator and Coaching Chief.
“Stephen will also play the role of team manager when none is available, but the selection still lies with the various age-group coaches,” said Maninderjit.
Beng Hai’s assistant will be Nor Saiful Zaini, while the team managers appointed are George Koshy and M. Gobinathan.
MHF also set targets to achieve, with the first is to finish top-four in the Azlan Shah Cup, and then top-five in the Champions Challenge in South Africa.
Mirnawan Nawawi will remain as team manager and advisor for the 2013 Project Squad, while the coaches will be K. Dharmaraj, K. Gobinathan and Nor Azlan Bakar.
As for the 2017 team, Paul Lissek will be the consultant, while the chief coach will be Lim Chiow Chuan, assisted by Lailin Abu Hassan.
The council also set clear national team Code-of-Conduct with specific punishment for abuse of drugs, and getting involved in betting and gaming syndicates.
Friday, February 25, 2011
BPSS seal last quarter spot
BANDAR Penawar Sports School (BPSS) completed the TNB Cup quarter-finals line-up when they edged Army Juniors 3-2 in Division One of the Malaysia Hockey League.
Playing at the Tun Razak Stadium, BPSS made a late surge in the last four minutes of the match to seal a spot in the last- eight but it came with a hefty price of playing Premier Division champions Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club.
Bukit Jalil Sports School, who were hoping BPSS fumble and hand them the quarters ticket, beat UNiTen 6-1 but their dreams were shattered.
The other quarter-finals line-up is between Tenaga Na sional-Armed Forces Juniors, Sapura-Maybank and Yayasan Negri Sembilan-UniKL.
The first leg will be on March 4 while the return leg on March 6, with three matches at the Tun Razak Stadium, and one at the KLHA Stadium.
BPSS coach Wan Roslan said now that they have achieved their target, they will play to keep the score down.
“Our target was to play in the last-eight and qualify for the Premier Division next season and we achieved it. And now, we will play top keep the score down, as KLHC are in the league of their own,” admitted Roslan.
The other lopsided quarter-finals will be between Tenaga Nasional and Armed Forces Juniors.
Army won nine, drew two and lost only one in Division one, but they are a poor mismatch against Charity Shield holders Tenaga.
“We need to buck up in defense, as our four defeats were the result of poor marking. And we can’t afford that against a team like KLHC.”
BPSS took the lead off Syafik Nordin in the third minute, but then let in two quick goals which were scored by Junaidi Ghazali in the 55th and Khairi Mansor in the 60th minute.
However, a fight-back in the 64th minute saw Amir Zulkarnain equalising, while Afzanizam Zakaria scord the winner for BPSS in the 67th minute.
Today, the Premier Division teams will complete their fixtures in Malacca, but all the matches have no bearing, except for the KLHC-TNB match.
KLHC lost the Charity Shield to TNB, their only defeat this season, and it could turn into a sizzling affair.
DIVISION ONE -- Results: Bukit Jalil Sports School 6 UniTen 1, Armed Forces Juniors 2 Bandar Penawar Sports School 3.
PREMIER DIVISION: TODAY -- UniKL v UiTm (5pm), Maybank v Yayasan Negri Sembilan (4pm), Sapura v Armed Forces-Airod (6pm), Tenaga Nasional v Kuala Lumpur Hock ey Club (8pm).
* All matches at the Malacca Stadium.
PREMIER DIVISION
P W D L F A Pt
KLHC 15 13 1 1 72 20 40
TNB 15 11 1 3 46 17 34
SAPURA 15 10 0 5 43 28 30
UNIKL 15 8 3 4 27 27 27
YNS 15 7 0 8 44 41 21
MAYBANK 15 4 3 8 18 25 15
NUR INSAFI 16 4 2 10 27 51 14
UITM 15 3 0 12 21 50 9
ATM 15 3 0 12 18 57 9
DIVISION ONE
P W D L F A Pt
ATM JNR 12 9 2 1 31 12 29
BPSS 12 8 0 4 27 19 24
BJSS 12 7 1 4 33 15 22
MALACCA CC 12 5 1 6 16 16 16
IPOH CH 12 4 3 5 19 24 15
USM 12 3 0 9 18 36 9
UNITEN 12 1 3 8 12 34 6
Playing at the Tun Razak Stadium, BPSS made a late surge in the last four minutes of the match to seal a spot in the last- eight but it came with a hefty price of playing Premier Division champions Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club.
Bukit Jalil Sports School, who were hoping BPSS fumble and hand them the quarters ticket, beat UNiTen 6-1 but their dreams were shattered.
The other quarter-finals line-up is between Tenaga Na sional-Armed Forces Juniors, Sapura-Maybank and Yayasan Negri Sembilan-UniKL.
The first leg will be on March 4 while the return leg on March 6, with three matches at the Tun Razak Stadium, and one at the KLHA Stadium.
BPSS coach Wan Roslan said now that they have achieved their target, they will play to keep the score down.
“Our target was to play in the last-eight and qualify for the Premier Division next season and we achieved it. And now, we will play top keep the score down, as KLHC are in the league of their own,” admitted Roslan.
The other lopsided quarter-finals will be between Tenaga Nasional and Armed Forces Juniors.
Army won nine, drew two and lost only one in Division one, but they are a poor mismatch against Charity Shield holders Tenaga.
“We need to buck up in defense, as our four defeats were the result of poor marking. And we can’t afford that against a team like KLHC.”
BPSS took the lead off Syafik Nordin in the third minute, but then let in two quick goals which were scored by Junaidi Ghazali in the 55th and Khairi Mansor in the 60th minute.
However, a fight-back in the 64th minute saw Amir Zulkarnain equalising, while Afzanizam Zakaria scord the winner for BPSS in the 67th minute.
Today, the Premier Division teams will complete their fixtures in Malacca, but all the matches have no bearing, except for the KLHC-TNB match.
KLHC lost the Charity Shield to TNB, their only defeat this season, and it could turn into a sizzling affair.
DIVISION ONE -- Results: Bukit Jalil Sports School 6 UniTen 1, Armed Forces Juniors 2 Bandar Penawar Sports School 3.
PREMIER DIVISION: TODAY -- UniKL v UiTm (5pm), Maybank v Yayasan Negri Sembilan (4pm), Sapura v Armed Forces-Airod (6pm), Tenaga Nasional v Kuala Lumpur Hock ey Club (8pm).
* All matches at the Malacca Stadium.
PREMIER DIVISION
P W D L F A Pt
KLHC 15 13 1 1 72 20 40
TNB 15 11 1 3 46 17 34
SAPURA 15 10 0 5 43 28 30
UNIKL 15 8 3 4 27 27 27
YNS 15 7 0 8 44 41 21
MAYBANK 15 4 3 8 18 25 15
NUR INSAFI 16 4 2 10 27 51 14
UITM 15 3 0 12 21 50 9
ATM 15 3 0 12 18 57 9
DIVISION ONE
P W D L F A Pt
ATM JNR 12 9 2 1 31 12 29
BPSS 12 8 0 4 27 19 24
BJSS 12 7 1 4 33 15 22
MALACCA CC 12 5 1 6 16 16 16
IPOH CH 12 4 3 5 19 24 15
USM 12 3 0 9 18 36 9
UNITEN 12 1 3 8 12 34 6
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Kaymer for Maybank Malaysian Open
MAYBANK today announced that German golf sensation, Martin Kaymer will add to the headlines of the 156-men playing field at the Maybank Malaysian Open 2011 alongside South Africa’s Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel and Ireland’s Rory McIlroy at the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club from 14 -17 April 2011.Kaymer, 26, is currently ranked no. 2 in the world after recently claiming his third Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship title in four years to add to his three individual titles in 2010. He was also a member of the winning European Ryder Cup Team. He became the first player since Tiger Woods in 2006 to win three successive tournaments in a year and the first European to achieve this feat since Nick Faldo in 1989.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Shallow talent pool
Comment by Jugjet Singh
GOOD hockey players are a dying breed in Malaysia — as they say “figures do not lie, while liars do not figure” and that says it all.
Malaysian Hockey Federation (MHF) statistics for both the Premier Division and Division One spells it out boldly that if there was no infusion of foreign players, the Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) would have been a two-horse affair after the first round.
Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) and Tenaga Nasional finished 1-2 respectively after they had signed the lion’s share of national players.
KLHC also had two good buys in former national players Ismail Abu (10 goals) and Chua Boon Huat (13) who contributed 23 out of their 72 total.
They also had national No 2 penalty corner flicker Razie Rahim to thank as his 20 goals virtually sealed the title for them.
Tenaga Nasional, who scored a total of 46 goals, relied heavily on national No 1 penalty corner flicker Amin Rahim who scored 17. National player Faizal Saari was the next best for TNB, with nine goals.
With the local goal-scoring machines booked, that left teams like Sapura, UniKL, Yayasan Negri Sembilan and Nur Insafi with no choice but to source for import players as the leftovers were either over the hill, or making their debut in the MHL.
And that was the major grouse of almost all MHL coaches as they know that the situation will be the same next season.
The scene in Division One is worse and can be likened to a ‘B’ Grade movie, as Army Juniors are just an average team but managed to win the League title without a single defeat but it came with a heavy price. They must play Tenaga Nasional in the quarter-finals.
One does not need to be Nostradamus to predict that it is going to be a lop-sided match with TNB having a heavy advantage.
The second spot in Division One is a toss between the Bukit Jalil and Bandar Penawar sports schools in the last fixtures on Friday, but joy will be short-lived as the winners must play KLHC in the last eight — where nothing but a drubbing awaits the school boys.
UiTM and Armed Forces-Airod, who gained promotion last season, find themselves back in Division One for next year after finishing eighth and ninth respectively in their Premier debut.
And the two teams who will be promoted next year, will again face a torrid time in the Premier Division as nothing but defeats and relegation await them as there will again be insufficient good local talent for them to form decent sides.
The future of the MHL is predictable, as figures do not lie.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Sports Schools in race for second spot
IT WILL be a race of the sports schools next weekend to see who finishes second in Division One and qualify for the quarter-finals of the Malaysia Hockey League.
Armed Forces Juniors, who already cemented the top spot last weekend, took it easy against bottom placed UniTen and played to a 2-2 draw yesterday.
However, Bukit Jalil Sports School (BJSS) beat Malacca City Council 3-1, while Bandar Penawar Sports School (BPSS) beat Universiti Sains Malaysia 3-2 to take the second spot battle to the wire on Friday.
BPSS now have 21 points, while BJSS 19 and they will be playing Army Juniors and UniTen to set-up a date with League champions Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) in the last eight.
Division one champions Army Juniors have already sealed their fate against Charity Shield champions Tenaga Nasional in the quarter-finals.
And in the Premier Division, it will be a holiday in Malacca for the top-two teams, as they have already sealed their fates with one match to spare.
But the Tenaga Nasional v Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club match could turn out to be a thriller, as both teams prepare for the knock-out and KLHC having a score to settle for losing the Charity Shield to the utility giants in the first match of the season.
KLHC received RM60,000 for winning the title, while Tenaga Nasional RM40,000 for finishing second.
“My players not only deserve credit for winning the League title, but also the money that came with it. KLHC will not take a cut, and the players and team management will share all the spoils,” said KLHC team manager George Koshy.
With money in the bag, KLHC players will now strive to seal the TNB Cup title as well, as the club has five League titles but only one Overall title to show.
DIVISION ONE: Results: Malacca CC 1 Bukit Jalil Sports School 3, Universiti Sains Malaysia 2 Bandar Penawar Sports School 3, UniTen 2 Armed Forces Juniors 2.
Feb 25: Bukit Jalil Sports School v UniTen (Ministry of Education Stadium, 5pm), Armed Forces Juniors v Bandar Penawar Sports School (Tun Razak Stadium, 5pm).
PREMIER DIVISION: Feb 26 -- UniKL v UiTm (5pm), Maybank v Yayasan Negri Sembilan (4pm), Sapura v Armed Forces-Airod (6pm), Tenaga Nasional v Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (8pm).
PREMIER DIVISION
P W D L F A Pt
KLHC 15 13 1 1 72 20 40
TNB 15 11 1 3 46 17 34
SAPURA 15 10 0 5 43 28 30
UNIKL 15 8 3 4 27 27 27
YNS 15 7 0 8 44 41 21
MAYBANK 15 4 3 8 18 25 15
NUR INSAFI 16 4 2 10 27 51 14
UITM 15 3 0 12 21 50 9
ATM 15 3 0 12 18 57 9
DIVISION ONE
P W D L F A Pt
ATM JNR 11 9 2 0 29 9 29
BPSS 11 7 0 4 24 17 21
BJSS 11 6 1 4 27 14 19
MALACCA CC 12 5 1 6 16 16 16
IPOH CH 12 4 3 5 19 24 15
USM 12 3 0 9 18 36 9
UNITEN 11 1 3 7 11 28 6
Armed Forces Juniors, who already cemented the top spot last weekend, took it easy against bottom placed UniTen and played to a 2-2 draw yesterday.
However, Bukit Jalil Sports School (BJSS) beat Malacca City Council 3-1, while Bandar Penawar Sports School (BPSS) beat Universiti Sains Malaysia 3-2 to take the second spot battle to the wire on Friday.
BPSS now have 21 points, while BJSS 19 and they will be playing Army Juniors and UniTen to set-up a date with League champions Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) in the last eight.
Division one champions Army Juniors have already sealed their fate against Charity Shield champions Tenaga Nasional in the quarter-finals.
And in the Premier Division, it will be a holiday in Malacca for the top-two teams, as they have already sealed their fates with one match to spare.
But the Tenaga Nasional v Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club match could turn out to be a thriller, as both teams prepare for the knock-out and KLHC having a score to settle for losing the Charity Shield to the utility giants in the first match of the season.
KLHC received RM60,000 for winning the title, while Tenaga Nasional RM40,000 for finishing second.
“My players not only deserve credit for winning the League title, but also the money that came with it. KLHC will not take a cut, and the players and team management will share all the spoils,” said KLHC team manager George Koshy.
With money in the bag, KLHC players will now strive to seal the TNB Cup title as well, as the club has five League titles but only one Overall title to show.
DIVISION ONE: Results: Malacca CC 1 Bukit Jalil Sports School 3, Universiti Sains Malaysia 2 Bandar Penawar Sports School 3, UniTen 2 Armed Forces Juniors 2.
Feb 25: Bukit Jalil Sports School v UniTen (Ministry of Education Stadium, 5pm), Armed Forces Juniors v Bandar Penawar Sports School (Tun Razak Stadium, 5pm).
PREMIER DIVISION: Feb 26 -- UniKL v UiTm (5pm), Maybank v Yayasan Negri Sembilan (4pm), Sapura v Armed Forces-Airod (6pm), Tenaga Nasional v Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (8pm).
PREMIER DIVISION
P W D L F A Pt
KLHC 15 13 1 1 72 20 40
TNB 15 11 1 3 46 17 34
SAPURA 15 10 0 5 43 28 30
UNIKL 15 8 3 4 27 27 27
YNS 15 7 0 8 44 41 21
MAYBANK 15 4 3 8 18 25 15
NUR INSAFI 16 4 2 10 27 51 14
UITM 15 3 0 12 21 50 9
ATM 15 3 0 12 18 57 9
DIVISION ONE
P W D L F A Pt
ATM JNR 11 9 2 0 29 9 29
BPSS 11 7 0 4 24 17 21
BJSS 11 6 1 4 27 14 19
MALACCA CC 12 5 1 6 16 16 16
IPOH CH 12 4 3 5 19 24 15
USM 12 3 0 9 18 36 9
UNITEN 11 1 3 7 11 28 6
That's the spirit mate...
By: 02/19/11 6:39 PM 
By: AP Photo/Jon Super
A splinter is seen through the leg of Malaysia's Azizulhasni Awang after a crash in the Men's Keirin Final during the Track Cycling World Cup at the National Cycling Centre, Manchester, England, Saturday Feb. 19, 2011. Awang finished third in the race.
Azizulhasni Awang won a bronze medal at cycling's Track World Cup, and boy, did he ever earn it.
The Malaysian rider managed to get back on his bike after a dramatic crash in Saturday's Keirin final and stagger across the line, but it was only afterward that the full extent of his injury became clear.
Pictures showed a large splinter of wood had gone right through his left calf.
Awang was promoted to third after Spanish rider Juan Peralta Gascon was disqualified. But Awang missed his moment on the podium because he was on his way to a hospital.
Keevan loses cool, Maybank seal spot
Nur Insafi’s K. Keevan Raj (centre) has a go at umpire K. Lingam in the MHL match yesterday. — Picture by Fariz Iswadi Ismail.MAYBANK squeezed into the quarter-finals of the Malaysia Hockey League when they beat Nur Insafi 4-1 at the Tun Razak Stadium yesterday.
The Tigers cemented the sixth and final qualifying spot from the Premier Division with the win.
From Division One, Armed Forces Juniors qualified for the last eight by becoming champions, while Bandar Penawar, Bukit Jalil and Malacca are in the running for the last spot.
The other quarter-finals qualifiers are Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club, Tenaga Nasional, Sapura, UniKL and Yayasan Negri Sembilan.
Tenaga Nasional sealed second spot and the RM40,000 cash prize.
The Maybank-Nur Insafi match went smoothly, until the 67th minute when K. Keevan Raj, a former national player, was flashed the green card by umpire K. Lingam.
Nur Insafi's Keevan then had argument with Lingam, who flashed him the red card, which resulted in the player charging at the umpire and there was chaos for a few minutes.
Players from both sides had to restrain Keevan from attacking the umpire, and the player was escorted off the pitch.
Nur Insafi shocked Maybank with a 27th minute goal by Nur Hrsikesa but collapsed when Engku Malek scored the equaliser in the 30th minute.
The other three goals came easy with Hairul Nizam notching a hat-trick of penalty corner goals in the 48th, 56th and 65th minutes.
"It was a difficult win, as Nur Insafi also had their chances but failed to convert.
"However, now that this is over, we have two weeks to plan for the quarter-finals," said a relieved Maybank coach Wallace Tan.
Maybank still have one League match -- against Yayasan Negri Sembilan in Malacca, but it is a match of no consequences for both teams.
PREMIER DIVISION -- RESULTS Nur Insafi 1 Maybank 4, UiTM 0 Tenaga Nasional 4, Armed Forces-Airod 1 Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club 7, UniKL 2 Sapura 4.
DIVISION ONE: Today: Malacca CC v Bukit Jalil Sports School (Malacca, 5pm), Universiti Sains Malaysia v Bandar Penawar Sports School (USM, 5pm), UniTen v Armed Forces Juniors (KLHA, 5pm).
PREMIER DIVISION
P W D L F A Pt
KLHC 15 13 1 1 72 20 40
TNB 15 11 1 3 46 17 34
SAPURA 15 10 0 5 43 28 30
UNIKL 15 8 3 4 27 27 27
YNS 15 7 0 8 44 41 21
MAYBANK 15 4 3 8 18 25 15
NUR INSAFI 16 4 2 10 27 51 14
UITM 15 3 0 12 21 50 9
ATM 15 3 0 12 18 57 9
DIVISION ONE
P W D L F A Pt
ATM JNR 10 9 1 0 27 7 28
BPSS 10 6 0 4 21 15 18
BJSS 10 5 1 4 24 13 16
MALACCA CC 11 5 1 5 15 13 16
IPOH CH 12 4 3 5 19 24 15
USM 11 3 0 8 16 33 9
UNITEN 10 1 2 7 9 26 5
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Nur Insafi see red, out of last eight
UMPIRE K. Lingam trying to restrain Nur Insafi's K. Keevan Raj from attacking him in the match against Maybank at the Tun Razak Stadium. Keevan was flashed the red card, and his team lost 4-1 and were bundled out of the quarter-finals.
KLHC lift League title with 2spares
KUALA Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) were made to
sweat for 37 minutes, before Nur Insafi cracked 5-0
to hand them their sixth League title in the Premier
Division of the Malaysia Hockey League yesterday.
Four of the titles (three League and one Overall)
came under the Ernst & Young banner, while the
other two League titles from the evolved KLHC.
The League title and RM60,000 was won with two
matches to spare, against Armed Froces-Airod
today and Tenaga Nasional next weekend.
However, KLHC must have broken into cold
sweat in the dressing room, as the score stood at
0-0 at the half-time hooter.
But former national player Chua Boon Huat gave
them a lifeline with a 37th minute field goal, his
13th this season, and forced the flood-gates open
wide.
The other goals came easy with Tengku Ahmad
Tajuddin scoring back-to-back in the 39th and 45th
minutes, while Amerullah Aziz (50th) and Ahmad
Anuar (55th).
KLHC team manager George Koshy was a little
worried initially, but a half-time lecture in the
dressing room did the trick.
"It was close in the first half as Nur Insafi had
their chances, but a 'good lecture' in the dressing
room woke them up and now we will have to work
towards lifting the Overall title," said George.
On players: "Chua and Ismail (Abu) who are both
former players, contributed immensely in our
campaign and took some of the burden off the
regular goalscorers in the national team like
Tengku (Ahmad Tajuddin)," said George.
"We expected a defeat anyway as KLHC are too
strong for any team in this tournament, and are not
overly worried, as our target is to beat Maybank
(today) and confirm our spot in the quarter-finals,"
said team manager S. Thaitchana.
The first match saw a bizzare ending as
bottom-of-the-table UiTM beat Yayasan Negri
Sembilan (YNS) 3-2 in a rain interrupted match.
Torrential rain stopped play in the 45th minute,
and UiTM were spared the agony of playing the
remaining 25 minutes because they only had two
reserves as eight players could not make it for the
match.
UiTM goals were scored by Ikmal Jabar (10th),
Rashid Baharom (33rd) and Faheed Saifullah (42nd).
YNS, who had the full squad as all their Pakistan
players had returned after playing in a domestic
tournament, got their goals off Pakistanis'
Muhammad Imran (seventh) and Shakeel Abbasi
(29th).
PREMIER DIVISION: RESULTS -- UiTM 3 Yayasan
Negri Sembilan 2, Nur Insafi 0 Kuala Lumpur
Hockey Club 5, UniKL 1 Tenaga Nasional 5, Sapura
4 Maybank 0.
TODAY: Nur Insafi v Maybank (4pm), UiTM v
Tenaga Nasional (6pm), Armed Forces-Airod v
Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (8pm), UniKL v Sapura
(KLHA, 6.30pm).
*All other matches at the Tun Razak Stadium.
DIVISION ONE: Results -- Malacca CC 1 Ipoh City
Hall 1, Universiti Sains Malaysia 0 Bukit Jalil
Sports School 5, UniTen 0 Bandar Penawar Sports
School 5.
Sunday: Malacca CC v Bukit Jalil Sports School
(Malacca, 5pm), Universiti Sains Malaysia v Bandar
Penawar Sports School (USM, 5pm), UniTen v
Armed Forces Juniors (KLHA, 5pm).
