Friday, May 17, 2013

KLHC gunning to equal Tenaga's 12 titles..

 KUALA Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) will be gunning to  equal Tenaga Nasinal’s 12 titles when they face off in the TNB  Cup final at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil tomorrow.
   And in the President’s Cup final, the battle will be between  UiTM and TNB Thunderbolts.
   Today,  the third-fourth placing matches of the TNB Cup  and President’s Cup will be held in Bukit Jalil.
    Tenaga have seven Overall and five League titles, while  KLHC have three Overall and eight League titles.
   Tenaga player Faizal Saari will also be out to create history  of his own, to become the MHL top-scorer for the third  consecutive year.
    In the 2011-12 season, Faizal top-scored with 19 goals,  while in the 2012 season, he had a tally of 20.
   Going into the final tomorrow, the national player is tied on  17 goals with Sapura’s Pakistan import Khasif Ali.
   “Being named as the top-scorer the last two seasons did not  mean anything as my team lost the TNB Cup both times to  KLHC.
   “I’m in the running again to become the top-scorer, and  this time, I want to do it by winning the title as well,” said  Faizal.
    KLHC coach K. Dharmaraj knows the heart-break which  comes with defeat, as he has seen his team lose seven times  in MHL finals.
    “I have been coaching KLHC for 14 years now, and even  though we have won 11 titles, I have also the misfortune to  have lost in seven other finals.
    “So I know how it feels to be a champion as well as ending  up at the losers end,” said Dharmaraj.
     When six of Dharmaraj’s stalwarts left to join Terengganu  HC this season, many had written off the club, but they went  on to win the League title with only one blemish -- a 3-3 draw  against Tenaga Nasional.
    “We were involved in a scramble to recruit foreign players  when six left us for better offers, and fortunately, we  managed to hire a good crop of Pakistan and also an  Australian player.
    “I have no hard feeling for the six who left us, as the offer  was much more better than what we could give. Now, the  foreign as well as my local players have a very good  understanding, and we will be gunning to equal Tenaga’s  record on Sunday,” said Dharmaraj.
     Entrance is free, and 2,000 lucky draw tickets for two  Modenas motorbikes are expected to be given away at the  entrance.
    TODAY (Third-Fourth): President’s Cup -- Ipoh City Council  v Sunday 2030 (6pm); TNB Cup -- Maybank v Sapura  (8pm).
    TOMORROW (Finals): President’s Cup -- UiTM v TNB  Thunderbolts (6pm); TNB Cup -- Kuala Lumpur HC v Tenaga  Nasional (8pm).
    Note: All matches at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil.