Tai Beng Hai's fake Facebook

Dear All,

This e-mail is to report and notify that a facebook account has been created using my name with my foto profile.

I do not have a facebook account as per the account Tai Beng Hai. I am worried that the comments will be negative to the National Hockey Team, NSC and MHF.
I will be making a police report to report the abuse.
Thank you All.

Eds Note: The one that gave it away, not Beng Hai's style...

Write something...

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Tai Beng Hai

need to motivate them... im in more control now....

Yesterday at 12:19pm · · · View Feedback (3)Hide Feedback (3)

BJSS in 5-0 warm-up

BUKIT Jalil Sports School hammered BJSS Juniors 5-0 in Division One of the MHF-NSC-Milo Junior Hockey League match at the Ministry of Education Stadium yesterday.
The match was termed as a warm-up, by BJSS coach S. Prakash, to their crunch match against Bandar Penawar Sports School.
BJSS scored at ease, and at some points of the match, looked liked they were holding back from scoring more goals.
Ahmed Iqwan started the rout with a third minute goal, while the other goals were scored by Shahirman Zali (sev enth), Haziq Samsul (28th), Faridzul Afiq (59th) and Asraf Bahari (70th).
“It was a good outing, and I did not push the players to the maximum because two seasons ago, one of my players broke a finger when playing against our junior side.
“Also, we have a tough game against BPSS on Saturday, and it would have been foolish to go all out, as we only have one rest day,” said Prakash.
It was the only match of the day, and was slated to be held today, but a special request by both the sports schools, saw it being played yesterday instead.
Today, title aspirants UniKL will face tough opponents Petaling Jaya City Council.
TODAY -- Division One: Petaling Jaya CC v UniKL (Tun Razak Stadium, 4.30pm), Ipoh Juniors v Kelantan (Azlan Shah Stadium, 4.30pm).
Division Two (Group A): Datuk Taha v Politeknik KPT (Tampin Pitch, 4.30pm).

DIVISION ONE
P W D L F A Pts
BPSS 3 3 0 0 12 3 9
BJSS 3 3 0 0 9 1 9
UniKL 2 2 0 0 9 2 6
BPSS Juniors 3 2 0 1 9 5 6
Anderson 2 1 1 0 6 5 4
Kelantan 2 0 1 1 4 7 1
Pahang 2 0 0 2 3 6 0
Ipoh Juniors 2 0 0 2 2 5 0
PJCC 2 0 0 2 2 7 0
BJSS Juniors 3 0 0 3 0 15 0


DIVISION TWO
Group A
P W D L F A Pts
Datuk Taha 2 1 1 0 2 1 4
Malacca High 1 1 0 0 5 0 3
Politeknik KPT 1 1 0 0 4 1 3
Penang 1 0 1 0 1 1 1
Matri 2 0 0 2 1 5 0
BPSS-WHPC 1 0 0 1 0 5 0
Sheikh Ahmad 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Group B
P W D L F A Pts
Johor 1 1 0 0 3 1 3
OLAK-PKT 2 0 2 0 2 2 2
Padang Midin 2 0 2 0 1 1 2
MSSWP-KLHC 1 0 1 0 0 0 1
Perlis 2 0 1 1 2 4 1
TBSS Tampin 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Penang Frees 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Easy for BJSS

BUKIT Jalil Sports School (BJSS) are aiming to continue their good form in Division One of the MHF-NSC-Milo Junior Hockey League when they face their junior team at the Ministry of Education pitch today.
The in-form side have started on a promising note in the league by earning maximum points through victories over Petaling Jaya City Council (2-1) and Ipoh Juniors (2-0).
In fact, BJSS are expected to steamroll today's opponents, who have neither earned a point nor scored a goal in the competition.
BJSS, who are mostly represented by national junior players, are determined to regain their supremacy after failing to make an impact last year.
They have bagged 12 titles since 2003 but they finished third in Division One behind champions Bandar Penawar Sports School and runners-up Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) last year.
TODAY -- Division One: BJSS Juniors v BJSS (Ministry of Education Stadium, 4.30pm);
TOMORROW -- Division One: Petaling Jaya CC v UniKL (Tun Razak Stadium, 4.30pm), Ipoh Juniors v Kelantan (Azlan Shah Stadium, 4.30pm).
Division Two (Group A): Datuk Taha v Politeknik KPT (Tampin Pitch, 4.30pm).

Damn: Blue pitch with pink border for Olympics

Editor's Note: It will be wise for Tai Beng Hai to request for a blue turf at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil, shift from green to blue on tournament day could play havoc if we qualify for Olympics.

The London 2012 Organising Committee (LOCOG) today announced that the hockey pitches to be used at the Hockey Centre at the Olympic Park will be blue. Over 600,000 spectators will be cheering on as the world’s top Hockey players battle it out on blue pitches for the first time ever at an Olympic Games.
Debbie Jevans, LOCOG Director of Sport, said: ‘As we look to be innovative as well as providing first class facilities, we are pleased to be working with the International Hockey Federation and installing blue hockey pitches in 2012. We have carried out research with athletes and broadcasters and are looking forward to world class hockey being played at a bespoke venue on a blue pitch. The colour blue will define Hockey in 2012.’
Kelly Fairweather, Chief Executive Officer of the International Hockey Federation (FIH), commented that ‘the playing performance and quality of a pitch are our primary concern and we’re happy that LOCOG has researched this thoroughly. In addition though, we’re keen to innovate in the presentation of hockey to ensure, among other things, that spectators either in the stadium or on television get a good view of the exciting field action. The pitch will blend very well with the look of the London 2012 Games as well as enhancing the visual impact of hockey at the Games.’
GB hockey international Alex Danson said: ‘Having been involved in the colour test, the London Blue pitch is great. It provides a really strong contrast for players against the white ball and white lines and I quickly adapted to the change. I really like the pink surround as well! It’s another great example of hockey’s willingness to lead the way and try new things. It will certainly make hockey stand out in 2012.’
Jeff Keas, Principal of Populous, said: ‘The Hockey Centre represents a very important temporary venue for the London 2012 Games. We see this venue as one of the four cornerstones of the Olympic Park and have designed a venue that takes advantage of this opportunity. The design is unique in that it allows the atmosphere and action on the blue pitch to be enhanced by allowing views in from the Park as well as views out to the Park and the backdrop of this city.’
This will be the first Olympic and FIH World Level event to be played on a different colour to the traditional green. Historically, hockey was always played on natural grass and when the move was made to synthetic turf pitches in the 1970s green was adopted to replicate the traditional playing environment. But the days of top level international hockey being played on grass pitches are gone. The game is now high paced, dynamic and demands incredible levels of fitness and skill, particularly as this will also be the first Olympic Games since the introduction of the “Self Pass” rule, which has only served to make the game even quicker. These developments have been made possible with the introduction of synthetic turf pitches which in turn enables the introduction of other colours.
The move to blue pitches will provide high levels of contrast with the white ball and white lines for players, officials, spectators, photographers and broadcasters. The pitch run off areas will be pink providing a striking and dynamic look to the Hockey Centre. The Hockey Centre is the only full outdoor venue on the Olympic Park so the two pitches are likely to be a prominent landmark to complement the architecture of the permanent surrounding venues.
Hockey will have over 380 competitors at 2012 in 24 teams competing at the London Games in the men’s and women’s competitions. It will take place at the Hockey Centre in the Olympic Park, Stratford, east London. The Hockey Centre is a temporary stadium based at the northern end of the Olympic Park. The complex includes two pitches, one for competition and one for warm up. The main pitch will stage all of the 76 matches which will be spread over 14 days of competition from 29 July to 11 August. Applications for Olympic Hockey tickets can now be made at www.tickets.london2012.com. There will be seating for 16,000 spectators who will not only enjoy the hockey but also stunning views south across the Olympic Park and the Olympic Stadium.
The Hockey Centre will be built in the spring of 2012, and it will also be used to host both the 5 and 7-a-side Paralympic Football Competitions. The warm up pitch at the Hockey Centre will host the 5-a-side competition. 64 blind and partially sighted athletes will take part in 2012 with 21 matches played across five match days. The main pitch will host the 7-a-side competition where 96 athletes with cerebral palsy will play 21 matches across the alternate 5 days.
The two pitches to be installed in the summer of 2011 at the Old Loughtonians Hockey Club in Essex, which is the Hockey Games Time Training Venue, will also mirror the same blue and pink colour combination.