PREMIER DIVISION
P W D L F A Pt
KLHC 14 12 1 1 65 19 37
TNB 14 10 1 3 42 17 31
UNIKL 14 8 3 3 25 23 27
SAPURA 14 9 0 5 39 26 27
YNS 15 7 0 8 44 41 21
NUR INSAFI 15 4 2 9 26 47 14
MAYBANK 14 3 3 8 14 24 12
ATM 14 3 0 11 17 50 9
UITM 14 3 0 11 21 46 9
DIVISION ONE
P W D L F A Pt
ATM JNR 10 9 1 0 27 7 28
BPSS 10 6 0 4 21 15 18
BJSS 10 5 1 4 24 13 16
MALACCA CC 11 5 1 5 15 13 16
IPOH CH 12 4 3 5 19 24 15
USM 11 3 0 8 16 33 9
UNITEN 10 1 2 7 9 26 5
DIVISION ONE
P W D L F A Pt
ATM JNR 10 9 1 0 27 7 28
BPSS 10 6 0 4 21 15 18
BJSS 10 5 1 4 24 13 16
MALACCA CC 11 5 1 5 15 13 16
IPOH CH 12 4 3 5 19 24 15
USM 11 3 0 8 16 33 9
UNITEN 10 1 2 7 9 26 5
Friday, February 18, 2011
109th Amateur Open in Malacca
THE Malaysian Golf Association (MGA) will be
organising the prestigious 109th Malaysian Amateur
Open in Malacca on May 19-22 at the A’Famosa Golf
Resort.
Attracting participants mainly from the
Asia-Pacific region, Malaysian contenders are no
more accorded automatic entry as they are required
to qualify through the Sabah Amateur Open,
Sarawak Amateur Open and Malaysian Amateur
Close tournaments.
“The MGA is working towards achieving the target
of having Malaysian champions in both the
men’s and the newly launched women's division. It
has been a while since we’ve had a Malaysian
name engraved on the championship trophy,” said
MGA President, Datuk Robin Loh.
“As locals no longer enjoy automatic entry, the MAO
is a culmination of the qualifying rounds
for the Peninsular (45th Malaysian Amateur Close
scheduled for April 5-7), Sabah Amateur Open
(April 22-24) and Sarawak Amateur Open (May
13-15).”
Since its inauguration in 1894, the Malaysian
Amateur Open Golf Championship has gone through
several transformations in name, challenge
trophies, title sponsors and format of play.
This will be only the third edition that will include a
women's division after it was introduced at
the 107th Malaysian Amateur Open at the Kelab
Golf Sarawak in 2009.
R. Nachimuthu was the last Malaysian to have won
the title when the championship was held at
the Kelab Golf Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah in 1997.
There have been several near-misses for our
players as was the case with Iylia Jamil finishing
runner-up to champion Mhark Fernando
of the Philippines at the Damai Laut Golf & Country
Club last year.
In the ladies’ division, 17-year-old Thidapa
Suwannapura from Thailand overcame a
threestroke
deficit in the final round to clinch the title by two
shots over compatriot Yupaporn
Kawinpakorn with our national player Kelly Tan
finishing third in the 2010 edition.
organising the prestigious 109th Malaysian Amateur
Open in Malacca on May 19-22 at the A’Famosa Golf
Resort.
Attracting participants mainly from the
Asia-Pacific region, Malaysian contenders are no
more accorded automatic entry as they are required
to qualify through the Sabah Amateur Open,
Sarawak Amateur Open and Malaysian Amateur
Close tournaments.
“The MGA is working towards achieving the target
of having Malaysian champions in both the
men’s and the newly launched women's division. It
has been a while since we’ve had a Malaysian
name engraved on the championship trophy,” said
MGA President, Datuk Robin Loh.
“As locals no longer enjoy automatic entry, the MAO
is a culmination of the qualifying rounds
for the Peninsular (45th Malaysian Amateur Close
scheduled for April 5-7), Sabah Amateur Open
(April 22-24) and Sarawak Amateur Open (May
13-15).”
Since its inauguration in 1894, the Malaysian
Amateur Open Golf Championship has gone through
several transformations in name, challenge
trophies, title sponsors and format of play.
This will be only the third edition that will include a
women's division after it was introduced at
the 107th Malaysian Amateur Open at the Kelab
Golf Sarawak in 2009.
R. Nachimuthu was the last Malaysian to have won
the title when the championship was held at
the Kelab Golf Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah in 1997.
There have been several near-misses for our
players as was the case with Iylia Jamil finishing
runner-up to champion Mhark Fernando
of the Philippines at the Damai Laut Golf & Country
Club last year.
In the ladies’ division, 17-year-old Thidapa
Suwannapura from Thailand overcame a
threestroke
deficit in the final round to clinch the title by two
shots over compatriot Yupaporn
Kawinpakorn with our national player Kelly Tan
finishing third in the 2010 edition.
Road Show to promote Malaysian Open
THE Malaysian Open will be celebrating its 50thanniversary this year on a grand scale, with three
Road shows planned from Feb 18.
The show, held in conjunction with the Maybank
Malaysian Open on April 14 -17 April, will start from
the Curve in Kula Lumpur on Feb 18-20, and
participants stand a chance to win a Hyundai
Sonata car.
Themed “It’s All About The Drive”, this road-show
also offers participants a chance to win a four-day
Season Ticket to the Maybank Malaysian Open at
the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club (KLGCC).
In addition, winning participants will also stand
the chance to win a Hyundai Sonata on the final day
of the Maybank Malaysian Open.
This road-show is one of three planned in the lead
up to the nation’s premier golf tournament.
The next Road Shows are scheduled to take place
on March 23-27 at Mid Valley and on March 30-April
4 April at One Utama shopping centre respectively.
To participate in the “It’s All About The Drive”
contest, visit the road-show at The Curve and sink a
putt to win a four-day Season Ticket. Ticket holders
must attend all four days of the tournament and
collect four stamps in total.
On the fourth day, the qualified ticket holder must
sink all three putts consecutively in order to win
the car.
This is one of the many activities planned for the
upcoming Maybank Malaysian Open 2011.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Make-or-break for UniKL
KUALA Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) are almost a sure bet to lift the League title today, but the second spot in the Premier Division of the Malaysia Hockey League is still a toss between three teams.
And UniKL, last season’s wooden spoonists, will have the steepest climb to finish second as they face Charity Shield champions Tenaga Nasional, and then Sapura is what could be a make-or-break weekend for the University side.
Tenaga Nasional, in second spot now, have the easiest passage as if they beat UniKl, they only have to beat bottom of the table UiTM to claim the spot.
As for KLHC, they are poised to win their sixth League title when they play Nur Insafi today. Four of the titles were won under the Ernst & Young banner, while the recent two were under KLHC.
UniKL manager Amir Azhar was modest about his pre dictions, even though his side beat TNB and Sapura by 2-1 scores in the first leg.
“Going by the first leg results, we should be the favourites as we beat both the teams. However, I believe it would be difficult to repeat both the feats as we have lost two influential players, while another is injured,” said Amir.
UniKL will still not have the services of their top scorer Richard Patherick who scored eight, and goalkeeper Stephen Michael as both are still playing with the New Zealand national team.
“We will be playing our fifth and sixth match without them as they had to return to New Zealand and join the national team. Although their presence was sorely felt, we did not lose any matches since.
“Also out hat-trick star (Phillip Stahr), who scored three against Yayasan Negri Sembilan in our 3-2 win, received a nasty knock in the game and needed six stitches on his cheeks.
“He will be playing, but it would be difficult to be his usual self,” said Amir.
And with Khairil Anuar sitting on the bench for picking up demerit points, UniKL will have their backs against the wall this weekend.
PREMIER DIVISION: FRIDAY -- UiTM v Yayasan Negri Sembilan (3.30pm), Nur Insafi v Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (5.15pm), UniKL v Tenaga Nasional (7pm), Sapura v May bank (8.45pm).
Saturday: Nur Insafi v Maybank (4pm), UiTM v Tenaga Nasional (6pm), Armed Forces-Airod v Kuala Lumpur Hock ey Club (8pm), UniKL v Sapura (KLHA, 6.30pm).
*All other matches at the Tun Razak Stadium.
DIVISION ONE: Friday -- Malacca CC v Ipoh City Hall (Malacca, 5pm), Universiti Sains Malaysia v Bukit Jalil Sports School (USM, 5pm), UniTen v Bandar Penawar Sports School (KLHA Stadium, 5pm).
Sunday: Malacca CC v Bukit Jalil Sports School (Malacca, 5pm), Universiti Sains Malaysia v Bandar Penawar Sports School (USM, 5pm), UniTen v Armed Forces Juniors (KLHA, 5pm).
Feb 25: Bukit Jalil Sports School v UniTen (Ministry of Education Stadium, 5pm), Armed Forces Juniors v Bandar Penawar Sports School (Tun Razak Stadium, 5pm).
PREMIER DIVISION
P W D L F A Pt
KLHC 13 11 1 1 60 19 34
TNB 13 9 1 3 37 16 28
UNIKL 13 8 3 2 24 18 27
SAPURA 13 8 0 5 35 26 24
YNS 14 7 0 7 42 38 21
NUR INSAFI 14 4 2 8 26 42 14
MAYBANK 13 3 3 7 14 20 12
ATM 14 3 0 11 17 50 9
UITM 13 2 0 11 18 44 6
DIVISION ONE
P W D L F A Pt
ATM JNR 10 9 1 0 27 7 28
BPSS 9 5 0 4 16 15 15
MALACCA CC 10 5 0 5 14 12 15
IPOH CH 11 4 2 5 18 23 14
BJSS 9 4 1 4 19 13 13
USM 10 3 0 7 16 28 9
UNITEN 9 1 2 6 9 21 5
And UniKL, last season’s wooden spoonists, will have the steepest climb to finish second as they face Charity Shield champions Tenaga Nasional, and then Sapura is what could be a make-or-break weekend for the University side.
Tenaga Nasional, in second spot now, have the easiest passage as if they beat UniKl, they only have to beat bottom of the table UiTM to claim the spot.
As for KLHC, they are poised to win their sixth League title when they play Nur Insafi today. Four of the titles were won under the Ernst & Young banner, while the recent two were under KLHC.
UniKL manager Amir Azhar was modest about his pre dictions, even though his side beat TNB and Sapura by 2-1 scores in the first leg.
“Going by the first leg results, we should be the favourites as we beat both the teams. However, I believe it would be difficult to repeat both the feats as we have lost two influential players, while another is injured,” said Amir.
UniKL will still not have the services of their top scorer Richard Patherick who scored eight, and goalkeeper Stephen Michael as both are still playing with the New Zealand national team.
“We will be playing our fifth and sixth match without them as they had to return to New Zealand and join the national team. Although their presence was sorely felt, we did not lose any matches since.
“Also out hat-trick star (Phillip Stahr), who scored three against Yayasan Negri Sembilan in our 3-2 win, received a nasty knock in the game and needed six stitches on his cheeks.
“He will be playing, but it would be difficult to be his usual self,” said Amir.
And with Khairil Anuar sitting on the bench for picking up demerit points, UniKL will have their backs against the wall this weekend.
PREMIER DIVISION: FRIDAY -- UiTM v Yayasan Negri Sembilan (3.30pm), Nur Insafi v Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (5.15pm), UniKL v Tenaga Nasional (7pm), Sapura v May bank (8.45pm).
Saturday: Nur Insafi v Maybank (4pm), UiTM v Tenaga Nasional (6pm), Armed Forces-Airod v Kuala Lumpur Hock ey Club (8pm), UniKL v Sapura (KLHA, 6.30pm).
*All other matches at the Tun Razak Stadium.
DIVISION ONE: Friday -- Malacca CC v Ipoh City Hall (Malacca, 5pm), Universiti Sains Malaysia v Bukit Jalil Sports School (USM, 5pm), UniTen v Bandar Penawar Sports School (KLHA Stadium, 5pm).
Sunday: Malacca CC v Bukit Jalil Sports School (Malacca, 5pm), Universiti Sains Malaysia v Bandar Penawar Sports School (USM, 5pm), UniTen v Armed Forces Juniors (KLHA, 5pm).
