KLHC skipper Azlan Misron (left) and Tenaga skipper Madzli Ikmar.
From left: KLHC team manager George Koshy, coach R. Vivekanandan, skipper Azlan Misron -- Tenaga skipper Madzli Ikmar, coach Lailin Abu Hassan and manager Samsul Ariffin.KUALA Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) and Tenaga Nasional will be looking for a killing when they lock horns in the Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) Charity Shield at the National Hockey Stadium tomorrow.
Both sides have nine national players each, and high on their list is the three points, and second is the Shield that comes with it.
KLHC, last season’s double champions, lost the Shield to Tenaga, but went on to lift the League as well as the TNB Cup.
And Tenaga will aim for a hat-trick of Shields, as well as wrestle both the other titles from KLHC.
“The Shield is secondary, as it will come naturally with what we will be looking for in the opening encounter -- three valuable points,” was the point-blank charge from KLHC team manager George Koshy.
Tenaga coach Lailin Abu Hassan was equally determined: “We have won back-to-back Charity Shields (2009 against Sapura and 2010 against KLHC), and are in no mood to be charitable on Saturday, as it comes with three valuable points,” said
However, it is not expected to be an explosive and open encounter, as both teams have tired legs from the Asian Champions Trophy in Ordos.
“My players just returned on Wednesday, and I am training them for the first time today (yesterday). Naturally some of them will feel the effect of playing in the Asian Champions Trophy and playing an open game will be suicidal,” said KLHC coach R. Vivekanandan.
Tenaga have the best defense in the country, as No 1 goalkeeper S. Kumar, Amin Rahim, Baljit Singh and Madzli Ikmar are on their side.
All four of them played a pivotal role in handing Malaysia bronze in Asian Champions Trophy in Ordos.
And in attack, they have young legs Azammi Adabi, Firhan Ashaari, Amir Farid and Faizal Saari.
as for KLHC have experience in national goalkeeper Roslan Jamaluddin, while for penalty corners they have established Razie Rahim.
It is in the midfield that KLHC holds the edge as they have virtually the national team set up with Nabil Fiqri, Shahrun Nabil and Shukri Mutalib.
The Charity Shield will indicate where the one-leg League heads, as both teams are front-runners for all three titles this season.
SATURDAY: Division One -- Uniten v Ipoh City Hall (Tun Razak 5pm), BJSS v UNIMAP (Education Ministry, 8pm).
Premier League -- (Charity Shield): KL Hockey Club v Tenaga Nasional (National Hockey Stadium, 8pm).
SUNDAY: Division One -- SSTMI-Thunderbolt v Uniten (Education Ministry, 5pm), Ipoh City Hall v BJSS (Azlan Shah Stadium, 5pm).
Premier League: Armed Forces Airod v Sapura (National Stadium, 4pm), Uitm v UniKL (National Stadium, 6pm), Nur Insafi Penang v Yayasan Negri Sembilan (National Stadium, 8pm).