LOCOG media release

BJSS not impressive in win

BUKIT Jalil Sports School (BJSS) were far from impressive when they edged Ipoh Juniors 2-0 In Division One of the MHF-NSC-Milo Junior Hockey League at the MInistry of Education Stadium yesterday.
The match was scrappy, and Ipoh were equally guilty of not utilising their midfield, but relying heavily on overhead balls.
“Not good, but still better than our opening match against Petaling Jaya (City Council, which they won 2-1) as my boys kept up the pace even though the match was played under scorching weather,” said BJSS coach S. Prakash.
Prakash felt that playing at 4.30pm is not a good idea, and he will make a request to the Malaysian Hockey Federation (MHF) to play at a later time.
“The weather was fine last week, but just when the JHL started it turned hot in the evenings and playing at 4.30pm is not a good idea.
“I will make a request to MHF and hopefully, they amend the fixtures,” said Prakash.
Almost all the JHL matches have been slated to play at 4.30pm, because the lighting system at some of the stadiums are not up to the mark.
The BJSS goals were scored by Ahmed Iqwan (fifth) and
Haziq Samsul (49th).
Meanwhile, in another Division One match, Bandar Penawar Sports School (BPSS) hammered Petaling Jaya CC 5-1 at the Taman Daya Stadium in Johor Baru.
The BPSS goals were scored by hat-trick hero Firhan Ashaari (21st, 40th, 51st), Shahrusahadan Basri (12th) and Shahril Saabah (50th).
The PJCC scorer was Fata Mutalib (25th).
In a another Division one match at the Terengganu pitch, Kelantan held Anderson 3-3.
The Kelantan goals were scored by Cik Rosmadi Rasol (sixth), Hanif Ropi (37th) and Faiz Haiqal (50th). While the Anderson scorers were Ashran Hamsani (eigtht), Husaini Husin (13th), Ashran Hamsani (64th).
RESULTS: Division One -- BPSS 5 Petaling Jaya CC 1, BJSS 2 Ipoh Juniors 0, UniKL 6 BJSS Juniors 0, Kelantan 3 Anderson 3, Pahang 1 BPSS Juniors 3.
Division Two: Group A -- Matri 0 Datuk Taha 1; Group B: Olak-PKT 1 Perlis 1.

DIVISION ONE
P W D L F A Pts
BPSS 2 2 0 0 9 1 6
UniKL 2 2 0 0 9 2 6
BPSS Juniors 2 2 0 0 7 2 6
BJSS 2 2 0 0 4 1 6
Anderson 2 1 1 0 6 5 4
Kelantan 2 0 1 1 4 7 1
Pahang 2 0 0 2 3 6 0
Ipoh Juniors 2 0 0 2 2 5 0
BJSS Juniors 2 0 0 2 0 10 0
PJCC 2 0 0 2 2 7 0


DIVISION TWO
Group A
P W D L F A Pts
Datuk Taha 2 1 1 0 2 1 4
Malacca High 1 1 0 0 5 0 3
Politeknik KPT 1 1 0 0 4 1 3
Penang 1 0 1 0 1 1 1
Matri 2 0 0 2 1 5 0
BPSS-WHPC 1 0 0 1 0 5 0
Sheikh Ahmad 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Group B
P W D L F A Pts
Johor 1 1 0 0 3 1 3
OLAK-PKT 2 0 2 0 2 2 2
Padang Midin 2 0 2 0 1 1 2
MSSWP-KLHC 1 0 1 0 0 0 1
Perlis 2 0 1 1 2 4 1
TBSS Tampin 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Penang Frees 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Anderson slow, but steady

A LETHARGIC Anderson School edged Pahang 3-2 in the MHF-NSC-Milo Junior Hockey League Division One match at the Kuantan Stadium yesterday.
Anderson coach Mokhtar Baharuddin, accredited which shaping the future of many national players, blamed the slow start to the long journey to Kuantan.
“We had a slow start in our first JHL match because we only arrived late last night (Friday night) in Kuantan and many of the boys looked tired during the match.
“However, we won and that is what matters most,” said Mokhtar.
Perak has two teams in the JHL, with the other being Ipoh Juniors who impressed in their first match even though they lost 3-2 to favourites UniKL.
“Ipoh Juniors are made up or former Anderson players while we are fielding Form Four and Five boys. We did play against them in the Perak League and the match ended in a draw (2-2).”
Anderson were champions in the Perak League, and will play their home-talent on April 3.
“Our target this year is to play in the semi-finals, and to do that, we will not only have to beat Ipoh, but also do well against the big names like UniKL, and sports schools Bukit Jalil and Bandar Penawar,” said Mokhtar.
Soffian Kamaruddin (32nd, 57th) and Akmal Tajuddin (69th) delivered for Anderson, while the Pahang goals were scored by Rahimi Rasib (48th, 62nd).
In another Division One match, Bandar Penawar Juniors beat Kelantan 4-1 with goals from Najmi Farizal (eighth), Sufi Ismat (12th), Khairol Shafik (13th) and Danial Asyraf 58th)
The Kelantan goal was scored by Hanif Ropi in the 66th minute.
RESULTS: Division One -- Pahang 2 Anderson 3, Kelantan 1 BPSS Juniors 4.
Division Two: Group A -- Malacca High 5 BPSS-WHPC 0; Group B: MSSWP-KLHC 0 Padang Midin 0, Penang 1 Datuk Taha 1.
TODAY: Division One -- BPSS v Petaling Jaya CC (Taman Daya, 4.30pm), BJSS V Ipoh Juniors (Ministry of Education, 5.30pm), UniKL v BJSS juniors (Ministry of Education, 6.30pm), Kelantan v Anderson (Terengganu, 4.30pm), Pa hang v BPSS Juniors (Kuantan, 4.30pm).
Division Two: Group A -- Matri v Datuk Taha (Alor star, 4.30pm); Group B: Olak-PKT v Perlis (Tun Razak Stadium, 4.30pm).

DIVISION ONE
P W D L F A Pts
BPSS 1 1 0 0 4 0 3
BPSS Juniors 1 1 0 0 4 1 3
UniKL 1 1 0 0 3 2 3
Anderson 1 1 0 0 3 2 3
BJSS 1 1 0 0 2 1 3
Ipoh Juniors 1 0 0 1 2 3 0
Pahang 1 0 0 1 2 3 0
PJCC 1 0 0 1 1 2 0
Kelantan 1 0 0 1 1 4 0
BJSS Juniors 1 0 0 1 0 4 0

DIVISION TWO
Group A
P W D L F A Pts
Malacca High 1 1 0 0 5 0 3
Politeknik KPT 1 1 0 0 4 1 3
Penang 1 0 1 0 1 1 1
Datuk Taha 1 0 1 0 1 1 1
Matri 1 0 0 1 1 4 0
BPSS-WHPC 1 0 0 1 0 5 0
Sheikh Ahmad 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Group B
P W D L F A Pts
Johor 1 1 0 0 3 1 3
Padang Midin 2 0 2 0 1 1 2
OLAK-PKT 1 0 1 0 1 1 1
MSSWP-KLHC 1 0 1 0 0 0 1
Perlis 1 0 0 1 1 3 0
TBSS Tampin 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Penang Frees 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