Feb 25: Bukit Jalil Sports School v UniTen (Ministry of Education Stadium, 5pm), Armed Forces Juniors v Bandar Penawar Sports School (Tun Razak Stadium, 5pm).
PREMIER DIVISION
P W D L F A Pt
KLHC 13 11 1 1 60 19 34
TNB 13 9 1 3 37 16 28
UNIKL 13 8 3 2 24 18 27
SAPURA 13 8 0 5 35 26 24
YNS 14 7 0 7 42 38 21
NUR INSAFI 14 4 2 8 26 42 14
MAYBANK 13 3 3 7 14 20 12
ATM 14 3 0 11 17 50 9
UITM 13 2 0 11 18 44 6
DIVISION ONE
P W D L F A Pt
ATM JNR 10 9 1 0 27 7 28
BPSS 9 5 0 4 16 15 15
MALACCA CC 10 5 0 5 14 12 15
IPOH CH 11 4 2 5 18 23 14
BJSS 9 4 1 4 19 13 13
USM 10 3 0 7 16 28 9
UNITEN 9 1 2 6 9 21 5
Rashid leads five into Open
RASHID Ismail shot a one-under par 71 for a 146 two-day total to win the National Qualifiers at the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club to confirm his spot at the Maybank Malaysian Open on April 14-17.
Johor born Rashid, who celebrates his 38th birthday in four days, was joined by overnight leader A. Sasar, R. Nachimuthu, Hanafiah Jamil and Akmal Tarmizee.
These local champions will play against some of the best players in the world for a prize purse of US$D 2.5 million.
Sasar, who led with a par-72, fired a 77 yesterday but still ended third. Second was Nachimuthu who had rounds of 75- 73 for a 148 total.
Hanafia (76-75), Akmal (77-74) and Nazri Zain (73-78) were involved in a three-way playoff for the fourth and fifth spots, before Nazro bowed out.
“I’m quite satisfied with the way I played as I hit the ball really well. I managed to ensure that my ball was always in position and that’s really important in order to qualify for a tournament of this scale. Hopefully I can play better than this on the actual tournament day,” said Rashid.
Maybank Malaysian Open will also feel the presence of the the top three Malaysians on the Asian Tour Order of Merit Danny Chia who is a Maybank Ambassador, Iain Steel and Ben Leong.
Shaaban Hussin, also a Maybank Ambassador, will play on the invitation of the title sponsors.
The Malaysian Golf Association (MGA) also announced the exemptions of three local pros M. Sasidaran, S. Sivachandran and Airil Rizman for the tournament.
"The MGA has chosen to exempt Airil, Sasidaran and Sivachandran as we feel each one of them have showed in more ways than one, their passion and dedication towards the game,” said MGA president Datuk Robin Loh.
The MGA also confirmed the names of six local amateurs who will be competing at the Maybank Malaysian Open. The six are Azman Basharudin, Kenneth de Silva, Hisyam Majid, Jeremiah Kim, Chan Tuck Soon and Gavin Kyle Green.
SELECTED Final Round Scores: 146 Rashid Ismail 75-71; 148 R. Nachimuthu 75-73; 149 A. Sasar 72-77; 151 Hanafia Jamil 76-75, Akhmal Tarmizee 77-74, Nazri Zain 73-78 (lost in playoff).
Johor born Rashid, who celebrates his 38th birthday in four days, was joined by overnight leader A. Sasar, R. Nachimuthu, Hanafiah Jamil and Akmal Tarmizee.
These local champions will play against some of the best players in the world for a prize purse of US$D 2.5 million.
Sasar, who led with a par-72, fired a 77 yesterday but still ended third. Second was Nachimuthu who had rounds of 75- 73 for a 148 total.
Hanafia (76-75), Akmal (77-74) and Nazri Zain (73-78) were involved in a three-way playoff for the fourth and fifth spots, before Nazro bowed out.
“I’m quite satisfied with the way I played as I hit the ball really well. I managed to ensure that my ball was always in position and that’s really important in order to qualify for a tournament of this scale. Hopefully I can play better than this on the actual tournament day,” said Rashid.
Maybank Malaysian Open will also feel the presence of the the top three Malaysians on the Asian Tour Order of Merit Danny Chia who is a Maybank Ambassador, Iain Steel and Ben Leong.
Shaaban Hussin, also a Maybank Ambassador, will play on the invitation of the title sponsors.
The Malaysian Golf Association (MGA) also announced the exemptions of three local pros M. Sasidaran, S. Sivachandran and Airil Rizman for the tournament.
"The MGA has chosen to exempt Airil, Sasidaran and Sivachandran as we feel each one of them have showed in more ways than one, their passion and dedication towards the game,” said MGA president Datuk Robin Loh.
The MGA also confirmed the names of six local amateurs who will be competing at the Maybank Malaysian Open. The six are Azman Basharudin, Kenneth de Silva, Hisyam Majid, Jeremiah Kim, Chan Tuck Soon and Gavin Kyle Green.
SELECTED Final Round Scores: 146 Rashid Ismail 75-71; 148 R. Nachimuthu 75-73; 149 A. Sasar 72-77; 151 Hanafia Jamil 76-75, Akhmal Tarmizee 77-74, Nazri Zain 73-78 (lost in playoff).
Former caddy Sasar leads with 72
FORMER caddy A. Sasar's even-par 72 was good enough to hand him the lead in the two-day Maybank Malaysian Open National Qualifiers at the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club (KLGCC) yesterday.
The 38-year-old leads 54 other local professionals after carding five birdies and five bogeys.
The Qualifiers offer five tickets to the Maybank Malaysian Open on April 14-17 at the at KLGCC.
Trailing Sasar by one stroke is Nazri Zain with one-over-par 73.
Sasar missed last year's Open boat by two strokes, and aims to keep his round low today.
"I starte off as a caddy in Kedah and the last amateur title I won was in 1995. I am lucky that my club (Kelab Golf Negara Subang) is backing me to try and qualify for the Open again," said Sasar.
Kemarol Baharin and Nicholas Pua share third place with two-over 74. Maybank Malaysian Open 2009 National Qualifier champion R. Nachimuthu, Shawn Liew Hoa Yan and Rashid Ismail are tied for fifth with a total of three-over-par 75.
“The course is long and the greens are fast so that makes it a bit challenging to score. However I did display the best putting skills and short game plus chipping today (yesterday) and I am pretty pleased with that,” said Sasar.
And his target in the final round is: "To keep it bogey free, as I would have almost cemented a spot if I had not had five today (yesterday)."
Teen golfer Anis Helmi started with hope to repeat last year’s result where he topped the National Qualifiers, but unfortunately he ended tied 11th spot with three other players after he carded a five-over 77.
Tied alongside Anis is Akmal Tarmizee, another player who claimed his ticket to the Maybank Malaysian Open last year through the National Qualifiers.
The 38-year-old leads 54 other local professionals after carding five birdies and five bogeys.
The Qualifiers offer five tickets to the Maybank Malaysian Open on April 14-17 at the at KLGCC.
Trailing Sasar by one stroke is Nazri Zain with one-over-par 73.
Sasar missed last year's Open boat by two strokes, and aims to keep his round low today.
"I starte off as a caddy in Kedah and the last amateur title I won was in 1995. I am lucky that my club (Kelab Golf Negara Subang) is backing me to try and qualify for the Open again," said Sasar.
Kemarol Baharin and Nicholas Pua share third place with two-over 74. Maybank Malaysian Open 2009 National Qualifier champion R. Nachimuthu, Shawn Liew Hoa Yan and Rashid Ismail are tied for fifth with a total of three-over-par 75.
“The course is long and the greens are fast so that makes it a bit challenging to score. However I did display the best putting skills and short game plus chipping today (yesterday) and I am pretty pleased with that,” said Sasar.
And his target in the final round is: "To keep it bogey free, as I would have almost cemented a spot if I had not had five today (yesterday)."
Teen golfer Anis Helmi started with hope to repeat last year’s result where he topped the National Qualifiers, but unfortunately he ended tied 11th spot with three other players after he carded a five-over 77.
Tied alongside Anis is Akmal Tarmizee, another player who claimed his ticket to the Maybank Malaysian Open last year through the National Qualifiers.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Army Juniors make their mark
ARMED FORCES Juniors pocketed a cool RM30,000 for wining the Division One title in the Malaysia Hockey League with two matches to spare.
And the fact that they beat both Bandar Penawar and Bukit Jalil Sports Schools should be reason enough for them to celebrate their title.
For both the Sports Schools players virtually grew up together, while the Army Juniors only started intensive training in September last year.
“Our Juniors only drew one (0-0 against Ipoh) out of the 10 matches they have played and won the title with two matches to spare. The team and its management deserves praise because we only started training in September last year,” said Armed Forces HA deputy president Lt Kol B. Muthuku mar.
The groundwork was done by former national juniors coach K. Rajan and also Army coach Warren Officer Ka maruddin Misman.
“Rajan and Kamaruddin held joint training for both our teams (Armed Forces-Airod as well as Juniors) and we only formed two teams close to the MHL start.
“Now, the Juniors will get a chance to play against Premier Division teams in the knock-out stage of the MHL.”
The title also came with a spot in the MHL quarter-finals as well as promotion to the Premier Division next season.
However, the Armed Forces-Airod team, which finished second in Division One last season and gained promotion to the Premier Division, are fighting relegation as they are second from the bottom.
“Some of our players in the Premier Division need to be replaced with talent from the Junior side, and I believe we will be better prepared to play in the tougher bracket next season,” said Muthukumar.
Army Juniors next play UniTen who they beat 4-0 in the first leg, and Bandar Penawar who they beat 3-1 earlier.
The battle for the second spot in Division One is still wide open as four teams are still within striking distance.
DIVISION ONE: Friday -- Malacca CC v Ipoh City Hall (Malacca, 5pm), Universiti Sains Malaysia v Bukit Jalil Sports School (USM, 5pm), UniTen v Bandar Penawar Sports School (KLHA Stadium, 5pm).
Sunday: Malacca CC v Bukit Jalil Sports School (Malacca, 5pm), Universiti Sains Malaysia v Bandar Penawar Sports School (USM, 5pm), UniTen v Armed Forces Juniors (KLHA, 5pm).
Feb 25: Bukit Jalil Sports School v UniTen (Ministry of Education Stadium, 5pm), Armed Forces Juniors v bandar Penawar Sports School (Tun Razak Stadium, 5pm).
DIVISION ONE
P W D L F A Pt
ATM JNR 10 9 1 0 27 7 28
BPSS 9 5 0 4 16 15 15
MALACCA CC 10 5 0 5 14 12 15
IPOH CH 11 4 2 5 18 23 14
BJSS 9 4 1 4 19 13 13
USM 10 3 0 7 16 28 9
UNITEN 9 1 2 6 9 21 5
And the fact that they beat both Bandar Penawar and Bukit Jalil Sports Schools should be reason enough for them to celebrate their title.
For both the Sports Schools players virtually grew up together, while the Army Juniors only started intensive training in September last year.
“Our Juniors only drew one (0-0 against Ipoh) out of the 10 matches they have played and won the title with two matches to spare. The team and its management deserves praise because we only started training in September last year,” said Armed Forces HA deputy president Lt Kol B. Muthuku mar.
The groundwork was done by former national juniors coach K. Rajan and also Army coach Warren Officer Ka maruddin Misman.
“Rajan and Kamaruddin held joint training for both our teams (Armed Forces-Airod as well as Juniors) and we only formed two teams close to the MHL start.
“Now, the Juniors will get a chance to play against Premier Division teams in the knock-out stage of the MHL.”
The title also came with a spot in the MHL quarter-finals as well as promotion to the Premier Division next season.
However, the Armed Forces-Airod team, which finished second in Division One last season and gained promotion to the Premier Division, are fighting relegation as they are second from the bottom.
