Joseph de Silva's moment...

THE face of OLAK.

Old La Sallians Association of Klang team manager and driving force Joseph de Silva, who has produced a handful of national players over the years, received recognition at a recent dinner hosted by his club.
  He was awarded the Hockey For Life Dedication Award.
 Joe is among a handful of Malaysian's who gave his life for the sport he loves....

League title slants towards THT

TWO-SEASON side Terengganu Hockey Team (THT) has poured in millions into their outfit, and are finally staring at their first silverware in the Premier Division of the Malaysia Hockey League.
  THT slaughtered double champions Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club 5-1 on Friday to finally arrive after finishing fifth in their debut season.
  And with a nine-goal advantage, THT only need to beat Sapura to claim their title. For the record, THT beat Sapura 8-4 in Round One.
  KLHC play UniKL for three points, while keeping their fingers crossed that THT crumble, or draw against Sapura.
  UniKL have shown progress in Round Two by beating Tenaga and then holding Maybank to a draw, however, they were soundly beaten 0-4 by KLHC in Round One.
  "UniKL will continue with their league progress and improvement as a team and will not focusing too much on the league position. What is important tomorrow (today) is for the team to continue to play better and reverse the 0-4 loss to KLHC in order to face the knock-out challenge on high spirits," said UniKL Hockey Club president Amir Azhar Ibrahim.
  "Our only blemish was a 2-1 defeat to KLHC in Round One, and when we went back to our home turf in Kuala Terengganu, the target was to win maximum 15 points.
  "We have overcome the biggest challenge by beating KLHC, and will play a simple game to win three points off Sapura and claim the League title," said THT coach Sarjit Singh.
  THT's No 1 fan Terengganu Menteri Besar Datuk Ahmad Razif turned up for the KLHC clash in Kuala Lumpur, where his side were edged 2-1.
  "We have a solid backing from the state government as well as the fans in Kuala Terengganu who have turned up at the stadium by the thousands even in pouring rain.
  "The team will give its best against Sapura, as we are just a step away from rewarding our loyal fans," said Sarjit.
  While acknowledging that they will face an uphill task to beat KLHC, Sapura assistant manager S. Kuhan said: "We will be entering the pitch, like always, looking for a win and will not throw in the towel until the four quarters are over. There is nothing to lose for us, while if we win, we will be assured of finishing fourth in the League."
  
                P W D L  F     A  Pts

TERENGGANU      9 8 0 1  42    16    24
KLHC            9 8 0 1  30    13    24
TENAGA          9 4 0 5  15    17    12
SAPURA          9 1 3 5  15    26     6
UNIKL           9 1 3 5  9     25     6
MAYBANK         9 0 4 5  13    27     4

SUNDAY: KLHC v UniKL (6pm, Pitch I); Maybank v Tenaga (6pm, Pitch II); Terengganu v Sapura (5pm, Kuala Terengganu).

THT hammer KLHC 5-1

TERENGGANU Hockey Team (THT) demolished Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) 5-1 to re-ignite their chances of winning the first League title in the Malaysia Hockey League Premier Division.
   The match was supposed to be a close affair but THT, playing in Kuala Terengganu, now have a nine-goal advantage over the double champions, and their last match against Sapura tomorrow will decide their fate.
  KLHC are in a difficult situation to chase the goal-count, as they meet UniKL and need to score double digits if they want to win their ninth League title.
   "It was a magical moment for us, as my players went onto the pitch motivated to win at all cost. Credit goes to the players for playing their best hockey ever, and now we will be looking for three more points from Sapura Sunday," said THT coach Sarjit Singh.
    There was a heavy downpour before the match, but the pitch dried up fast on one side while remained heavy on the other: "The pitch was a little heavy, but my players mastered it early to score quick goals to douse the fight in KLHC. The crowd was really fantastic as about 4,000 turned up to cheer their team," said Sarjit.
  "We need a miracle now to win the title, as it is out of our hands. We have to hope for Sapura to draw or win against THT, while we play out normal game aganst UniKL to wrap-up our fixtures.
  "The pitch played a big role in our defeat as it was heavy and a little water-logged on our side in the first half and THT took good advantage of dead balls to score early goals. Anyway, there is still one match to go and anything can happen," said KLHC coach K. Dharmaraj.
    THT's Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin started the goalcount in the eight minute, while the other goals were scored by Korean imports Seo Jong Ho (17th, 31st) and Jang Jong Hyun (22nd, 38th).
   Syamim Yusof socred the KLHC consolation in the 45th minute.
                             