UniKL fumble before edging Ipoh Juniors

FAVOURITES UniKL acted to a Bollywood movie script when they took a punch before beating a gritty Ipoh Juniors 3-2 in the curtain raiser of the MHF-NSC-Milo Junior Hockey League at the Azlan Shah Stadium yesterday.
Virtually parading their Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) side, UniKL were shocked in the ninth minute when Rasyid Hazar scored off a penalty corner attempt..
However, the early setback was overcome with efforts from Zulhairi Hashim (19th, 31st) and Nor Aqmal Ghaffer (43rd). The other Ipoh goal was scored by Azrul Fazrin in the 62nd minute.
“We expected Ipoh to defend in the early stages, but they shocked my players by playing an attacking game and scoring the first goal instead.
“I salute their grit, and the match turned difficult after that as my players struggled to settle down, but the end result was in favour of us,” said UniKL manager Amir Azhar.
Bukit Jalil Sports School, whose players also just com pleted the MHL fixtures, were also a disappointing lot when they let in a goal, before edging Petaling Jaya City Council 2- 1 at the Ministry of Education pitch.
PJCC took the lead off Syamil Zulkifli off a ninth minute penalty corner, but BJSS sealed the three points with goals from Faridzul Afiq (12th) and Haziq Samsul (20th).
“I am shocked with the level of play today (yesterday) as we missed many sitters and were in the receiving end for no reason.
“We had practiced many set-pieces but my players just failed to execute them, so instead of winning comfortably, we started our campaign on a shaky note,” said BJSS coach S. Prakash whose players will next meet Ipoh Juniors tomorrow (Sunday).
In Division Two, Old Las Sallians Association of Klang (Olak-PKT) also took the lead off Hakim Azarha’s field attempt in the 27th minute, but shared points on a 1-1 score when Luqman Hakim scored for Padang Midin in the 43rd minute.
RESULTS: Division One -- Bandar Penawar SS 4 Bukit Jalil SS Juniors 0, Bukit Jalil SS 2 Petaling Jaya CC 1, Ipoh City Hall Juniors 2 UniKL 3.
Division Two: Group A -- Kedah 4 Matri Perlis 1; Group B: OLAK-PKT 1 Padang Midin 1, Johor 3 Perlis 1.
TODAY: Division One -- Pahang v Anderson (Kuantan, 4.30pm), Kelantan v BPSS Juniors (Terengganu, 4.30pm).
Division Two: Group A -- Malacca High v BPSS-WHPC (Malacca, 4.30pm); Group B: MSSWP-KLHC v Padang Midin (KLHA, 4.30pm).
TOMORROW: Division One -- BPSS v Petaling Jaya CC (Tamapn Daya, 4.30pm), BJSS V Ipoh Juniors (Ministry of Education, 5.30pm), UniKL v BJSS juniors (Ministry of Education, 6.30pm), Kelantan v Anderson (Terengganu, 4.30pm), Pahang v BPSS Juniors (Kuantan, 4.30pm).
Division Two: Group A -- Matri v Datuk Taha (Alor star, 4.30pm); Group B: Olak-PKT v Perlis (Tun Razak Stadium, 4.30pm).

DIVISION ONE
P W D L F A Pts
BPSS 1 1 0 0 4 0 3
UniKL 1 1 0 0 3 2 3
BJSS 1 1 0 0 2 1 3
BJSS Juniors 1 0 0 1 0 4 0
PJCC 1 0 0 1 1 2 0
Ipoh Juniors 1 0 0 1 2 3 0
BPSS Juniors 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Kelantan 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Anderson 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Pahang 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

DIVISION TWO
Group A
P W D L F A Pts
Politeknik KPT 1 1 0 0 4 1 3
Matri 1 0 0 1 1 4 0
Penang 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Sheikh Ahmad 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
BPSS-MWHA 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Malacca High 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Datuk Taha 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Group B
P W D L F A Pts
Johor 1 1 0 0 3 1 3
Perlis 1 0 0 1 1 3 0
OLAK-PKT 1 0 1 0 1 1 1
Padang Midin 1 0 1 0 1 1 1
TBSS Tampin 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Penang Frees 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
MSSWP-KLHC 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

OLAK back with PKT Logistics backing

TEN teams will battle for honour in Division One of the Junior Hockey League (JHL) from today, with UniKL the front-runners for a clean sweep of titles.
IN Division Two, which has 14 teams in two groups, there are no clear favourites.
Last season, UniKL finished second behind Bandar Pe nawar Sports School in Division One, but lifted the Overall title when they beat BPSS in the final.
Bukit Jalil Sports School (BJSS) were the disappointment of last season, as after winning 12 titles since 2003, they finished third in Division One and also third in the Overall battle.
BJSS, who made their debut 1995, were double champions five times in 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008 and 2009, and Division One winners twice in 2003 and 2006.
Old La Sallians Association of Klang (Olak), who only missed last season since making their debut in 1995, are back after sorting out their financial problems.
“We hold the distinction of having won the Division One title in 1997 and were double champions in 1998 and 1999. We also won the overall title in 2000, but could not compete last season due to financial constraints and will now play in Division Two,” said Olak manager Joseph de Silva.
PKT Logistics Group Sdn Bhd’s managing director Datuk Michael B.Y. Tio chipped in with RM50,000 in cash and kind to help the team make a return.
Coached by Paul Raj, Olak are determined to claw back into Division One this year.
Olak also hold the distinction of being the home of current National No 1 penalty corner flicker Amin Rahim to kick- start his career in the sport.
This season, they will rely on Section 11 Secondary School in Shah Alam, which is a project school for hockey, for players while four players from other states have also been roped in to strengthen the side.
DIVISION ONE -- Bukit Jalil Sports School, Bandar Pe nawar SS-Thunderbolt, UniKL, Petaling Jaya City Council, BJSS Juniors, BPSS Juniors, Kelantan, Anderson, Ipoh City Hall Juniors and Pahang.
DIVISION TWO: Group A -- Penang, Politeknik KPT (Kedah), Datuk Sheikh Ahmad (Perlis), BPSS-MWHA, Malac ca High School, Matri Perlis and Datuk Taha.
Group A: Old La Sallians Association of Klang (Olak), Tunku Besar Tampin, Penang Free School-MI Juniors, MSSWP- KLHC, Padang Midin (Terengganu), Johor and Perlis.
TODAY: Division One -- Bandar Penawar SS v Bukit Jalil SS Juniors (Taman Daya, 4.30pm), Bukit Jalil SS v Petaling Jaya CC (Ministry of Education, 4.30pm), Ipoh City Hall Juniors v UniKL (Azlan Shah, 4.30pm).
Division Two: Group A -- Kedah v Matri Perlis (Alor Star, 4.30pm).
Group B: Plak v Padang Midin (Tun Razak, 4.30pm), Johor v Perlis (Taman Daya Pitch II, 4.30pm).

Project 2017, Labuan for Razak Cup

Malaysian Hockey Federation deputy president Nor Azmi Ahmad (right) and national corporate affairs manager of F&N Beverages Marketing Sdn Bhd Datuk Kamal Harun at the launch of the Razak Cup logo at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil yesterday. — Picture by Fariz Iswadi Ismail.

THE Project 2017 squad and Labuan are the two new teams competing in the 100PLUS Razak Cup which begins with the May 27-July 3 regional qualifiers.
The Project squad, under coach Lim Chiow Chuan, are the national Under-16 team. They have been placed in the Central Zone with defending champions Kuala Lumpur, Perak and Selangor.
Labuan are in the West Zone alongside Sabah, Sarawak and Brunei. This year's Borneo Cup standings will double up as qualifiers for the Razak Cup.
Unlike in previous years, the 49th edition of the Razak Cup will see teams battling it out in their respective zones and then in the final round where the 20 teams will be separated into two divisions.
The top two teams from each of the five zones will play in Division One with the others featuring in Division Two in the final round scheduled for July 21-30.
Malaysian Hockey Federation (MHF) deputy president Nur Azmi Ahmad said all 16 affiliates have confirmed their entries with the Project 2017 squad, Brunei, Singapore and Labuan playing as invited sides.
"Each team must also register five Under-21 players in their 25-man squad and at least two must play in every match. This is to ensure that teams do not compromise on developing their younger players," said Nur Azmi at the launch of the Razak Cup logo at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil yesterday.
"The Razak Cup has also been moved from Kuantan to Malacca. The hockey pitch in Kuantan is unavailable as it is being refurbished for next year's Malaysia Games.
"Teams will be placed in two groups in both divisions with the top two teams playing in a crossover semi-finals."
Nur Azmi said the new format will help promote the sport on a wider scale.
"The tournament needed a face lift with innovative ideas to sustain and maintain its position as the Premier National Championship in the country, and that's why we introduced a qualifying round this year," he said.
Nur Azmi confirmed teams would earn RM1,000 for every match they play in the regional qualifiers.
"As an incentive, we will also give a grant of RM5,000 to each team who qualify for Division One and RM3,000 for Division Two sides," Nur Azmi added.
Division One champions will receive RM10,000, runners-up RM7,000 and third place RM5,000.
Division Two champions will pocket RM5,000, runners-up RM3,000, third place RM2,000.
THE ZONES -- North: Perlis, Kedah, Penang, Armed Forces.
Central: Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Perak, Project 2017.
South: Johor, Negri Sembilan, Malacca, Singapore.
East: Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang, Police.
West (Borneo Cup): Sabah, Sarawak, Brunei, Labuan.