“Some of our players in the Premier Division need to be replaced with talent from the Junior side, and I believe we will be better prepared to play in the tougher bracket next season,” said Muthukumar.
Army Juniors next play UniTen who they beat 4-0 in the first leg, and Bandar Penawar who they beat 3-1 earlier.
The battle for the second spot in Division One is still wide open as four teams are still within striking distance.
DIVISION ONE: Friday -- Malacca CC v Ipoh City Hall (Malacca, 5pm), Universiti Sains Malaysia v Bukit Jalil Sports School (USM, 5pm), UniTen v Bandar Penawar Sports School (KLHA Stadium, 5pm).
Sunday: Malacca CC v Bukit Jalil Sports School (Malacca, 5pm), Universiti Sains Malaysia v Bandar Penawar Sports School (USM, 5pm), UniTen v Armed Forces Juniors (KLHA, 5pm).
Feb 25: Bukit Jalil Sports School v UniTen (Ministry of Education Stadium, 5pm), Armed Forces Juniors v bandar Penawar Sports School (Tun Razak Stadium, 5pm).
DIVISION ONE
P W D L F A Pt
ATM JNR 10 9 1 0 27 7 28
BPSS 9 5 0 4 16 15 15
MALACCA CC 10 5 0 5 14 12 15
IPOH CH 11 4 2 5 18 23 14
BJSS 9 4 1 4 19 13 13
USM 10 3 0 7 16 28 9
UNITEN 9 1 2 6 9 21 5
Army Juniors Div 1 champs, KLHC poised
KUALA Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) are just one match away from lifting their sixth League title, provided they don't collapse big time in their next three matches.
But on paper, it looks almost impossible for them to lose the title, as they only have to pull off one win against Nur Insafi or Armed Forces-Airod next weekend, and the title will be theirs with a match to spare against Charity Shield holders Tenaga Nasional.
The club evolved from Ernst & Young, who won three League titles, while under the KLHC banner for the leat two seasons, they have won back-to-back to their credit.
KLHC coach K. Dharmaraj is confident his charges will not collapse at the finish line.
"I believe the title is ours, as we have three matches in hand, and only need three points. We will work to seal the title next weekend, and take it easy when we play Tenaga Nasional at the Malacca Stadium," said Dharmaraj.
With the title almost in the bag, Dharmaraj has already started planning for the quarter-finals to lay his hands on the TNB Cup.
This is where KLHC are a jinxed team, as they entered six Overall finals, but only have one title to show under the Ernet & Young banner, while they ended up as bridesmaid five times.
"Somehow, my players tend to freeze in the knock-out stages, and this is what I will work on, to improve in the next three matches.
"The strikers, as well as our penalty corner flicker have been on an upward trend, and I believe they will keep the momentum in the knock-out stage as well," said Dharmaraj.
KLHC have scored 60 goals and let in only 19, with their penalty corner flicker Razie Rahim contributing 13.
So, it looks like it will be a holiday in Malacca for KLHC, as they are touted to lift the title this weekend itself.
In Division One, Armed Forces Juniors emerged as League champions with two matches to spare when they beat Bandar Penawar Sports Sports School 3-1 yesterday.
The title came with promotion to Premier Division, and a spot in the quarter-finals.
Army's goals were scored by Shukri Aziz (43th), Szuhairi Aziz (49th) and Hanip Che Halim (52nd). The BPSS goal was scored by Shahril Saabah (eighth).
RESULTS -- DIVISION ONE: Ipoh City Hall 0 Universiti Sains Malaysia 3, UniTen 2 Bukit Jalil Sports School 2, Armed Forces Jnrs 3 Bandar Penawar Sports School 1.
DIVISION ONE
P W D L F A Pt
ATM JNR 10 9 1 0 27 7 28
BPSS 9 5 0 4 16 15 15
MALACCA CC 10 5 0 5 14 12 15
IPOH CH 11 4 2 5 18 23 14
BJSS 9 4 1 4 19 13 13
USM 10 3 0 7 16 28 9
UNITEN 9 1 2 6 9 21 5
Sunday, February 13, 2011
One more match to claim title
KUALA Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) placed one hand on the League title when they beat Sapura 3-0 in the Premier Division of the Malaysia Hockey League at the Tun Razak stadium yesterday.
Now, they only have to win one more match in the remaining three to confirm as League champions.
Razie Rahim made his presence felt again when he led KLHC to another sizzling encounter against Sapura, and by half-time, the defending League champions were leading by two goals.
The National No 2 penalty corner flicker stole the show with a powerful drag flick in the 20th minute to give KLHC the lead, and his second penalty corner attempt in the 27th minute was also accurate to the dot to take his tally to 13 goals.
Sapura were guilty of missing their chances, when they bungled four penalty corners in the first half, taken by their skipper S. Kuhan and South Korean Lim Woo Geun.
The second half was equally sizzling, until rain forced play to be stopped for 40 minutes in the 48th minute.
But it did not slow down the match, as Sapura won two consecutive penalty corners, but both were botched by poor stopping.
The ball was stolen nicely in the second botched penalty corner and Chua Boon Huat's reverse stick found Ismail Abu who slotted home the third goal with ease while sapura players were still in the KLHC 25-yard area.
In another match, UniKL beat Yayasan Negri Sembilan with Phillip Stahr the hat-trick hero with goals in the 11th, 29th and 66th minutes. The YNS goals were scored by Vivek Gupta (40th) and Deepak Thakur (67th).
Meanwhile, the bottom half clash between Nur Insafi and Armed Forces-Airod turned out to be a seven goal thriller, with the winning goal coming seconds from the final hooter.
The Army men eventually triumphed 4-3, even though they were down by two goals by the sixth minute itself.
R. Veerachamy slammed in the first in the fifth minute, and a minute later he was on target again to hand Nur Insafi a healthy 2-0 lead.
However, the Penang-based club crumbled big time after that as Azman Hassan (eighth) and Zulkifli Abdullah (25th, 59th) injected hope of an Army victory.
But in the 69th minute, Nur Insafi were awarded a penalty stroke, which was comfortably converted by Veerachamy for a hat-trick.
The joy of sharing points was crushed seconds later, as just after the restart, Armed Forces mounted an attack and Shahrul Amran handed his team full points.
RESULTS -- PREMIER DIVISION: Nur Insafi 3 Armed Forces-Airod 4, Sapura 0 Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club 3, Maybank 1 Tenaga Nasional 2, UniKL 3 Yayasan Negri Sembilan 2.
TODAY -- DIVISION ONE: Ipoh City Hall v Universiti Sains Malaysia (Azlan Shah Stadium, 5pm), UniTen v Bukit Jalil Sports School (KLHA Stadium, 5pm), Armed Forces Jnrs v Bandar Penawar Sports School (Bandar Penawar, 5pm).
PREMIER DIVISION
P W D L F A Pt
KLHC 13 11 1 1 60 19 34
TNB 13 9 1 3 37 16 28
UNIKL 13 8 3 2 24 18 27
SAPURA 13 8 0 5 35 26 24
YNS 14 7 0 7 42 38 21
NUR INSAFI 14 4 2 8 26 42 14
MAYBANK 13 3 3 7 14 20 12
ATM 14 3 0 11 17 50 9
UITM 13 2 0 11 18 44 6
DIVISION ONE
P W D L F A Pt
ATM JNR 9 8 1 0 24 6 25
BPSS 8 5 0 3 15 12 15
MALACCA CC 10 5 0 5 14 12 15
IPOH CH 10 4 2 4 18 20 14
BJSS 8 4 0 4 17 11 12
USM 9 2 0 7 13 28 6
UNITEN 8 1 1 6 7 19 4
Now, they only have to win one more match in the remaining three to confirm as League champions.
Razie Rahim made his presence felt again when he led KLHC to another sizzling encounter against Sapura, and by half-time, the defending League champions were leading by two goals.
The National No 2 penalty corner flicker stole the show with a powerful drag flick in the 20th minute to give KLHC the lead, and his second penalty corner attempt in the 27th minute was also accurate to the dot to take his tally to 13 goals.
Sapura were guilty of missing their chances, when they bungled four penalty corners in the first half, taken by their skipper S. Kuhan and South Korean Lim Woo Geun.
The second half was equally sizzling, until rain forced play to be stopped for 40 minutes in the 48th minute.
But it did not slow down the match, as Sapura won two consecutive penalty corners, but both were botched by poor stopping.
The ball was stolen nicely in the second botched penalty corner and Chua Boon Huat's reverse stick found Ismail Abu who slotted home the third goal with ease while sapura players were still in the KLHC 25-yard area.
In another match, UniKL beat Yayasan Negri Sembilan with Phillip Stahr the hat-trick hero with goals in the 11th, 29th and 66th minutes. The YNS goals were scored by Vivek Gupta (40th) and Deepak Thakur (67th).
Meanwhile, the bottom half clash between Nur Insafi and Armed Forces-Airod turned out to be a seven goal thriller, with the winning goal coming seconds from the final hooter.
The Army men eventually triumphed 4-3, even though they were down by two goals by the sixth minute itself.
R. Veerachamy slammed in the first in the fifth minute, and a minute later he was on target again to hand Nur Insafi a healthy 2-0 lead.
However, the Penang-based club crumbled big time after that as Azman Hassan (eighth) and Zulkifli Abdullah (25th, 59th) injected hope of an Army victory.
But in the 69th minute, Nur Insafi were awarded a penalty stroke, which was comfortably converted by Veerachamy for a hat-trick.
The joy of sharing points was crushed seconds later, as just after the restart, Armed Forces mounted an attack and Shahrul Amran handed his team full points.
RESULTS -- PREMIER DIVISION: Nur Insafi 3 Armed Forces-Airod 4, Sapura 0 Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club 3, Maybank 1 Tenaga Nasional 2, UniKL 3 Yayasan Negri Sembilan 2.
TODAY -- DIVISION ONE: Ipoh City Hall v Universiti Sains Malaysia (Azlan Shah Stadium, 5pm), UniTen v Bukit Jalil Sports School (KLHA Stadium, 5pm), Armed Forces Jnrs v Bandar Penawar Sports School (Bandar Penawar, 5pm).
PREMIER DIVISION
P W D L F A Pt
KLHC 13 11 1 1 60 19 34
TNB 13 9 1 3 37 16 28
UNIKL 13 8 3 2 24 18 27
SAPURA 13 8 0 5 35 26 24
YNS 14 7 0 7 42 38 21
NUR INSAFI 14 4 2 8 26 42 14
MAYBANK 13 3 3 7 14 20 12
ATM 14 3 0 11 17 50 9
UITM 13 2 0 11 18 44 6
DIVISION ONE
P W D L F A Pt
ATM JNR 9 8 1 0 24 6 25
BPSS 8 5 0 3 15 12 15
MALACCA CC 10 5 0 5 14 12 15
IPOH CH 10 4 2 4 18 20 14
BJSS 8 4 0 4 17 11 12
USM 9 2 0 7 13 28 6
UNITEN 8 1 1 6 7 19 4
Friday, February 11, 2011
KLHC whip YNS 7-2
KUALA Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) whipped Yayasan Negri Sembilan (YNS) 7-2 to edge closer towards the League title in the Premier Division of the Malaysia Hockey League at the Tun Razak Stadium yesterday.
Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin gave KLHC a big boost when he scored a third minute penalty corner goal, while Razie Rahim chipped in with a hat-trick from penalty corner flicks in the fifth, 16th and 23rd. The other KLHC goals were from Nabil Fiqri (20th), Tengku (64th) and Ismail Abu (67th).
YNS got their goals from Razlee Amree in the 28th and 50th minutes. He now holds the distinction of being the first local player to score for YNS, whose foreign legion had scored the other 38 goals.
Charity Shield holders Tenaga Nasional went on a 10-1 rampage against Armed Forces Airod to move up to second on the standings.
