National players can play in MHL

THE Malaysian Hockey Federation (MHF) council decided yesterday to allow national players to play in the Malaysia Hockey League from Sept 17 to Oct 23.
However, the council included certain conditions so that national players attend training with Tai coach Beng Hai from Monday to Thursday, and club duty will be during weekends.
"We decided on this win-win situation because it will look into the welfare of the players, clubs, and also the nation simultaniously," said MHF president Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahamd Shah.
The decision would have come as a relief to double champions Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) who have nine national players on their payroll.
"The agreeement on who is responsible if national players get injured has also been made. And the conditions will be strictly followed, and if a player is injured and can't attend national training, he also can't play in the MHL the next weekend," stressed Tengku Abdullah.
Coach Tai Beng Hai wanted the MHL either to be postponed to next year after the Olympic Qualifier or to run withour national players.
His main fear was injuries to his charges, and fitness problems which arise when they break camp.
"And we planned the MHL in such a way that the coach will have six weeks to train his charges for the Champions Challenge I in South Africa," said Tengku Abdullah.
The national team's next assignment is the Inaugural Asian Champions Trophy in Ordos next month.
Malaysia will be up against Asian Games champions Pakistan, South Korea, Japan, China, India and Pakistan in the tournament.