TNB start planning for next MHL

THE Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) season just ended, but many teams including title sponsors Tenaga Nasional have already started planning for the next tournament.
Tenaga, who lifted the Charity Shield, finished second in the League and third in the TNB Cup, will ‘lose’ some seasoned players and are looking to inject more youth to their side.
And Tenaga coach, former national skipper Nor Saiful Zaini, also feels there should be a cap to the number of foreigners per-team.
“Just as the bronze medal playoff final whistle was blown, I started planning for the next season and I hope other teams are also doing the same.
“This year, there were too many foreign players in certain teams because they did not plan for the future, but hastily tried to source for local players weeks before the MHL.
“Naturally, all the good players were already snapped up, and they were left with no choice but to hire foreign players in big numbers,” said Nor Saiful.
And he feels it did not serve the purpose: “Teams with more than five foreign players did not benefit the Malaysian hockey scene, while I personally feel those who had five or less foreign signings, did much better in terms of parting knowledge to the local players while competing,” said Nor Saiful.
Tenaga did not sign any foreign players, as they prefer to field their employees.
“We will be losing seasoned players M. Kaliswaran and Tajol Rosli (both employees) as they feel that they have contributed enough and it is time for the youth to take their place.
“And we will be looking for more local youth and not foreign players, because that is our policy,” said Nor Saiful.
Yayasan Negri Sembilan and Nur Insafi were made up of more than 70 percent foreign players, but they still failed to land any of the three trophies in the MHL.

Kuala Lumpur fourth consecutive winners

RESULTS: Final -- Kuala Lumpur 6 Malacca 0; Third-Fourth: Perak 6 Kelantan 3.

KUALA Lumpur romped home to their fourth consecutive National Under-16 title when they whitewashed Malacca 6-0 at the Kuala Lumpur HA Stadium yesterday.
And it was no surprise, as they had the best players in the tournament and lifted the crown without conceeding a single goal in eight matches.
The tournament also served as a selection for the National Under-16 team, and 13 Kuala Lumpur players were named in the 47-strong training pool.
Eight players were selected from bronze medallists Perak, six from Selangor, four from Penang, three from Malacca, three from Kelantan, three from Negri Sembilan, two from Kedah, and one each from Perlis, Johor, Pahang, Terengganu and Sabah.
The newly selected squad will be coached by former International Lim Chiow Chuan for the qualifying rounds of the Tun Razak Cup in April and May before competing in a Four-Nation Invitational in Manheim, Germany from 10-13 June, 2011.
The other three countries in the fray are Germany, Holland and Belgium.
The KL goals were scored by Danial Asyraf (14th), Zizi Azwan (24th, 51st), Norsyafiq Sumantri (25th), Zahir Zaki (31st), Atithsha Tamil Chelvam (64th).
Meanwhile in the bronze playoff, Perak proved to be too strong for Kelantan and took a 3-0 lead off Ashran Hamsani (second), Khairul Adha (19th) and Luqman Hakim (24th).
Kelantan rallied and scored two goals off Faiz Zin (28th) and Aminudin Zain (35th), but Perak regained their confidence when Ashran scored in the 40th minute to make it 4-2.
And Khairul scored his brace in the 56th minute to make it 5-2 and it was plain sailing after that even though Kelantan scored their third in the 59th minute off Faiz.
Ashran claimed his hat-trick in the 67th minute, and the bronze medal was in the bag.

Fairplay: Pahang.
Most Outstanding: Amirol Aideed (KL).
Best Goalkeeper: Fitri Jasni (KL).
Top Scorer: Ikwan Ishak (NS) and Khairul Adha (PK) -- both scored 11 goals.
Man-of-the-Final: Norsyafiq Sumantri (KL).

No place for Ismail Abu..

FROM http://www.tnbmhl.com.my

There was no place for Ismail Abu in the training squad for the national team that was named despite some strong performances in the recent Malaysian Hockey League.

And the door was also shut on the likes of Khairul Nizam Ibrahim, Jiwa Mohan, Jivan Mohan, Mohd Fikri Bassar, Tajol Rosli Mohammad and Muhd Fairuz who were in the training squad last year.

Also being shown the door were players who withdrew from the national team at one time or another in the likes of Ahmad Kazamirul, Muhammad Shafiq, Hakim Adnan, Mohd Amerullah, Baljit Singh Sarjab Singh, Herwan Pami, Harvinder Singh, Khairul Azrin.

And with the NSC only approving 25 players for the squad, the coaches decided to circumvent it by naming five attachment players.

The national team will participate in the Azlan Shah Cup (5-15 May) and a Four Nation Invitational in June in Moscow. They will also participate in the Champions Challenge in South Africa this November before the Olympic Qualifiers early next year.

National Team

Players from Asian Games

S. Kumar (TNB), Roslan Jamaluddin (KLHC), Muhd Razie Rahim (KLHC), Baljit Singh Charun Singh (TNB), Mohd Madzli Ikmar (TNB), Mohd Amin Rahim (TNB), Azreen Rizal Nasir (Sapura), Mohd Shahrun Nabil Abdullah (KLHC), Muhd Shukri Mutalib (KLHC), Muhammad Marhan Mohd Jalil (Sapura), Nabil Fiqri Mohd Noor, Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin Abdul Jalil (KLHC), Faisal Saari (TNB), Azlan Misron (KLHC), Hafifihafiz Hanafi Maybank), Izwan Firdaus Ahmad Tajuddin (Sapura)

Players Recalled

Kevinder Singh (KLHC), Muhammad Azammi Adabi (TNB)

New Call Up

Muhd Izzat Mohd Rahim (Sapura), Mohd Fitri Abu Bakar (YNS), Shahrin Mohamad (Maybank), Muhd Firhan Ashaari (TNB), Faiz Helmi Jalil (TNB), Muhd Azri Hassan (UniKL), Muhd Rashid Baharom (Uitm)

Attachment Players

Nor Izzat Sumantri (UniKL), Amir Farid Ahmad Fuzi (UniKL), Arief Iskandar Khamdan (UniKL), Mohd Fitri Saari (KLHC), Mohd Noor Faez (KLHC)

Dropped Players

Khairul Nizam Ibrahim, Jiwa Mohan, Jivan Mohan, Mohd Fikri Bassar, Tajol Rosli Mohammad, Muhd Fairuz

Players not considered (who withdrew in September 2010)

Ahmad Kazamirul, Muhammad Shafiq, Hakim Adnan, Mohd Amerullah, Baljit Singh Sarjab Singh, Herwan Pami, Harvinder Singh, Khairul Azrin

Project 2013 Squad

Mohammad Hazrul Faiz Ahmad (BJSS), Norhizzat Sumantri (UniKL), Faiz Helmi Jali (TNB), Shazrul Imran Nazli (UniKL), Muhd Sabri Mohamed (TNB), Shazril Irwan Nazli (Uitm), Mohd Firi Saari (KLHC), Muhd Noor Faez Ibrahim (KLHC), Muhd Taufik Abd Hamid (UniKL), Muhd Firhan Ashaari (TNB), Fathi Kamel Shahrom Jamil (Uitm), Mohd Syamin Mohd Yusof, Hairulnizam Maizan (KLHC), Amir Farid Ahmad Fuzi (UniKL), Mohd Fariq Saadon (TNB), Muhd Hafizuddin Othman (Uitm), Harmesh Singh (MBPJ), Joel Samuel van Huizen (Sapura), Muhammad Ramadhan (UniKL), Arief Iskandar Khamdan (UniKL), Izad Hakimi Jamaluddin (Uitm), Mohd Rashid Baharom (Uitm), Ganeisha Tamil Chelvam (UniKL), Dedi Aryandi (UniKL), Muhd Afif Akmal Salim (Maybank), Mohd Zulhairi Hashim (UniKL), Sharul Azaddin (UniKL), Mohamed Azri (UniKL), Mohamed Shahril Saabah (SSBP), Faheed Saifullah (Uitm), Faizal Saari (TNB), Ahmad Amirul Alias (Uitm), Amirullah Zainol (Nur Insafi), Manraj Singh (Maybank)