The Army men opted to play open hockey and were punished by Amin Rahim (5th, 41st), M. Kaliswaran (11th, 12th), Mahinder Singh (25th, 58th), Fairuz Ramli ( 37th, 41st), Firhan Ashaari (46th), Azammi Adabi (47th).
Fidous Ismail scored the solitary goal for Armed Forces in the 67th minute.
In another match, Lady Luck was again on Sapura's side when they edged Nur Insafi 4-2.
After lucky wins against Yayasan Negri Sembilan (2-1) and UiTM (2-1) last weekend, Sapura were expected to have it easy against the Penang side as they were without three of their Pakistani imports.
Former international Keevan Raj's injury further weakened Nur Insafi.
But Sapura almost paid the price as Nur Insafi botched a fifth minute penalty stroke when Nur Hrsikesa's attempt was saved by goalkeeper Nasihin Nubli.
Sapura took the lead off Skipper S. Kuhan in the 22nd minute, but P. Prabhakaran equalised three minutes later.
It was the same script in the second half, as Sapura regained the lead off Faizal Daud in the 36th minute but Prabhakaran levelled the score again in the 39th minute.
But the day belonged to Spura as Jiwa Mohan (62nd) and Kuhan (69th) made sure the three points were theirs.
"Yes, we are riding our luck so far but it is not a case of not playing well but our failure to convert chances," said Sapura coach I. Vikneswaran.
"The three points were vital as we want to finish as high as we after a poor start in the League. And from the look of things we can even finish as runners-up should some results go our way."
RESULTS -- PREMIER DIVISION: Sapura 4 Nur Insafi 2, Maybank 1 UiTM 0, Tenaga Nasional 10 Armed Forces-Airod 1, Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club 7 Yayasan Negri Sembilan 2.
PREMIER DIVISION: Today-- Nur Insafi v Armed Forces-Airod (4pm), Sapura v Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (6pm), Maybank v Tenaga Nasional (8pm), UniKL v Yayasan Negri Sembilan (KLHA Stadium, 7.30pm).
* All other matches at the Tun Razak Stadium.
RESULTS: DIVISION ONE -- UniTen 1 Ipoh City Hall 3, Armed Forces Jnrs 3 Bukit Jalil Sports School 2, Malacca City Council 3 Universiti Sains Malaysia 2, Bandar Penawar Sports School 0 Malacca 1.
Sunday: Ipoh City Hall v Universiti Sains Malaysia (Azlan Shah Stadium, 5pm), UniTen v Bukit Jalil Sports School (KLHA Stadium, 5pm), Armed Forces Jnrs v Bandar Penawar Sports School (Bandar Penawar, 5pm).
PREMIER DIVISION
PREMIER DIVISION
P W D L F A Pt
KLHC 12 10 1 1 57 19 31
TNB 12 8 1 3 35 15 25
UNIKL 12 7 3 2 21 16 24
SAPURA 12 8 0 4 35 23 24
YNS 13 7 0 6 40 35 21
NUR INSAFI 13 4 2 7 23 38 14
MAYBANK 12 3 3 6 13 18 12
UITM 13 2 0 11 18 44 6
ATM 13 2 0 11 13 47 6
DIVISION ONE
P W D L F A Pt
ATM JNR 9 8 1 0 24 6 25
BPSS 8 5 0 3 15 12 15
MALACCA CC 10 5 0 5 14 12 15
IPOH CH 10 4 2 4 18 20 14
BJSS 8 4 0 4 17 11 12
USM 9 2 0 7 13 28 6
UNITEN 8 1 1 6 7 19 4
Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin gave KLHC a big boost when he scored a third minute penalty corner goal, while Razie Rahim chipped in with a hat-trick from penalty corner flicks in the fifth, 16th and 23rd. The other KLHC goals were from Nabil Fiqri (20th), Tengku (64th) and Ismail Abu (67th).
YNS got their goals from Razlee Amree in the 28th and 50th minutes. He now holds the distinction of being the first local player to score for YNS, whose foreign legion had scored the other 38 goals.
Charity Shield holders Tenaga Nasional went on a 10-1 rampage against Armed Forces Airod to move up to second on the standings.
The Army men opted to play open hockey and were punished by Amin Rahim (5th, 41st), M. Kaliswaran (11th, 12th), Mahinder Singh (25th, 58th), Fairuz Ramli ( 37th, 41st), Firhan Ashaari (46th), Azammi Adabi (47th).
Fidous Ismail scored the solitary goal for Armed Forces in the 67th minute.
In another match, Lady Luck was again on Sapura's side when they edged Nur Insafi 4-2.
After lucky wins against Yayasan Negri Sembilan (2-1) and UiTM (2-1) last weekend, Sapura were expected to have it easy against the Penang side as they were without three of their Pakistani imports.
Former international Keevan Raj's injury further weakened Nur Insafi.
But Sapura almost paid the price as Nur Insafi botched a fifth minute penalty stroke when Nur Hrsikesa's attempt was saved by goalkeeper Nasihin Nubli.
Sapura took the lead off Skipper S. Kuhan in the 22nd minute, but P. Prabhakaran equalised three minutes later.
It was the same script in the second half, as Sapura regained the lead off Faizal Daud in the 36th minute but Prabhakaran levelled the score again in the 39th minute.
But the day belonged to Spura as Jiwa Mohan (62nd) and Kuhan (69th) made sure the three points were theirs.
"Yes, we are riding our luck so far but it is not a case of not playing well but our failure to convert chances," said Sapura coach I. Vikneswaran.
"The three points were vital as we want to finish as high as we after a poor start in the League. And from the look of things we can even finish as runners-up should some results go our way."
RESULTS -- PREMIER DIVISION: Sapura 4 Nur Insafi 2, Maybank 1 UiTM 0, Tenaga Nasional 10 Armed Forces-Airod 1, Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club 7 Yayasan Negri Sembilan 2.
PREMIER DIVISION: Today-- Nur Insafi v Armed Forces-Airod (4pm), Sapura v Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (6pm), Maybank v Tenaga Nasional (8pm), UniKL v Yayasan Negri Sembilan (KLHA Stadium, 7.30pm).
* All other matches at the Tun Razak Stadium.
RESULTS: DIVISION ONE -- UniTen 1 Ipoh City Hall 3, Armed Forces Jnrs 3 Bukit Jalil Sports School 2, Malacca City Council 3 Universiti Sains Malaysia 2, Bandar Penawar Sports School 0 Malacca 1.
Sunday: Ipoh City Hall v Universiti Sains Malaysia (Azlan Shah Stadium, 5pm), UniTen v Bukit Jalil Sports School (KLHA Stadium, 5pm), Armed Forces Jnrs v Bandar Penawar Sports School (Bandar Penawar, 5pm).
PREMIER DIVISION
PREMIER DIVISION
P W D L F A Pt
KLHC 12 10 1 1 57 19 31
TNB 12 8 1 3 35 15 25
UNIKL 12 7 3 2 21 16 24
SAPURA 12 8 0 4 35 23 24
YNS 13 7 0 6 40 35 21
NUR INSAFI 13 4 2 7 23 38 14
MAYBANK 12 3 3 6 13 18 12
UITM 13 2 0 11 18 44 6
ATM 13 2 0 11 13 47 6
DIVISION ONE
P W D L F A Pt
ATM JNR 9 8 1 0 24 6 25
BPSS 8 5 0 3 15 12 15
MALACCA CC 10 5 0 5 14 12 15
IPOH CH 10 4 2 4 18 20 14
BJSS 8 4 0 4 17 11 12
USM 9 2 0 7 13 28 6
UNITEN 8 1 1 6 7 19 4
Thursday, February 10, 2011
YNS feel like lamb in slaughterhouse
YAYASAN Negri Sembilan (YNS) plan to keep the score low when they square off against title contenders Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) in the Premier Division of the Malaysia Hockey League today.
KLHC have opened up a four-point lead and a win against YNS today and Sapura tomorrow will see them sailing towards the title as they only have to win one more match against two weak opponents.
If KLHC collect maximum points this weekend, they only have to beat either Nur Insafi or Armed Forces-Airod and the title will be their with a match to spare against Tenaga Nasional.
Knowing the score well, YNS manager M. Gobinathan is preparing for the worst.
“I believe KLHC will be in a rampaging mood as the title is theirs to lose right now. And with our Pakistan imports not available for both the matches this weekend, we will have no chance of upsetting KLHC, and instead, will try and keep the score low,” said Gobinathan.
In the first round, KLHC whipped YNS 6-3, while their next opponents Sapura also received a 6-2 drubbing.
KLHC, lasts season’s League champions, have only lost 2-0 to Tenaga Nasional in the Charity Shield, after which they went on to win nine and draw one match.
“The fixtures are very intimidating as we will be playing our last match against the only team that we have lost to. That is why I plan to have enough points to claim the title with at least two matches in hand, to avoid the unnecessary pressure in the last match against Tenaga,” said KLHC coach K. Dharmaraj.
The YNS Pakistan back-bone returned home to play in an inter-department tournament, which was pre-agreed in their contracts.
Defender Mohamed Imran and forwards Shakeel Abbasi and Muhammad Waqas Sharif left to play for their departments, and that is why Gobinathan has thrown down the gauntlet. All three helped Pakistan beat Malaysia in the Asian Games final.
If KLHC survive this weekend, they play Nur Insafi (won 7-2) and Armed Forces-Airod (won 3-1) next and they only need three points to claim the League title, and have a well-deserved holiday in Malacca, as the encounter against Tenaga Nasional will turn into an exhibition, instead of pressure-cooker match.
PREMIER DIVISION: Friday -- Sapura v Nur Insafi (3.30pm), Maybank v UiTM (5.15pm), Tenaga Nasional v Armed Forces-Airod (7pm), Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club v Yayasan Negri Sembilan (8.45pm).
* All matches at the Tun Razak Stadium.
Saturday: Nur Insafi v Armed Forces-Airod (4pm), Sapura v Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (6pm), Maybank v Tenaga Nasional (8pm), UniKL v Yayasan Negri Sembilan (KLHA Stadium, 7.30pm).
* All other matches at the Tun Razak Stadium.
DIVISION ONE: Friday -- UniTen v Ipoh City Hall (KLHA Stadium, 5pm), Armed Forces Jnrs v Bukit Jalil Sports School (Education Ministry, 5pm), Malacca City Council v Universiti Sains Malaysia (Malacca, 5pm).
Sunday: Ipoh City Hall v Universiti Sains Malaysia (Azlan Shah Stadium, 5pm), UniTen v Bukit Jalil Sports School (KLHA Stadium, 5pm), Armed Forces Jnrs v Bandar PE nawar Sports School (Bandar Penawar, 5pm).
PREMIER DIVISION
P W D L F A Pt
KLHC 11 9 1 1 50 17 28
UNIKL 12 7 3 2 21 16 24
TNB 11 7 1 3 25 14 22
SAPURA 11 7 0 4 31 21 21
YNS 12 7 0 5 38 28 21
NUR INSAFI 12 4 2 6 21 34 14
MAYBANK 11 2 3 6 12 18 9
ATM 12 2 0 10 12 37 6
UITM 12 2 0 10 18 43 6
DIVISION ONE
P W D L F A Pt
ATM JNR 8 7 1 0 21 4 22
BPSS 7 5 0 2 15 11 15
BJSS 7 4 0 3 15 8 12
IPOH CH 9 3 2 4 15 19 11
MALACCA CC 8 3 0 5 10 10 9
USM 8 2 0 6 11 25 6
UNITEN 7 1 1 5 6 16 4
KLHC have opened up a four-point lead and a win against YNS today and Sapura tomorrow will see them sailing towards the title as they only have to win one more match against two weak opponents.