                P W D L  F     A  Pts

TERENGGANU      9 8 0 1  42    16    24
KLHC                      9 8 0 1  30    13    24
TENAGA                9 4 0 5  15    17    12
SAPURA               9 1 3 5  15    26     6
UNIKL                  9 1 3 5  9     25     6
MAYBANK         9 0 4 5  13    27     4

RESULTS: Terengganu 5 KLHC 1; UniKL 0 Maybank 0; Sapura 0 Tenaga 2.
TOMORROW: KLHC v UniKL (6pm, Pitch I); Maybank v Tenaga (6pm, Pitch II); Terengganu v Sapura (5pm, Kuala Terengganu).

Explosive Friday: THT v KLHC

THE Malaysia Hockey League Premier Division League title could be decided in Kuala Terengganu Friday.
  Double champions for the fourth consecutive season, KLHC, who also have nine League titles to their name, will square off against two-season side Terengganu Hockey Team (THT).
  If KLHC wins or pulls off a draw, it will be all over, but if THT wins, it will go down to the goals scored.
  Right now, KLHC have 21 goals while THT 22. On Sunday, THT play their last match against Sapura while KLHC have UniKL as their last fixture.
  THT coach Sarjit Singh is aware that his team must be at their very best against KLHC, despite their home advantage. He is however buoyed by the fact that his side are heading into this cruncher at the back of a resounding 6-1 win over Maybank.
   “Our big win against Maybank has given us the motivation we need for the crucial clash against KLHC. It will be a very tough game, but we know that we have to do whatever it takes to secure a victory,” said Sarjit.
   There will be another enticing battle on the pitch today between THT’s Faizal Saari and KLHC’s Razie Rahim. Both have scored 10 goals each in the league thus far, making them strong contenders for the top-scorers award.
  But instead of focusing on personal accolades, KLHC skipper Razie is more determined to ensure his team defend their title this season.
  “I’m not really focusing on the top-scorer award. I’m more interested in playing as a team, and securing three points against THT. It will be a very difficult game but we will definitely try our best,” he said.
  For the record, KLHC edged THT 2-1 in Round One.
  FRIDAY: UniKL v Maybank (6pm, Pitch 1); Sapura v TNB (8pm, Pitch 2); Terengganu Hockey Team v KLHC (5pm, Kuala Terengganu).
  SUNDAY: KLHC v UniKL (6pm, Pitch I); Maybank v Tenaga (6pm, Pitch II); THT v Sapura (5pm, Kuala Terengganu).


              P W D L  F     A  Pts

KLHC          8 8 0 0  29    8  24
TERENGGANU    8 7 0 1  37    15 21
TENAGA        8 3 0 5  13    17  9
SAPURA        8 1 3 4  15    24  6
UNIKL         8 1 2 5  9     25  5
MAYBANK       8 0 3 5  13    27  3

MHL: No new talent spotted...

THE Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) Premier Division is at its tail end, and national chief coach Tai Beng Hai has not spotted any new talent in the six-team tournament.
  The MHL was mooted with an eye to give promising players a platform to be spotted by selectors, but is has failed in its primary objective this season.
  "No, I have not seen any new player who has made a mark in the MHL. Those who have been doing well are national and Project Players (2013 and 2016) or those who have been called-up for national training before but did not make a cut," said Beng Hai who is also the Sapura coach.
  And with that, Beng Hai will select 25 established players for World League Round Two training when the MHL preliminary round ends on Nov 30.
  The World League Round Two will be held in Singapore on Jan 17-25. Malaysia are top-seeded while the other teams are Singapore, Japan, Bangladesh, Oman, Ukraine and Poland. One more country will join the line-up after the Round One tournament in Suva, Fiji, on Dec 6-13.
  The top-three teams in Singapore will play in the World League Semi-finals for a shot at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.
  The MHL turned into a circus on Sunday when officials decided to post-pone the UniKL-Tenaga match to Wednesday after a heavy downpour. An announcement was made over the PA system which caught both the teams by surprise as they were ready to play and the rain had stopped.
  Team officials from both sides were fuming mad as they were not consulted before the decision was taken, and now they have to turn up at 6pm Wednesday to complete their fixtures even though they felt the pitch was playable on Sunday.
  The MHL is now officially a two-horse race as Terengganu Hockey Team, on 21 points, are the only team which is capable of giving four-time consecutive double champions Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) a fight for the League title whenn they clash on Friday.
  THT will get a chance to lift their first title if they win, while for KLHC, it would be just another trophy in their cabinet.
  RESULT: Tenaga Nasional 0 UniKL 2.

           STANDINGS

              P W D L  F     A  Pts

KLHC          8 8 0 0  29    8  24
TERENGGANU    8 7 0 1  37    15 21
TENAGA        8 3 0 5  13    17  9
SAPURA        8 1 3 4  15    24  6
UNIKL         8 1 2 5  9     25  5
MAYBANK       8 0 3 5  13    27  3

THT V KLHC to decide League title

KUALA Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) and Terengganu Hockey Team (THT) kept their date for a Nov 28 showdown when they won their respective Malaysia Hockey League Premier Division matches yesterday.
  KLHC beat Sapura 2-1 while THT slammed Maybank 6-1 yesterday. Both the teams meet in Kuala Terengganu next Friday, and the stakes are high.
  If KLHC beat THT, they will claim their ninth League title, but if THT win, they have a chance to claim their first title.
  Yesterday, Faizal Saari scored a hat-trick in the third, sixth and eight minutes, while the other THT goals were scored by Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin (ninth), Seo Jong Ho (28th) and Kang Moon Kweon (41st).
  The Maybank consolation was scored by Haseem Khan in the second minute.
  "We have done our part by winning big against Maybank and now we are ready to give our best against KLHC on Nov 28 to try and win our first league title. All our players are free from injury and suspension, and I expect a cracker next Friday to decide who lifts the League title," said THT coach Sarjit Singh.
  KLHC had beaten THT 2-1 in Round One, and that was the only blemish in the Terengganu side after eight matches.
  As for KLHC, Razie Rahim scored in the 18th minute to give them the lead while the other goal was scored by Harrison Page (36th). The Sapura goal was scored by Izwan Firdaus in the 48th minute.
  RESULTS: Terengganu HT 6 Maybank 1; KLHC 2 Sapura 1; Tenaga Nasional v UniKL (match abandoned, to be played Wednesday 6pm).

           STANDINGS

                               
          P W D L F A Pts

KLHC                  8 8 0 0  29    8  24
TERENGGANU 8 7 0 1  37    15 21
TENAGA            7 3 0 4  13    15  9
SAPURA            8 1 3 4  15    24  6
MAYBANK       8 0 3 5  13    27  3
UNIKL               7 0 2 5  7     25  2

Gobinathan to coach Bangladesh in WL

KUALA Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) and Terengganu Hockey Team (THT) are on a collision course to claim the Malaysia Hockey League Premier Division title.
  That is, provided both the teams win today. KLHC will meet Sapura, while THT play Maybank in a crucial Round Two match and if both the front-runners play to form-book, they will meet on Nov 28 to decide the League title.
  Double champions KLHC had beaten Sapura 4-0 while THT beat Maybank 4-3 in Round One.
  "Although we struggled to beat Maybank in Round One, much has changed since then as now my Korean imports are much more comfortable with the local players and I expect another three points before the crucial match against KLHC next weekend," said THT coach Sarjit Singh.
  KLHC are also leading on goals as they have 20, while THT 17. But that does not matter to coach K. Dharmaraj.
  "In the end, I believe the goals will not count as we are going for wins in every match and after this weekend, we will travel to Terengganu to play second placed THT.
  "So far, THT have shown great improvement in their match, but so have we," said Dharmaraj.
  Meanwhile, former Malaysian assistant coach K. Gobinathan will be the chief coach for Bangladesh in the World League Round Two in Singapore on Jan 17-25.
  This is a first for a Malaysian coach: "I was approached and agreed to coach Bangladesh for two months for the World League. This will be a good opportunity for me to further my coaching career," said Gobinathan who has assisted K. Dharmaraj in many tournaments.
  Malaysia are the top seeds in the World League Round Two and must finish top-three to play in the Semi-finals and have a shot at playing in the Rio de Janeiro Olympics.
  The other teams who will be in Singapore are Japan, Poland, Singapore, Oman
and Ukraine. One more team will be the winners of the last Round One tournament which will be played in Suva, Fiji on Dec 6-13. The teams involved are Fiji, Samoa, Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu.
  TODAY: Terengganu HT v Maybank (Kuala Terengganu, 5pm); KLHC v Sapura (National Stadium 6pm, Pitch II); Tenaga Nasional v UniKL (National Stadium 8pm, Pitch II).

           STANDINGS

                                 
          P W D L F A Pts

KLHC       7 7 0 0  27    7  21
TERENGGANU 7 6 0 1  31    14 18
TENAGA     7 3 0 4  13    15  9
SAPURA     7 1 3 3  14    22  6
MAYBAN     7 0 3 4  12    21  3
UNIKL      7 0 2 5  7     25  2

KLHC and THT on course..

DOUBLE champions Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) demolished Maybank 5-1 to tighten their grip on the Malaysia Hockey League Premier Division League title.
  And if KLHC beat Sapura and Terengganu Hockey Team (THT) beat Maybank tomorrow, then, the League title will be decided in Kuala Terengganu on N0v 28 when THT host KLHC.
   The KLHC goals were scored by Harvinder Singh (ninth), Muhamamd Imran (11th), Razie Rahim (22nd), 
Rashid Baharom  (34th) and Syamim Yusof (5oth) . Shakeel Abbasi (35th) scored for Maybank.
    In another match, Sapura and UniKL played to a 3-3 draw: "We lost 3-2 to Sapura in Round One, and now held them to a draw and I see some improvement in the team. Right now, we are focussed to the 11th game, which is the knock-out, where we hope to spring a surprise," said UniKL coach Arul Selvaraj.
    Terengganu Hockey Team (THT) kept pace with the leaders when they beat Tenaga Nasional 4-2 in Kuala Terengganu.
  The THT goals were scored by Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin (sixth, 55th), Fitri Saari (22nd) and Firhan Ashaari (39th). Azammi Adabi (10th) and Shahril Saabah (59th) scored for Tenaga.
   "This is a crucial win as we need to keep pace with the leaders (KLHC) to have a shot at the League title. However, Firhan (Ashaari) picked up a yellow card and with his demerit points reaching 10, he will be suspended for the Sunday match against Maybank.
  "Even though we will lose a goal-getter, the five Korean imports have started to gel with the local players, and I expect them to deliver another three points against the Tigers," said THT coach Sarjit Singh.
   The MHL League title is expected to be decided on Nov 28, when THT host KLHC in Kuala Terengganu.
   RESULTS: Terengganu HT 4 Tenaga Nasional 2; UniKl 3 Sapura 3; Maybank 1 KLHC 5.
 SUNDAY: Terengganu HT v Maybank (Kuala Terengganu, 5pm); KLHC v Sapura (National Stadium 6pm, Pitch II); Tenaga Nasional v UniKL (National Stadium 8pm, Pitch II).