Project 2017 Squad

Muhd Fitri Jasni (KL), Muhd Safie Shahrom (KL), Muhd Zulhaziq Hashim (KL), Misniwan Gusni (KL), Atitsha Tamil Chelvam (KL), Ahmad Asyraf Alias (KL), Zulaniq Adib Abdul Razak (KL), Nor Azrul Abdul Rahman (KL), Muhd Amirol Aideed Mohd Arshad (KL), Norsyafiq Sumantri (KL), Zizi Azwan Hassan Basri (KL), Muhd Farhan Danial Zulzairin (KL), Jonathan Anil Bhatti (KL), Muhd Ammar Zahri (Perak), Muhd Khairul Adha Ilyas (Perak), Mohd Zulhamizan Awang Abas (Perak), Muhd Najib Abu Hassan (Perak), Azril Misron (Perak), Muhd Husaini Mohd Husin (Perak), Muhd Ashran Hamsani (Perak), Mohd Helmi Jaafar (Perak), Muhd Hafif Elkan Nordin (Selangor), Nazirul Mubin Zebidi (Selangor), Mohd Hassan Shaherman (Selangor), Mohd Noor Khairul Azri Adnan (Selangor), Rafizul Ezry Mustafa (Selangor), Mohd Shami Ahmad Fozi (Selangor), Muhd Firdaus Omar (Malacca), Muhd Ridzwan Azmi (Malacca), Luqman Nurhakim Saiful (Malacca), Mohd Fahmi Asri Amir (Penang), Muhd Azwar Abdul Rahman (Penang), Abdul Muhaimin Abd Aziz (Penang), Izaidi Ismail (Penang), Muhd Hahmi Azhar Ruddin (Sabah), Mohd Aminuddin Mohd Zain (Kelntan), Muhd Syarifuddin Mohd Zain (Kelantan), Muhd Ashraf Mohd Noor (Kelantan), Sufi Ismat Rohor Amin (Terengganu), Mohd Hanif Hazemi (Kedah), Saravanan Matheyalagan (Kedah), Muhd Najmi Farizal Jazlan (Perlis), Muhd Shabariq Shamsuri (NS), S. Devamoorthy (NS), Muhd Ikhwan Ishak (NS), Kaarul Ariffin Kamaruddin (Johor), Abdul Halim Jalil (Pahang)

Twenty-five for national training

TWENTY-FIVE players were selected from the Malaysia
Hockey League (MHL) for national training, and 16 of them were from the Asian Games silver-medal winning side.
Azlan Misron was named as the skipper, while goalkeeper S. Kumar, Razie Rahim and Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin were named as co-captains.
Kelvinder Singh, the most promising player in the 2005 Junior Worold Cup, was given another life-line after he showed marked progress in the MHL.
Kelvinder was sidelined after picking up an injury during the New Zealand World Cup Qualifier and did not play in the Asian Games.
The youngsters picked were 18-year-old Firhan Ashaari who played for Tenaga Nasional, and 19-year-olds Faiz Helmi (TNB), Azri Hassan (UniKL) and Rashid Baharom (UiTM).
Five other players were also named to the 'senior team attachment programme' and they are: Nor Hizzat Sumantri (UniKL), Amir Fairid (UniKL), Arief Iskandar (UniKL), Fitri Saari (KLHC) and Mohamed Noor Faeez (KLHC).
The only player who impressed in the MHL but was not selected was Ismail Abu of KLHC, who was a former national player but sacked for disciplinary problems.
The national team's first assignment this year will be the Azlan Shah Cup on May 5-15 in Ipoh.
NATIONAL TRAINING SQUAD: S. Kumar (Gk), Roslan Jamaluddin (Gk), Razie Rahim (KLHC), Baljit Singh (TNB), Madzli Ikmar (TNB), Amin Rahim (TNB), Azreen Rizal (Sapura), Shahnrun Nabil (KLHC), Sukri Mutalib (KLHC), Marhan Jalil (Sapura), Nabil Fiqri (KLHC), Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin (KLHC), Faizal Saari (TNB), Azlan Misron (KLHC), Hafifihafiz Hanafi (Maybank), Izwan Firdaus (Sapura), Kelvinder Singh (KLHC), Azzami Adabi (TNB), Izzat Rahim (Sapura), Fitri Bakar (YNS), Shahrin Mohamed (Maybank), Firhan Ashaari (TNB), Faiz Helmi (TNB), Azri Hassan (UniKL), Rashid Baharom (UiTM).

KLHC nail double

FINAL: Sapura 1 Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club 3.
Third-Fourth: Yayasan Negri Sembilan 1 Tenaga Nasional 3.
ROLL-OF-HONOUR:
Top Scorer: Razi Rahim (27 goals, KLHC)
Faiplay: Armed Forces Airod (RM3,000)
Man-of-the-Final: Roslan Jamaluddin (KLHC)
Man-of-the-Tournament: Azlan Misron (KLHC)
Best Goalkeeper: S. Kumar (Tenaga)

KUALA Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) claimed their second double when they beat Sapura 3-1 in the final of the TNB Cup at the Tun Razak Stadium yesterday.
The first double was in 2008, and yesterday's effort earned them RM60,000 while Sapura received RM40,000.
A crowd of 4,000 watched a sizzling final, as hockey was played at an entertaining level by both teams.
And it did not take long to get the crowd excited, as in the first minute itself, an Azlan Misron cross found Nabil Fiqri who gave KLHC an early boost.
Sapura were forced to open up the match after that and started making numerous counter attacks, which failed to find the equaliser even after four penalty corners were won as S. Kuhan was off colour.
KLHC resorted to defending, and only started attacking in the last 10 minutes of the first half, but could not increase the lead as three penalty corners were wasted by 26-goal scorer Razie Rahim.
After the breather, KLHC again mounted a swift attack in the 36th minute to consolidate their lead, but Ismail Abu just missed.
Sapura kept on pushing for the equalsier and in the 46th minute, Korean import Lim Woo Geun sent in a sizzling penalty corner flick which drew them level, but only for two minutes.
KLHC's Amerullah Aziz took it upon himself and made a darting run, and found the foot of a Sapura player in the 48th minute to win a penalty coner. Razie cooly flicked home their second, and his 27th goal of the Malaysia Hockey League.
Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin, who had a poor match thus far, suddenly sprung into action in the 58th minute and scored a super field goal to give Sapura a 3-1 lead.
All hell almost broke loose in the 59th minute when Rodzhanizam Radzi of Sapura took a swipe at KLHC's Shahrun Nabil.
There was a brief commotion, and umpire Nazmi Kamaruddin brought it under control by flashing the red card to Rodzhanizam while Shahrun received the yellow for retaliating.
"It was a highy charged, but entertaining final and my players deserve the double as they never lost a match other than the Charity Shield (against Tenaga Nasional)," said KLHC coach K. Dharmaraj.
Meanwhile, in the bronze battle Yayasan Negri Sembian drew first blood when Muhammad Imran converted a penalty corner in the 16th minute, but Tenaga Nasional refused to cave in easily.
The tide was turned by Faizal Saari who scored a penalty corner brace in the 25th and 45th minute, before Mahinder Singh zipped the match shut with a field attempt in the 67th minute and TNB were RM30,000 richer.
YNS received RM20,000 for finishing fourth.

Bronze: Tenaga 3 YNS 1

IN the bronze battle of the TNB Cup, Yayasan Negri Sembian
drew first blood when Muhammad Imran converted a
penalty corner in the 16th minute, but Tenaga Nasional
refused to cave in easily.
The tide was turned by Faizal Saari who scored a
penalty corner brace in the 25th and 45th minute, before
Mahinder Singh zipped the match shut with a field attempt
in the 67th minute and TNB were RM30,000 richer.
YNS received RM20,000 for finishing fourth.

Kuala Lumpur-Malacca final

DEFENDING champions Kuala Lumpur stormed into the
final of the National Under 16 Tournament in style when
they whipped Kelantan 6-0 at the KLHA Stadium
yesterday.
In the other semi-finals, Malacca defied the odds to beat
Perak 3-1 on penalty strokes after the match ended in a
1-1 draw. It is the first time that Malacca has qualified for
the final.
Kuala Lumur, who won the last three editions, is now
just a step away from their fourth consecutive title.
Goalkeeper Mohamed Ridzwan was the toast of the
Malacca as he saved the third stroke, having psyched the
first two Perak flickers, Khairul Adha Ilyas and Azli Misron
to send their flicks wide on either side of the goal.
And the attempt by Helmi Jaafar was saved by Ridzwan.
Malacca scored through Luqman Nurhakim, Muhd Zairie
Nizam and Firdaus Omar with only Amirul Aiman failing to
find the mark.
In regulation time, Perak took the lead in the 24th
minute off Mohamed Khairul but Malacca drew level in the
62nd minute when Faid Farhadh converted a penalty
corner. Extra time failed to produce a winner and the
match was decided on penalty strokes.
Kuala Lumpur's march towards the final is all the more
impressive given that they have gone 560 minutes without
conceding a goal.
As with their preliminary round matches, Kuala Lumpur
were slow starters and took more then 15 minutes to
settle down.
But once they did, Farhan Danial (19th), Atihsha Tamil
Chelvam (21st, 67th), Norsyafiq Sumantri (23rd), Zizi
Azwan Hassan (26th), Zulaniq Adib (44th) -- completeded
the show.
RESULTS: Semi-finals -- Kuala Lumpur 6 Kelantan 0;
Malacca 1 Perak 1 (Malacca win 3-1 on penalty strokes)
TODAY: Final -- Kuala Lumpur v Malacca (5.30pm);
Third-Fourth: Perak v Kelantan (3.30pm).
Both matches at the Kuala Lumpur HA Stadium.