If KLHC collect maximum points this weekend, they only have to beat either Nur Insafi or Armed Forces-Airod and the title will be their with a match to spare against Tenaga Nasional.
Knowing the score well, YNS manager M. Gobinathan is preparing for the worst.
“I believe KLHC will be in a rampaging mood as the title is theirs to lose right now. And with our Pakistan imports not available for both the matches this weekend, we will have no chance of upsetting KLHC, and instead, will try and keep the score low,” said Gobinathan.
In the first round, KLHC whipped YNS 6-3, while their next opponents Sapura also received a 6-2 drubbing.
KLHC, lasts season’s League champions, have only lost 2-0 to Tenaga Nasional in the Charity Shield, after which they went on to win nine and draw one match.
“The fixtures are very intimidating as we will be playing our last match against the only team that we have lost to. That is why I plan to have enough points to claim the title with at least two matches in hand, to avoid the unnecessary pressure in the last match against Tenaga,” said KLHC coach K. Dharmaraj.
The YNS Pakistan back-bone returned home to play in an inter-department tournament, which was pre-agreed in their contracts.
Defender Mohamed Imran and forwards Shakeel Abbasi and Muhammad Waqas Sharif left to play for their departments, and that is why Gobinathan has thrown down the gauntlet. All three helped Pakistan beat Malaysia in the Asian Games final.
If KLHC survive this weekend, they play Nur Insafi (won 7-2) and Armed Forces-Airod (won 3-1) next and they only need three points to claim the League title, and have a well-deserved holiday in Malacca, as the encounter against Tenaga Nasional will turn into an exhibition, instead of pressure-cooker match.
PREMIER DIVISION: Friday -- Sapura v Nur Insafi (3.30pm), Maybank v UiTM (5.15pm), Tenaga Nasional v Armed Forces-Airod (7pm), Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club v Yayasan Negri Sembilan (8.45pm).
* All matches at the Tun Razak Stadium.
Saturday: Nur Insafi v Armed Forces-Airod (4pm), Sapura v Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (6pm), Maybank v Tenaga Nasional (8pm), UniKL v Yayasan Negri Sembilan (KLHA Stadium, 7.30pm).
* All other matches at the Tun Razak Stadium.
DIVISION ONE: Friday -- UniTen v Ipoh City Hall (KLHA Stadium, 5pm), Armed Forces Jnrs v Bukit Jalil Sports School (Education Ministry, 5pm), Malacca City Council v Universiti Sains Malaysia (Malacca, 5pm).
Sunday: Ipoh City Hall v Universiti Sains Malaysia (Azlan Shah Stadium, 5pm), UniTen v Bukit Jalil Sports School (KLHA Stadium, 5pm), Armed Forces Jnrs v Bandar PE nawar Sports School (Bandar Penawar, 5pm).
PREMIER DIVISION
P W D L F A Pt
KLHC 11 9 1 1 50 17 28
UNIKL 12 7 3 2 21 16 24
TNB 11 7 1 3 25 14 22
SAPURA 11 7 0 4 31 21 21
YNS 12 7 0 5 38 28 21
NUR INSAFI 12 4 2 6 21 34 14
MAYBANK 11 2 3 6 12 18 9
ATM 12 2 0 10 12 37 6
UITM 12 2 0 10 18 43 6
DIVISION ONE
P W D L F A Pt
ATM JNR 8 7 1 0 21 4 22
BPSS 7 5 0 2 15 11 15
BJSS 7 4 0 3 15 8 12
IPOH CH 9 3 2 4 15 19 11
MALACCA CC 8 3 0 5 10 10 9
USM 8 2 0 6 11 25 6
UNITEN 7 1 1 5 6 16 4
Monday, February 7, 2011
Azlan Shah Cup: Teams ready, stadium not
WORLD No 1 Australia will lead six top-10 teams in the 20th Azlan Shah Cup to be held in Ipoh on may 5-15.
Malaysia, who have yet to win the tournament after 19 editions, are the lowest ranked at No 15, going by the International Hockey Federation World Rankings which were last updated on Aug 9 last year.
And interestingly though, Great Britain have been listed instead of England, whose world ranking is No 4.
South Korea (No 6), New Zealand (No 7) Asian Games champions Pakistan (No 8) and India (No 9) will complete the power-packed cast who will hold court at the Azlan Shah Stadium in Ipoh.
But sadly, while the most exciting teams in the world have confirmed, the stadium itself is not in the best of shape, and will need to be closed for at least one month to spruce it up.
Malaysia Hockey League Premier Division teams found out about the sorry state of the stadium when they played there, as both the artificial pitches were infested with fungus and players could not trap the ball well.
Many fell while trying to chase the ball on the slippery surface, as there was also plenty of mud.
An official, who declined to be named said: “The score board is also in tatters, while work to clean the artificial pitch is in progress, but very slow, as it is a tedious job.
“Also, the drainage system is in bad shape, as when it rains, the water stagnates for long periods on the pitch, while the changing rooms, which are lower than the pitch, get flooded easily.”
He predicted loads of money as well as a concerted effort for one month is needed to make both the pitches playable again.
Last year, it rained cats-and-dogs during the tournament, with even the final being abandoned after six minutes of play because of torrential rain.
India and South Korea were declared joint-champions as the pitch was water-logged and unplayable.
Malaysia ended fourth behind Australia, and it would be a shame if the stadium is unable to hold a candle against the best in the world.
FIXTURES: May 5 -- 1605 New Zealand v Pakistan, 1805 Korea v India, 2005 Great Britain v Malaysia.
May 6: 1605 Korea v Pakistan, 805 Great Britain v India, 2005 Australia v Malaysia.
May 8: 1605 Australia v India, 1805 Great Britain v Pakistan, 2005 Korea v New Zealand.
May 9: 1605 Australia v Pakistan, 1805 Great Britain v New Zealand, 2005 India v Malaysia.
May 11: 1605 New Zealand v Malaysia, 1805 Australia v Korea, 2005 Pakistan v India.
May 12: 1605 Australia v Great Britain, 1805 New Zealand v India, 2005 Korea v Malaysia
May 14: 1605 Great Britain v Korea, 1805 Pakistan v Malaysia, 2005 Australia v New Zealand
May 15: 1535 Fifth-Sixth, 805 Third-Fourth, 2035 Final.
Malaysia, who have yet to win the tournament after 19 editions, are the lowest ranked at No 15, going by the International Hockey Federation World Rankings which were last updated on Aug 9 last year.
And interestingly though, Great Britain have been listed instead of England, whose world ranking is No 4.
South Korea (No 6), New Zealand (No 7) Asian Games champions Pakistan (No 8) and India (No 9) will complete the power-packed cast who will hold court at the Azlan Shah Stadium in Ipoh.
But sadly, while the most exciting teams in the world have confirmed, the stadium itself is not in the best of shape, and will need to be closed for at least one month to spruce it up.
Malaysia Hockey League Premier Division teams found out about the sorry state of the stadium when they played there, as both the artificial pitches were infested with fungus and players could not trap the ball well.
Many fell while trying to chase the ball on the slippery surface, as there was also plenty of mud.
An official, who declined to be named said: “The score board is also in tatters, while work to clean the artificial pitch is in progress, but very slow, as it is a tedious job.
“Also, the drainage system is in bad shape, as when it rains, the water stagnates for long periods on the pitch, while the changing rooms, which are lower than the pitch, get flooded easily.”
He predicted loads of money as well as a concerted effort for one month is needed to make both the pitches playable again.
Last year, it rained cats-and-dogs during the tournament, with even the final being abandoned after six minutes of play because of torrential rain.
India and South Korea were declared joint-champions as the pitch was water-logged and unplayable.
Malaysia ended fourth behind Australia, and it would be a shame if the stadium is unable to hold a candle against the best in the world.
FIXTURES: May 5 -- 1605 New Zealand v Pakistan, 1805 Korea v India, 2005 Great Britain v Malaysia.
May 6: 1605 Korea v Pakistan, 805 Great Britain v India, 2005 Australia v Malaysia.
May 8: 1605 Australia v India, 1805 Great Britain v Pakistan, 2005 Korea v New Zealand.
May 9: 1605 Australia v Pakistan, 1805 Great Britain v New Zealand, 2005 India v Malaysia.
May 11: 1605 New Zealand v Malaysia, 1805 Australia v Korea, 2005 Pakistan v India.
May 12: 1605 Australia v Great Britain, 1805 New Zealand v India, 2005 Korea v Malaysia
May 14: 1605 Great Britain v Korea, 1805 Pakistan v Malaysia, 2005 Australia v New Zealand
May 15: 1535 Fifth-Sixth, 805 Third-Fourth, 2035 Final.
Made-in-Malaysia KLHC the best bet
FOREIGN players have turned out to be more of a bane, than help, for many teams who relied heavily on them in the Premier Division of the Malaysia Hockey League.
A total of 26 foreign players are involved in the League, with Yayasan Negri Sembilan having the lion’s share of 11, mostly Pakistanis.
Nur Insafi have eight, UniKL four while Sapura three.
However, local based Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) lead the standings and look the best bet to lift the League title, while another local-based side Tenaga Nasional won the Charity Shield and are third on the standings.
UniKL, in second spot, made some good foreign buys who have jelled well with the local young talent, and have made a great improvement from their bottom placed finish last season.
But Sapura, Nur Insafi and Yayasan Negri Sembilan have been on a roller-coaster ride due to injuries to their for eigners, and the habitual never-ending disappearing act of their foreign imports.
Sapura were hard hit when Rehan Butt went home to play for his club, while Korean Lim Woo Geun is down with groin injury. Their goalkeeper David Kettle from Wales, is also down with suspected kidney.
With the absence of the trio, Sapura barely won both their weekend fixtures, as they were lucky that their opponents were not sharp enough in the semi-circle.
Coach I. Vickneswaran admitted: “We were lucky to win both the matches (2-1 against both YNS and UiTM) because their forwards were not sharp enough to snatch on the many opportunities that we gave away. It would have been dis astrous, otherwise.”
YNS, however, were not as lucky when their Pakistan back- bone returned home to play in an inter-department tour nament.
Inter-department? Yes, defender Mohamed Imran and forwards Shakeel Abbasi and Muhammad Waqas Sharif left to play for their departments whn YNS needed them most against Sapura and Tenaga Nasional.
Needless to say, they lost both the matches even though they still had eight more imports to rely upon.
Nur Insafi also suffered over the weekend with only 13 players (one reserve outfield, and a reserve goalkeeper) because their Pakistan imports had to go home for a domestic league. They lost three crucial points in the 3-1 defeat to bottom-placed UiTM, and two points in the 1-1 draw against UniKL.
KLHC, who have the most number of national players, will get their chance to seal the League title next weekend when they play against YNS and Sapura, and hammer home the point that is it better to rely on the best in the country, than to invest in foreign players who have mid-way commitments -- for their departments.
PREMIER DIVISION: Friday -- Sapura v Nur Insafi (3.30pm), Maybank v UiTM (5.15pm), Tenaga Nasional v Armed Forces-Airod (7pm), Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club v Yayasan Negri Sembilan (8.45pm).
* All matches at the Tun Razak Stadium.
Saturday: Nur Insafi v Armed Forces-Airod (4pm), Sapura v Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (6pm), Maybank v Tenaga Nasional (8pm), UniKL v Yayasan Negri Sembilan (KLHA Stadium, 5pm).
* All other matches at the Tun Razak Stadium.
DIVISION ONE: Friday -- UniTen v Ipoh City Hall (KLHA Stadium, 5pm), Armed Forces Jnrs v Bukit Jalil Sports School (Education Ministry, 5pm), Malacca City Council v Universiti Sains Malaysia (Malacca, 5pm).
Sunday: Ipoh City Hall v Universiti Sains Malaysia (Azlan Shah Stadium, 5pm), UniTen v Bukit Jalil Sports School (KLHA Stadium, 5pm), Armed Forces Jnrs v Bandar PE nawar Sports School (Bandar Penawar, 5pm).
