PIC: Hafiz Zainol(left)
FELDA boys Izad Hakimi Jamaluddin and Hafiz Zainol are two examples of true grit and determination, which is what Malaysia need to qualify for the quarter-finals of the Junior World Cup in New Delhi.
Izad, 21, grew up in a Felda settlement in Trolak, Perak, while Hafiz, 20, is from Jengka in Pahang.
Since the Project 2013 squad were formed five years ago, coach K. Dharmaraj has picked, trained and booted out some 200 players. And for the two Felda boys to remain standing in the final 18 for the World Cup, is a remarkable achievement in itself.
Both were truly delighted, when Felda came in with an RM500,000 sponsorship to help the team in New Delhi from Dec 6-15.
"Growing up in a Felda settlement, life can be tough sometimes but it made me much more determined to make my mark when I was given a chance to join juniors training a few years ago," said Izad.
"And with Felda coming in as a major sponsor to help us, my gut feeling is that we are going to have a wonderful World Cup," said Hafiz.
Izad's main inspiration was his elder brother Roslan, a goalkeeper with the national senior side for the last decade.
"I have eight other siblings, and I am the youngest. Roslan is 14 years older than me, and I have always admired his ability in hockey.
"He (Roslan) is one of the driving factors in me giving my best in every match I play," said the lanky defender.
Izad is also the first runner when defending penalty corners, and has many a time stopped the ball with his body without fear.
The most recent was when he performed well against India's penalty corner flickers during the Sultan of Johor Cup.
"I don't fear the flickers, and my main focus is to stop them from scoring. If I get hurt in the process, it is not a problem, as I hate letting down the team," said Izad.
As for Hafiz, a midfielder, he feels the top-six target set by the Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) is achievable.
"Our first match (against New Zealand) is the most important in my career as a hockey player. I believe, if we beat the Kiwis, the quarter-finals door will open wide for Malaysia," said Hafiz.
Malaysia are in Group D and the other opponents in their path to the quarter-finals are England and South Africa.