Stroke of luck might decide

KUALA Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) will be hoping to break their TNB Cup jinx when they play Sapura in the final of the Malaysia Hockey League at the Tun Razak Stadium today.
KLHC have been very unlucky in the knock-out stages, and have only one 2008 Overall title to show after playing five times in the final.
However, they have five League titles in their collection.
“We have been unlucky in many of the Overall finals, and lost two on penalty shoot-outs. The irony of it is that we trained for one week on penalty strokes on both occasions , and even nominated the five players who will take it. But we lost in both finals.
“But in 2008, we did not train for penalties at all, and I only asked around who wanted to take the flick after the extra- time.
“And we won the shoot out. That is what I am not going to think about the match going into penalties to decide the outcome,” said Dharmaraj.
Playing under the banner of Ernst and Young in 2006, they lost 3-4 to Sapura on penalties after extra time failed to resolve a 1-1 deadlock.
And against Tenaga Nasional the 2007 final, the match ended 2-2 after extra time. In the shoot out, Ernst and Young were beaten 2-3.
However, Ernst and Young finally won their elusive Overall title in 2008 when they beat Sapura 6-5 on penalties after the match ended 2-2.
As for Sapura, they are masters in slowing down the match, and this would surely break the rhythm of speedy KLHC forwards.
“I have some experienced players who can hold the match when we need to, and against a fast forward-line like KLHC, we might need to do it more often than other matches,” said Sapura coach I. Vickneswaran.
Sapura lost both their league matches 3-0 and 6-2 to KLHC, but that was when they were in a transformation period.
“The team were slow to start in the League as we relied on individual players.
“However, in the knock-out stage, the players finally clicked as a team and this is the effort which took us into the final over more fancied opponents,” said Vickneswaran.
The match is expected to be explosive, and penalty cor ners, not penalty strokes, could well decide the new Overall champion.
PAST WINNERS (League, and Overall): 1987 RMR, Kilat; 1988 UAB, Maybank; 1989 RMR, Kilat; 1990 Kilat, Maybank; 1991-92 Kilat, Kilat; 1992-93 YNS, MBf; 1994 Maybank, Maybank; 1995 Maybank, YNS; 1996 YNS, YNS; 1997 MPPJ, MPPJ; 1998 no tournament due to Commonwealth Games; 1999 BSN, BSN; 2000-01 Tenaga, BSN; 2002 Tenaga, BSN;
2003 Tenaga, Tenaga; 2004 Sapura, Tenaga; 2005 Sapura, Sapura; 2006 Ernst & Young, Sapura; 2007 Ernst & Young, Tenaga Nasional; 2008 Ernst & Young, Ernst & Young; 2009/10 KL Hockey Club, Tenaga Nasional; 2010/11 KL Hockey Club.

Kuala Lumpur good for fourth

KUALA Lumpur will be gunning for their fourth consecutive National Under-16 title when they play Kelantan at the Kuala Lumpur HA Stadium today.
In the other semis is Perak, who were finalists the last three season, and a strong Malacca side.
The tournament also serves as a selection ground to pick 50 budding players for the National Under-16 side who have two assignments this year.
They will be coached by former International Lim Chiow Chuan for the qualifying rounds of the Tun Razak Cup in April and May before competing in a Four-Nation Invitational in Manheim, Germany from 10-13 June, 2011.
The other three countries in the fray are Germany, Holland and Belgium.
Chiow Chuan has been a regular fixture at the stadium, and said he already has almost all the 50 players in mind.
“Only two teams, Perak and Kuala Lumpur, have shown good overall performance in the tournament while the other teams only have a few good players to carry them.
“I have almost finalised the 50 trainees, and they will be notified soon,” said Chiow Chuan.
Kuala Lumpur are the hot favourites for the title, while the Perak and Malacca match could either way.
TODAY: Semi-finals -- Kuala Lumpur v Kelantan (KLHA Stadium, 3.30pm); Perak v Malacca (KLHA Stadium, 5.30pm).

Battle of the goalkeepers

Sapura goalkeeper Nasihin Nubli (right) has not featured for his team since the ping the quarter-finals of the TNB Cup.

SAPURA will sorely miss their goalkeeper David James in the final of the TNB Cup as the Welshman has returned home to attend a job interview.
Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) strikers will now face former national goalkeeper Nasihin Nubli, and he is a little rusty for lack of action.
"Nasihin had other commitments after the last League match in Malacca and did not play in the knock-out stage. However, with James out of the picture, he will be back to keep goal," said Sapura coach I. Vickneswaran.
Nasihin is currently the head coach of the national senior women's team, and his commitment with them saw him skip the quarter-finals as well as the semi-finals.
"We are not worried as Nasihin is a good goalkeeper and he has kept himself active even after retirement. He knows what to do, even in penalty corner situations and should be an asset in the final," added Vickneswaran.
At the other end of the pitch will be Roslan Jamaluddin keeping goal for KLHC.
Roslan and Nasihin were brothers-in-arms in the national team a few years back and their rivalry for the No 1 spot saw them keep it for themselves for at least a decade.
"Roslan has kept himself busy with the national team (as No 2 to S. Kumar) in the Asian Games when he was called out of retirement. He has kept himself in shape, and his experience will be vital for us to keep our dream alive," said KLHC coach K. Dharmaraj.
Both goalkeepers will play crucial roles as Sapura have proven penalty corner flicker S. Kuhan, Korean flicker Lim Woo Geun, and Ahmad Kazamirul, while KLHC have Razie Rahim, who proved himself in the League but was a little rusty in the knockout stages.
"Razie has had poor performances in the knockout stage but I am confident he will give a better account of himself in the last match of the season," said Dharmaraj.

Kelantan sneak into s-final

KELANTAN held Perak to a 3-3 draw in a Group B match and qualified for the semi-finals of the National Under-16 hockey tournament at the Kuala Lumpur HA Stadium yesterday.
Perak topped Group B and will play Malacca in the crossover semi-finals while Kelantan will square off against defending champions Kuala Lumpur.
Kuala Lumpur beat Malacca 5-0 to top Group A in the last match yesterday.
Perak took a 2-0 lead but released their grip on the match and allowed Kelantan to enter the semi-finals. On the sidelines were Negri Sembilan players who were hoping for Kelantan to lose so they could give their best against Kedah in the next match, but were disappointed.
The Perak goals were scored by Helmi Jaafar (20th, 21st, 39th), while Kelantan got their goals through Shafiq Ikwan (25th), Aminuddin Zain (32nd) and Zikrillah Alias (40th).
Meanwhile, Sabah ended their campaign by holding Pahang 2-2 in their Group A match. It was their fourth draw in six matches, and it was a good tournament for the former whipping boys.
Sabah lost 5-0 to Kuala Lumpur and were edged 2-1 by Selangor. Their draws were against Pahang (2-2), Johor (3-3), Malacca (2-2) and Police (2-2).
"I am happy with the performances though the results could have been better as in some matches we held the upper hand," said Sabah team manager Laila Shahbadur.
"And if there is one area that I would like to see some improvement it has to be the fixtures as there was not enough rest between matches," said Laila.
RESULTS -- Group A: Selangor 4 Johor 0, Pahang 2 Sabah 2, Kuala Lumpur 5 Malacca 0.
Group B: Perlis 2 Singapore 1, Perak 3 Kelantan 3, Negri Sembilan 3 Kedah 3, Penang 3 Terengganu 1.
TOMORROW (S-finals): Malacca v Perak ( 3.30pm); Kuala Lumpur v Kelantan (5.30pm). Both Matches at KLHA Stadium .