PREMIER DIVISION
P W D L F A Pt
KLHC 11 9 1 1 50 17 28
UNIKL 12 7 3 2 21 16 24
TNB 11 7 1 3 25 14 22
SAPURA 11 7 0 4 31 21 21
YNS 12 7 0 5 38 28 21
NUR INSAFI 12 4 2 6 21 34 14
MAYBANK 11 2 3 6 12 18 9
ATM 12 2 0 10 12 37 6
UITM 12 2 0 10 18 43 6
DIVISION ONE
P W D L F A Pt
ATM JNR 8 7 1 0 21 4 22
BPSS 7 5 0 2 15 11 15
BJSS 7 4 0 3 15 8 12
IPOH CH 9 3 2 4 15 19 11
MALACCA CC 8 3 0 5 10 10 9
USM 8 2 0 6 11 25 6
UNITEN 7 1 1 5 6 16 4
A total of 26 foreign players are involved in the League, with Yayasan Negri Sembilan having the lion’s share of 11, mostly Pakistanis.
Nur Insafi have eight, UniKL four while Sapura three.
However, local based Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) lead the standings and look the best bet to lift the League title, while another local-based side Tenaga Nasional won the Charity Shield and are third on the standings.
UniKL, in second spot, made some good foreign buys who have jelled well with the local young talent, and have made a great improvement from their bottom placed finish last season.
But Sapura, Nur Insafi and Yayasan Negri Sembilan have been on a roller-coaster ride due to injuries to their for eigners, and the habitual never-ending disappearing act of their foreign imports.
Sapura were hard hit when Rehan Butt went home to play for his club, while Korean Lim Woo Geun is down with groin injury. Their goalkeeper David Kettle from Wales, is also down with suspected kidney.
With the absence of the trio, Sapura barely won both their weekend fixtures, as they were lucky that their opponents were not sharp enough in the semi-circle.
Coach I. Vickneswaran admitted: “We were lucky to win both the matches (2-1 against both YNS and UiTM) because their forwards were not sharp enough to snatch on the many opportunities that we gave away. It would have been dis astrous, otherwise.”
YNS, however, were not as lucky when their Pakistan back- bone returned home to play in an inter-department tour nament.
Inter-department? Yes, defender Mohamed Imran and forwards Shakeel Abbasi and Muhammad Waqas Sharif left to play for their departments whn YNS needed them most against Sapura and Tenaga Nasional.
Needless to say, they lost both the matches even though they still had eight more imports to rely upon.
Nur Insafi also suffered over the weekend with only 13 players (one reserve outfield, and a reserve goalkeeper) because their Pakistan imports had to go home for a domestic league. They lost three crucial points in the 3-1 defeat to bottom-placed UiTM, and two points in the 1-1 draw against UniKL.
KLHC, who have the most number of national players, will get their chance to seal the League title next weekend when they play against YNS and Sapura, and hammer home the point that is it better to rely on the best in the country, than to invest in foreign players who have mid-way commitments -- for their departments.
PREMIER DIVISION: Friday -- Sapura v Nur Insafi (3.30pm), Maybank v UiTM (5.15pm), Tenaga Nasional v Armed Forces-Airod (7pm), Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club v Yayasan Negri Sembilan (8.45pm).
* All matches at the Tun Razak Stadium.
Saturday: Nur Insafi v Armed Forces-Airod (4pm), Sapura v Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (6pm), Maybank v Tenaga Nasional (8pm), UniKL v Yayasan Negri Sembilan (KLHA Stadium, 5pm).
* All other matches at the Tun Razak Stadium.
DIVISION ONE: Friday -- UniTen v Ipoh City Hall (KLHA Stadium, 5pm), Armed Forces Jnrs v Bukit Jalil Sports School (Education Ministry, 5pm), Malacca City Council v Universiti Sains Malaysia (Malacca, 5pm).
Sunday: Ipoh City Hall v Universiti Sains Malaysia (Azlan Shah Stadium, 5pm), UniTen v Bukit Jalil Sports School (KLHA Stadium, 5pm), Armed Forces Jnrs v Bandar PE nawar Sports School (Bandar Penawar, 5pm).
PREMIER DIVISION
P W D L F A Pt
KLHC 11 9 1 1 50 17 28
UNIKL 12 7 3 2 21 16 24
TNB 11 7 1 3 25 14 22
SAPURA 11 7 0 4 31 21 21
YNS 12 7 0 5 38 28 21
NUR INSAFI 12 4 2 6 21 34 14
MAYBANK 11 2 3 6 12 18 9
ATM 12 2 0 10 12 37 6
UITM 12 2 0 10 18 43 6
DIVISION ONE
P W D L F A Pt
ATM JNR 8 7 1 0 21 4 22
BPSS 7 5 0 2 15 11 15
BJSS 7 4 0 3 15 8 12
IPOH CH 9 3 2 4 15 19 11
MALACCA CC 8 3 0 5 10 10 9
USM 8 2 0 6 11 25 6
UNITEN 7 1 1 5 6 16 4
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Nur Insafi pull off draw
NUR Insafi pulled off a stunning 1-1 draw against
UniKL to keep their hopes alive of playing in the
quarter-finals of the Premier Division of the
Malaysia Hockey League.
UniKL paid the prize of complacency in the third
minute when Arifin Dollah scored off a field attempt,
and the score remained till the half-time hooter.
But in the second half, Nur Insafi started
defending in numbers and let in the equaliser in the
39th minute off S. Selvaraju's effort.
In another match, Sapura lived dangerously before
beating bottom placed UiTM 2-1.
UiTM, who upset a foreign-based Nur Insafi 3-2 on
Saturday, had more than six clear chances to seal
the match but a bungling forward line saw them
lose narrowly.
Sapura were guilty of giving the university side,
who gained promotion into the Premier Division
after becoming champions in Division One last
season, too much of space, but a brace from Ahmad
Kazamirul in the 19th and 62nd minutes gave them
full points.
UiTM's Zulhafiz Ali sounded the board in the 68th
minute, and the university outfit will surely rue their
missed sitters as it could have moved them a step
closer to playing in the quarter-finals of the TNB
Cup.
"Lucky, extremely lucky," was how Sapura coach
I. Vickneswaran described his team's win.
"Yesterday (Saturday) we were lucky to beat
Yayasan Negri Sembilan (2-1) even though YNS had
more chances at goal.
"Today (yesterday) we were again lucky aginst
UiTM who could have easily sealed the match in the
first half," said Vickneswaran.
Sapura have three foreign players, but none were
available yesterday.
"Rehan Butt (Pakistan) has gone back to play for
his club, while Korean Lim (Woo Geun) is down with
groin injury.
"Our goalkeeper (David Kettle from Wales) could
not play as he is suspected to have kidney stones
and is undergoing treatment," said Vickneswaran.
UiTM coach Ahmad Tarmizy was extremely
pleased with his charges, but not the score.
"We are slowly gaining experience in the tougher
Premier Division after becoming champions in
Division One.
"I believe we could have beaten Sapura but my
players lack experience at this level. However, I am
pleased with their progress so far," said Tarmizy.
RESULTS -- Premier Division: UiTM 1 Sapura 2,
Nur Insafi 1 UniKL 1, Yayasan Negri Sembilan 2
Tenaga Nasional 4, Armed Forces-Airod 1 Maybank
3.
Division One: Bandar Penawar Sports School 3 Ipoh
City Hall 1, Malacca City Council 0 Armed Forces
Juniors 1, Universiti Sains Malaysia 2 UniTen 3.
STANDINGS
PREMIER DIVISION
P W D L F A Pt
KLHC 11 9 1 1 50 17 28
UNIKL 12 7 3 2 21 16 24
TNB 11 7 1 3 25 14 22
YNS 12 7 0 5 38 28 21
SAPURA 11 7 0 4 31 21 21
NUR INSAFI 12 4 2 6 21 33 14
MAYBANK 11 2 3 6 12 18 9
ATM 12 2 0 10 12 37 6
UITM 12 2 0 10 18 43 6
DIVISION ONE
P W D L F A Pt
ATM JNR 8 7 1 0 21 4 22
BPSS 7 5 0 2 15 11 15
BJSS 7 4 0 3 15 8 12
IPOH CH 9 3 2 4 15 19 11
MALACCA CC 8 3 0 5 10 10 9
USM 8 2 0 6 11 25 6
UNITEN 7 1 1 5 6 16 4
UniKL to keep their hopes alive of playing in the
quarter-finals of the Premier Division of the
Malaysia Hockey League.
UniKL paid the prize of complacency in the third
minute when Arifin Dollah scored off a field attempt,
and the score remained till the half-time hooter.
But in the second half, Nur Insafi started
defending in numbers and let in the equaliser in the
39th minute off S. Selvaraju's effort.
In another match, Sapura lived dangerously before
beating bottom placed UiTM 2-1.
UiTM, who upset a foreign-based Nur Insafi 3-2 on
Saturday, had more than six clear chances to seal
the match but a bungling forward line saw them
lose narrowly.
Sapura were guilty of giving the university side,
who gained promotion into the Premier Division
after becoming champions in Division One last
season, too much of space, but a brace from Ahmad
Kazamirul in the 19th and 62nd minutes gave them
full points.
UiTM's Zulhafiz Ali sounded the board in the 68th
minute, and the university outfit will surely rue their
missed sitters as it could have moved them a step
closer to playing in the quarter-finals of the TNB
Cup.
"Lucky, extremely lucky," was how Sapura coach
I. Vickneswaran described his team's win.
"Yesterday (Saturday) we were lucky to beat
Yayasan Negri Sembilan (2-1) even though YNS had
more chances at goal.
"Today (yesterday) we were again lucky aginst
UiTM who could have easily sealed the match in the
first half," said Vickneswaran.
Sapura have three foreign players, but none were
available yesterday.
"Rehan Butt (Pakistan) has gone back to play for
his club, while Korean Lim (Woo Geun) is down with
groin injury.
"Our goalkeeper (David Kettle from Wales) could
not play as he is suspected to have kidney stones
and is undergoing treatment," said Vickneswaran.
UiTM coach Ahmad Tarmizy was extremely
pleased with his charges, but not the score.
"We are slowly gaining experience in the tougher
Premier Division after becoming champions in
Division One.
"I believe we could have beaten Sapura but my
players lack experience at this level. However, I am
pleased with their progress so far," said Tarmizy.
RESULTS -- Premier Division: UiTM 1 Sapura 2,
Nur Insafi 1 UniKL 1, Yayasan Negri Sembilan 2
Tenaga Nasional 4, Armed Forces-Airod 1 Maybank
3.
Division One: Bandar Penawar Sports School 3 Ipoh
City Hall 1, Malacca City Council 0 Armed Forces
Juniors 1, Universiti Sains Malaysia 2 UniTen 3.
STANDINGS
PREMIER DIVISION
P W D L F A Pt
KLHC 11 9 1 1 50 17 28
UNIKL 12 7 3 2 21 16 24
TNB 11 7 1 3 25 14 22
YNS 12 7 0 5 38 28 21
SAPURA 11 7 0 4 31 21 21
NUR INSAFI 12 4 2 6 21 33 14
MAYBANK 11 2 3 6 12 18 9
ATM 12 2 0 10 12 37 6
UITM 12 2 0 10 18 43 6
DIVISION ONE
P W D L F A Pt
ATM JNR 8 7 1 0 21 4 22
BPSS 7 5 0 2 15 11 15
BJSS 7 4 0 3 15 8 12
IPOH CH 9 3 2 4 15 19 11
MALACCA CC 8 3 0 5 10 10 9
USM 8 2 0 6 11 25 6
UNITEN 7 1 1 5 6 16 4
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