MHL STANDINGS

                                   
                                     P W D L F A Pts

KLHC                        7 7 0 0  27    7  21
TERENGGANU    7 6 0 1  31    14 18
TENAGA               7 3 0 4  13    15  9
SAPURA              7 1 3 3  14    22  6
MAYBAN            7 0 3 4  12    21  3
UNIKL                7 0 2 5  7     25  2

THT's Faizal Saari suspended against Maybank..

NATIONAL player Faizal Saari was yesterday suspended for another Malaysia Hockey League match after the Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) competitions committee met yesterday.
  Terengganu Hockey Team's (THT) Faizal had shown the middle finger to umpire P. Elangovan during theirPremier Division  match against Sapura, and he was suspended for one match against UniKL.
  "However, the competitions committee felt that since he is a national player, Faizal should lead by example and that's why we have slapped him a two-match suspension and he will not play against Tenaga Nasional (today)," said competitions committee deputy president S. Satish Kumar.
  This is not the first time the 23-year-old has been in troble, as he was red carded in the Razak Cup, and also dropped from the Asian Games line-up after getting into plenty of controversies before and after the World Cup.
  However, he has proven himself as a striker in international tournaments and should he change his attitude on the pitch, he could prove to be an asset to Malaysia in the near future.
  Nabil Fiqri, of Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC), also received a one-match suspension after he was red-carded when playing against Tenaga Nasional. He will miss the Maybank match today.
  However, Nabil's folly is not expected to dent Double champions KLHC's winning streak.
  "Instead of searching for goals and placing un-necessary pressure on the players, after six wins, I am more interested in the points right now. We need to keep the winning momentum against Maybank and then Sapura before the cruncher against Terengganu," said Dharmaraj.
  TODAY: Terengganu HT v Tenaga Nasional (Kuala Terengganu, 5pm); UniKl v Sapura (National Stadium 6pm, Pitch II); Maybank v KLHC (National Stadium 8pm, Pitch II).
 SUNDAY: Terengganu HT v Maybank (Kuala Terengganu, 5pm); KLHC v Sapura (National Stadium 6pm, Pitch II); Tenaga Nasional v UniKL (National Stadium 8pm, Pitch II).

MHL STANDINGS

                                  
              P W D L F A Pts

KLHC          6 6 0 0  22    6  18
TERENGGANU    6 5 0 1  27    12 15
TENAGA        6 3 0 3  11    11  9
SAPURA        6 1 2 3  11    19  5
MAYBAN        6 0 3 3  11    16  3
UNIKL         6 0 1 5  4     22  1