Negri Sembilan blown away

TERENGGANU upset the form-book when they beat Negri
Sembilan 4-2 in Group B of the National Under-16
hockey tournament in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.
Terengganu now fancy their chances of playing
in the semi-finals as they have seven points from
five matches and have only Perlis and Penang to
play.
"It was a good win and it gives us a glimmer of
hope of making the last four," said team manager
Saberi Salleh.
"As long as we are in with a chance we will give
our very best. Actually this is more of a team for
the future as 15 players are eligible to play in
the Under-14 tournament later this year."
In another Group B match, Kelantan beat
Singapore 3-0. They have 13 points from five
matches and play Perak and Penang to complete their
fixtures.
The Kelantan goals were scored by Aminuddin Zain
(33rd), Irwan Ismail (58th) and Zulfikar Mohamed
(60th).
Negri took the lead in the 13th minute through
Ikwan Ishak, but their joy was short-lived as they
conceded two goals in as many minutes.
Sufi Ismat Rohor Amin put Terengganu level in
the 16th minute, and in the 18th minute he gave
them the lead.
However, Negri drew level in the 30th minute when
Norhafizi Aris converted a penalty corner.
Terengganu regained the lead in the 51st minute
via a penalty corner through Shazwi Rani.
And despite Terengganu playing with nine players
at one stage when Luqman Nul Hakim and Syazuwan
Firdaus were yellow carded, Negri could not
capitalize on the situation.
Asrin Hafizuddin sealed the match for Terengganu
in the 66th minute.
Results: Group A -- Pahang 4 Police 1, Kuala
Lumpur 5 Johor 0, Malacca 0 Sabah 0.
Group B: Negri Sembilan 2 Terengganu 4, Kelantan
3 Singapore 0, Perlis 0 Penang 3, Perak 3 Kedah 1.
TODAY: Group A -- Malacca v Police (5pm),Kuala
Lumpur v Selangor (6.30pm),Johor v Sabah (Ministry
of Education, 6.30pm).
Group B -- Kelantan v Penang (7.30am),Terengganu
v Perlis (9am),Kedah v Singapore (Ministry of
Education, 10am), Perak v Negri Sembilan (3.30pm).

GROUP A

P W D L F A Pts
K LUMPUR 4 4 0 0 25 0 12
MALACCA 4 3 1 0 9 3 10
SELANGOR 4 3 0 1 15 5 9
PAHANG 5 1 1 3 8 20 4
POLICE 5 0 2 3 5 21 2
SABAH 4 0 2 2 3 9 2
JOHOR 4 0 2 2 4 11 2

GROUP B
P W D L F A Pts
PERAK 5 5 0 0 25 4 15
KELANTAN 5 4 1 0 15 2 13
NEGRI 5 3 1 1 18 8 10
TERENGGANU5 2 1 2 16 14 7
KEDAH 5 1 2 29 11 5
PENANG 5 1 1 3 7 12 4
SINGAPORE 5 1 0 4 3 22 3
PERLIS 5 0 0 5 1 21 0

Costly miss for Negri Sembilan

NEGRI Sembilan wasted a golden opportunity to close in on a semi-final berth when they were held 1-1 by Kelantan in a National Under-16 Group B match at the Kuala Lumpur HA Stadium yesterday.
A penalty stroke miss by Norhafizi Aris put paid to Negri's hopes of a win.
Negri coach Maidin Mohamad knows that it will now be tough for them to make the last four as they have matches against Terengganu, Perak and Kedah over the next three days.
"We really should have won this match and have now made it more difficult for ourselves," said Maidin.
Kelantan went ahead in the 39th minute through Shafiq Ikhwan who scrambled the ball over the line when the Negri keeper failed to clear.
In the 53rd minute Negri were presented with a golden chance to equalise when they were awarded a penalty stroke, but Norhafizi sent his attempt wide.
However, Negri were not to be denied their point when Raziq Rizlan scored from a penalty corner in the 59th minute.
RESULTS -- Group A: Kuala Lumpur 6 Pahang 0, Selangor 1 Malacca 2, Police 2 Sabah 2.
Group B: Negri Sembilan 1 Kelantan 1, Perak 8 Perlis 0, Kedah 2 Terengganu 2, Penang 0 Singapore 1.
TODAY -- Group A: Pahang v Police (Ministry of Education, 8.30am), Kuala Lumpur v Johor (9am), Malacca v Sabah (Ministry of Education, 9am).
Group B: Negri Sembilan v Terengganu (3.30pm), Kelantan v Singapore (5pm), Perlis v Penang (6.30pm), Perak v Kedah (Ministry of Education, 6.30pm).

KLHC hold the aces

KUALA Lumpur Hockey Club (LKHC) are the hot favourites to lift the TNB Cup when they square off against Sapura in the final on Saturday.
KLHC, who have seven national players while the rest are former internationals and Junior World Cup players, have depth in every department and their team-work is next to none.
"We are deadly as a unit, and that is what took us into the final. YNS have many good foreign players, but they relied more on individual skills," said KLHC coach K. Dharmaraj.
And his take on Sapura?
"Sapura are a good mix of seniors and juniors and they know how to hold the match and will be deadly. We did beat them twice in the league (6-2, 3-0), and will build on that," said Dharmaraj.
Pakistan import Rehan Butt single handedly placed Sapura in the final by scoring both the goals in their 2-0 win against Tenaga in the second leg.
"My tally is now eight, but the two which I scored in the semi-finals are the most importan and I hope to deliver again in the final," said Rehan.
Thirty-year-old Rehan and Sohail Abbas scored for Pakistan in the final of the Asian Games in China to deny Malaysia a gold medal.
On the MHL overall, the Pakistan slalwart said: "I have seen some good talent in the MHL, and with Malaysia reaching the final of the Asian Games, I see a better future for this country in the near future.
"There is a great change in the mindset of Malaysian players from a few years back, that is for sure," said Rehan who is in the London Olympics training squad.
He will be back in Malaysia for the Azlan Shah Cup, which has a great following in Pakistan.
"The Azlan Shah Cup has a huge following back home and we will surely bring the best team as we would like to add another silverware to our colelction.
"And if I am not called-up to play in Europe (like last year) I will surely want to come back to Malaysia and play in the MHL," said Rehan.

Negri Sembilan on a roll

SELANGOR and Malacca registered convincing wins
in the National Under-16 tournament yesterday and
are set for an explosive Group A encounter at the
KLHA Stadium today.
Pahang were at the receiving end of the
onslaught by Selangor who hammered the east
coast side 7-1 while Malacca were equally clinical
in their 3-1 win over Johor.
With defending champions Kuala Lumpur, who
defeated Police 9-0, also in Group A, Selangor and
Malacca play in a do-or-die when they clash today.
Selangor coach Wan Samsuri realises that even
after three wins, the match against Malacca could
well determine their fate in the tournament.
“It is a three way battle between Selangor, KL and
Malacca for the two semi-finals slots from our
group. That is why we can't afford to lose against
Malacca,” said Wan Samsuri.
“Having eight players from last year’s team helps
as we did not have more then a week’s preparation
for the tournament this time. And after the
relatively poor performance against Sabah in our
opening match, we have been improving.
“Our initial target is making the semis and from
there it will be an open affair as I do not see vast
difference in standards amongst the teams here.”
Selangor is represented mostly by players from
SMK Seksyen 11 Shah Alam and the Bukit Jalil
Sports School. And they showed why they were a
team to be feared as they completely demolished
Pahang.
MohamedNoor Khairul scored a hattrick with
goals in the 5th, 12th and 45th minutes with the
other goals ccoming from Haikal Zamri (13th),
Nazirul Mubin (24th, 44th) and Qamarul Afiq Azny
(56th). Pahang’s consolation was scored by Khairul
Amri Talha in the 32nd minute.
Malacca were in a class of their own in their
match against Johor and took the lead in the sixth
minute via skipper Firdaus Omar. But Johor were on
levels terms when Safeed Roslan found the back of
the net in the 24th minute.
Goals from Mohd Firdaus (39th) and Nur Alif Aiman
(53rd) gave Malacca the three points.

GROUP A
P W D L F A Pts
SELANGOR 3 3 0 0 14 3 9
K LUMPUR 2 2 0 0 14 0 6
MALACCA 2 2 0 0 7 2 6
JOHOR 3 0 2 1 4 6 2
PAHANG 3 0 1 2 4 13 1
POLICE 3 0 1 2 2 15 1
SABAH 2 0 0 2 1 7 0

GROUP B
P W D L F A Pts
N SEMBILAN 3 3 0 0 15 3 9
PERAK 3 3 0 0 14 3 9
KELANTAN 3 3 0 0 11 1 9
KEDAH 3 1 1 1 6 6 4
TERENGGANU 3 1 0 2 10 10 3
PENANG 3 0 1 2 4 11 1
PERLIS 3 0 0 3 1 10 0
SINGAPORE 3 0 0 3 2 19 0

RESULTS: Group A: Selangor 7 Pahang 1, Johor 1
Malacca 3, Kuala Lumpur 9 Police 0.
Group B: Singapore 1 Terengganu 7, Perak 2
Penang 0, Negri Sembilan 3 Perlis 0, Kedah 0
Kelantan 4.
TODAY: Group A -- Kuala Lumpur v Pahang (5pm),
Slangor v Malacca (6.30pm), Police v Sabah (8pm).
Group B: N. Sembilan v Kelantan (7.30am), Perak v
Perlis (Ministry of Education, 8.30am), Kedah v
Terengganu (9am), Penang v Singapore (3.30pm).
# All other matches at the KLHA stadium.