MHL: Local players carry the load at mid-way

FIVE teams in the Premier Division of the Malaysia Hockey League have invested heavily on foreign imports, but local players are the ones who have carried the load for the front-runners.
  For starters, double champions Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) are unbeaten after six matches as penalty corner flicker Razie Rahim nailed eight goals and is now the current joint-top scorer.
  Faizal Saari of Terengganu Hockey Team (THT) is chasing Razie, also on eight goals, even though he played one match less after being red carded for verbally abusing and showing the middle finger to umpire P. Elangovan when playing against Sapura.
  The two locals are top-scorers in a league which has 22 foreign players.
  And in Faizal's absence against UniKL on Sunday, THT found a new local hero to keep them afloat in chasing their first League title.
  Syamiru Aiman, who will turn 21 on Dec 27, scored four goals against UniKL to give his side a 5-2 win. His sizzling form on a heavy pitch, saved the blushes for THT who have invested in five South Koreans as well as some of the best local talent in MHL.
  "Syamiru played for Terengganu in the recent Malaysia Games (scored two goals in bronze playoff to help beat Penang 4-2) and was a regular in the first two games until my five Korean imports arrived.
  "Against UniKL, since I did not have the services of suspended strikers Faizal and Firhan (Ashaari) Syamiru was given more time and he delivered the crucial three points for us," said THT coach Sarjit Singh.
  Syamiru's four field goals were scored in the eighth, 16th, 31st and 34th minutes while the fifth was delivered by seasoned international Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin.
  "The pitch (in Kuala Terenggau) was heavy after a torrential downpour, and our penalty corners could not be executed as the push-out was slow to reach our Korean flickers, but Syamiru delivered for us with four field goals," said Sarjit.
  As for Maybank, they benched their German import goalkeeper Moritz Knobloch against Sapura, and local boy Shahrul Azaddin played a good game to help the Tigers steal one point in a 3-3 draw.
  A former coach, who declined to be named as there is a gag order from Malaysian Hockey Confederation president Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, said teams are wasting their time and money on foreign imports.
  "It looks good for the MHL to have foreign players, but in the long run, when the money dries up, teams which are developing local youth will be the survivers.
  "There is a precedent, as Yayasan Negri Sembilan were the best with their imports, but when the money dried up, the team also died while teams like Tenaga Nasional are still active in the MHL," said the coach.
  Tenaga are the only all-local outfit in the MHL, and they have give the rest a tough fight and are standing proud with three wins and three defeats at No 3 on the standings.
  On another matter, Tengku Abdullah said that the draft of the new MHC constitution has been sent to the Sports Commissioner's office for endorsement.
  "While I'm not sure if the minutes of the EOGM has been sent to the Sports Commissioner, the draft of the amended constitution has been submitted," said Tengku Abdullah at a football function in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.
  The Sports Commissioner has said that the date for the MHC elections could not be set as he is still awaiting for the minutes of the month-old EOGM from the MHC.


MHL STANDINGS

                                   
              P W D L F A Pts

KLHC          6 6 0 0  22    6  18
TERENGGANU    6 5 0 1  27    12 15
TENAGA        6 3 0 3  11    11  9
SAPURA        6 1 2 3  11    19  5
MAYBAN        6 0 3 3  11    16  3
UNIKL         6 0 1 5  4     22  1

KLHC edge closer to League title..

KUALA Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) slammed  Tenaga Nasional 3-1 to start their Malaysia Hockey League Round Two with a bang at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil yesterday.
  The unbeaten four-time consecutive double champions, who had beaten Tenaga 5-3 in the Charity Shield, were in a mean mood as they went out searching for their ninth League title.
  However, KLHH's clean run was marred when Nabil Fiqri was red carded in the 49th minute.
  KLHC got their goals off Fareed Ahmad from Pakistan (12th), Nabil Fiqri (13th) and Harrison Page (25th), while Amin Rahim scored for Tenaga in the 39th minute. 
  "Nabil claims he was hit first by Tenaga player (Azammi Adabi) and he retaliated and was flashed the red card. But being an experienced (national player) he should have checked his temper. He will surely miss the next match (against Maybank) but we have the strength on the bench to replace him," said KLHC coach K. Dharmaraj.
   Dharmaraj believes his charges do not need to place the pressure on themselves by playing for high scores, as three points would do.
  "We need to keep the winning momentum, and the margin is not important to me, as we play to keep the League title," said Dharmaraj.
  Interestingly, both the red cards in the MHL has been flashed to national players, as the first was to sidelined Faizal Saari from Terengganu Hockey Team (THT) last week.   
  In another Premier Division match, Sapura started on a low note but went on to hold Maybank to a 3-3 draw.  Maybank's goals were scored by Jiwa Mohan (10th, 42nd) and Haseem Khan (46th), while the Sapura goals came off Pakistan import Khasif Ali (21st, 23rd) and Muhammad Zubair (55th).
  THT  were lucky to win 4-2 against UniKL in Kuala Terengganu yesterday, as the University side scored first and were at 2-2 at one stage. The star-studded THT were rescued by a low-key player Syamiru Aiman who scored  four goals (eigtht, 16th, 31st and 35th) and Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin (55th). The UniKL goals were scored Nor Aqmal (second) and Phillipp Stahr (26th). 
   RESULTS: Tenaga 1 KLHC 3; Maybank 3 Sapura 3; THT 5 UniKL 2.