SAPURA-KLHC final

RESULTS: Semi-finals second leg:
Tenaga Nasional 0 Sapura 2
(Sapura win on 4-2 aggregate)
Yayasan Negri Sembilan 2 Kuala Lumpur Hockey
Club 4
(KLHC win on 6-3 aggregate)


SAPURA'S Pakistan import Rehan Butt delivered a
brace to beat Tenaga Nasional 2-0 and take his
team into the final of the TNB Cup on Saturday on
4-2 aggregate.
In the other semi-finals, Kuala Lumpur Hockey
Club (KLHC) made sure with deft touches to
outclass Yayasan Negri Sembilan (YNS) 4-2 for a 6-3
aggregate win, and keep their hope of a double
alive.
Sapura had the upper hand for 30 minutes, but
were in deep trouble in the last five minutes as
Tenaga Nasional won four consecutive penalty
corners.
However, there was a slight commotion after
Tenaga were awarded the third penalty corner in
the 33rd minute.
Sapura's S. Kuhan called for a walk-out, as he was
unhappy with the call as he felt Tenaga's Faizal
Saari took a dive.
Sapura players were coaxed to return to the
match after a few minutes, and they dedended both
the ensuing penalty corners and the score remained
0-0 into the breather.
But the tempo completely changed in the second
half, as Sapura again went on the offensive and
their Pakistan import Rehan Butt nailed the lead off
a swift field attempt in the 36th minute.
Tenaga made a concerted effort to score the
eqauliser and came within a whisker when they
were awarded a penalty stroke in the 58th minute
after a botched penalty corner attempt.
Faizal Saari stepped up to the spot, but flicked
straignt towards Sapura goalkeeper David James
and they lost a golden opportunity.
And with eight minutes remaining, Rehan again
delivered with a deft touch to take Sapura into the
final.
"My players were warriors, as they came back
from two goals down to hold Tenaga 2-2 in the first
leg. And then, they played their hearts out to win
the second leg.
"I feel really proud of them, as they raised their
game and avoided a disaster by keeping their heads
cool. Now, we are looking forward to win the
Overall title which we last did in 2006," said Sapura
coach I. Vickneswaran.
In the second semi-finals, YNS gave away too
much possession in the first half and were punished
dearly.
Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin scored in the second
minute, and Kelvinder Singh made it 2-0 in the 22nd
minute.
Tengku was again on target in the 32nd minute to
make it 3-0, before Redza Maadun pulled one back
for YNS.
However, Ahmad Anuar Sham delivered another
blow to YNS in the 45th minute off a deflection, and
the match was all over, even though Shakeel Abbasi
scored YNS' second goal in the 67th minute.
March 19: Final -- Sapura v Kuala Lumpur Hockey
Club (Tun Razak Stadium, 8.30pm); Third-Fourth:
Tenaga Nasional v Yayasan Negri Sembilan (Tun
Razak Stadium, 6.00pm).

No advantage for any

CHARITY Shield holders Tenaga Nasional and League champions Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) have only themselves to blame for a poor show in the first leg of the TNB Cup at the Tun Razak Stadium on Friday.
Tenaga took a 2-0 lead before releasing the grip to allow Sapura to draw level, while KLHC came had to come from behind to secure a slim 2-1 win against Yayasan Negri Sembilan.
And today, all four teams will take to the field again, and there is no advantage for any from the first leg.
YNS Pakistan import Shakeel Abbasi, who played a pivotal role to deny Malaysia a gold medal in the Asian Games, was disappointed with his side's first leg performance.
"We had more than enough chances to beat KLHC, but did not take it. Now we will have to play another gruelling match, and by my reading, we might just upset the formbook," said Shakeel.
YNS finished fifth in the League, while KLHC were the champions. The score in the league highly favoured KLHC as they beat Yayasan 6-3 and 7-2.
"We have a good set of foreign players (nine of them) and our Malaysian players are not the best in the country, but still, they played their hearts out and that is what matters in a team sport," said Shakeel.
KLHC have the lion's share of current and former internationals, as well as Junior World Cup players, but they were a jaded side in the first half.
In the other semi-finals, Sapura are quietly confident that they will play in the final.
"It is back to square one as both sides have no advantage after the first encounter. I feel my players are game to give another rousing performance, as only 70 minutes separate us from the final," said Sapura coach I. Vickneswaran.
Redzuan Ponirin, a former international, will sit out the second leg after picking up a card on Friday and Sapura will miss the work-horse for sure.
But Tenaga have a bigger problem at hand, as their No 1 Penalty corner flicker Amin Rahim will not be able to play for at least another six weeks.
"I tore a tendon, and can hardly walk. The MHL season is over for me, and hopefully I recover in time to play in the Azlan Shah Cup (May 5-15)," lamented Amin Rahim.
Amin's absence is a boon for Junior World Cup eight-goal scorer Faizal Saari. Faizal, who scored the first Tenaga goal against Sapura, will get another chance to consolidate his position as the No 3 penalty corner flicker for Malaysia.
The No 2 is Radzi Rahim, who has been an asset to KLHC in the League.
TODAY: Tenaga Nasional (2) v Sapura (2) (Tun Razak Stadium, 6pm), Yayasan Negri Sembilan (1) v Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (2) (Tun Razak Stadium, 8pm).
# First leg scores in parenthesis.

Negri Under-16 on fire

NEGRI Sembilan were in super form to hammer
Penang 7-2 in Group B of the National Under-16
tournament in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.
This was their second high-scoring win, as they
beat Singapore 5-1 on Friday and are now among
the favourites to progress to the knock-our stage.
Negri have deadly goal-scorer in Ikhwan Ishak to
thank, as he scored a hattrick against Penang, to
add to his four goals against Singapore.
Negri opened accounts in the third minute off
Ikwan but two strikes in the fifth and 10th minutes
by Izaidi Ismail and Faridzul Izwan respectively gave
Penang a 2-1 lead.
However, Negri levelled the score when Norhafizi
Aris struck in the 15th minute.
Penang keeper Rafiuddin Dahari kept the Negri
forwards at bay with a string of saves, but he was
soundly beaten when Shabariq Shamsuri scored in
the 48th minute.
And Negri scored at will in the last ten minutes,
off Fakhrul Razi Kunyapu (60th), Ikwan (62nd, 64th)
and Norhafizi (69th).
Kelantan were also impressive in their 4-0
demolition of Terengganu in Group B with skipper
Aminuddin Zain scoring a brace in the 35th and 59th
minutes.
Safami Sayuti (46th) and Zikrillah Alias (55th)
were also on target as Kelantan also notched up
their second successive win, having beaten Perlis
3-1 on Friday.

STANDINGS
GROUP A
P W D L F A Pts
SELANGOR 2 2 0 0 7 2 6
K LUMPUR 1 1 0 0 5 0 3
MALACCA 1 1 0 0 4 1 3
JOHOR 2 0 2 0 3 3 2
PAHANG 2 0 1 1 3 6 1
POLICE 2 0 1 1 2 6 1
SABAH 2 0 0 2 1 7 0


GROUP B
P W D L F A Pts
N SEMBILAN 2 2 0 0 12 3 6
PERAK 2 2 0 0 12 3 6
KELANTAN 2 2 0 0 7 1 6
KEDAH 2 1 1 0 6 2 4
PENANG 2 0 1 1 4 9 1
TERENGGANU 2 0 0 2 3 9 0
PERLIS 2 0 0 2 1 7 0
SINGAPORE 2 0 0 2 1 12 0

RESULTS: Group A -- Selangor 5 Police 1, Johor 2
Pahang 2, Kuala Lumpur 5 Sabah 0.
Group B -- Negri Sembilan 7 Penang 2, Kedah 4
Perlis 0, Kelantan 4 Terengganu 0, Perak 7
Singapore 0.
TODAY: Group A: Selangor v Pahang (7.30am),
Johor v Malacca (Ministry of Education, 8.30pm),
Kuala Lumpur v Police (9am).
Group B: Singapore v Terengganu (15.30pm), Perak
v Penang (5pm), Negri Sembilan v Perlis (6.30pm),
Kedah v Kelantan (8pm).