STANDINGS

                                    P W D L F A Pts

KLHC                        6 6 0 0  22    6      18
TERENGGANU    6 5 0 1  27    12     15
TENAGA                6 3 0 3  11    11       9
SAPURA                6 1 2 3  11     19     5 
MAYBANK           6 0 3 3  11    16      3
UNIKL                   6 0 1 5  4    22      1

Faizal Saari in trouble again..

THE Malaysian version of Mario Balotelli got into trouble again when he showed the middle finger to umpire P. Elangovan, and will now be suspended when Terengganu Hockey team host UniKL today in the Premier Division of the Malaysia Hockey League.
  Terengganu HT's Faizal Saari, considered a wizard by some, and a trouble-maker by others, was red carded when he knocked into a Sapura player on Friday, and felt that the umpire was not being fair, and flashed the middle finger to Elangovan and uttered foul language.
  This is not the first time the 23-year-old has been in troble, as he was red carded in the Razak Cup, and also dropped from the Asian Games line-up after getting into plenty of controversies before and after the World Cup.
  "Faizal will receive an automatic one-match suspension and will not play against UniKL on Sunday (today). We will also refer his case to the management committee on Thursday where he might face further action, or will be let off with a one-match ban," said Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) Competition Committee secretary Hashim Yusoff.
  THT, second on the standings, will play university team UniKL, in Terengganu today.
  Meanwhile national coach Tai Beng Hai, who is also Sapura coach, said he will select a training squad for the World League Round Two, in Singapore on Jan 17-25, in a week's time.
  "The MHL ends on Dec 14, so I do not have much time for the World League. I will select a training squad, with the core coming from those who played in the World Cup and Commonwealth Games.
  "And if I spot any talent in the MHL, he will also receive a call-up," said Beng Hai.
  On the influx of foreign players, some of whom are well below par compared to youth who have been left out of the MHL, Beng Hai said: "It was a domino effect, as after one team bought foreign players in place of fielding local youth, the others had to follow to keep pace."
   Sapura with five foreign palayers, have only one win and one draw to show after playing five matches in Round One.
  From the six teams in the Premier Division, only Tenaga have opted out of relaying on foreign players: "We were asked by the management to source for foreign players this season, but we chose to develop our youth from feeder school SSTMI (Sekplah Sukan Tunku Mahkota Ismail) as we believe that is the best formula to help the club as well as the country in the long run," said Tenaga Nasional skipper Madzli Ikmar.
   And Tenaga's all-local cast are thirs on the standings with three wins.
   SUNDAY: Tenaga v KLHC (6pm, Pitch I); Maybank v Sapura (6pm, Pitch II); THT v UniKL (5pm, Terengganu).

STANDINGS

              P W D L F A Pts

KLHC          5 5 0 0  19    5      15
TERENGGANU    5 4 0 1  22    10     12
TENAGA        5 3 0 2  10    8       9
SAPURA        5 1 1 3  8     16     4
MAYBANK       5 0 2 3  8    13      2
UNIKL         5 0 1 4  2    17      1

KLHC keep clean record

KUALA Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) kept a clean record entering into the Second Round when they beat UniKL 4-0 in the Premier Division of the Malaysia Hockey League yesterday.
   KLHC, with maximum 15 points, got their goals off Syamim Yusof (seventh), Razie Rahim (ninth, 50th) and Akhtar Ali (31st).
  In another match, all-local outfit Tenaga Nasional beat Maybank 2-1, even though the Tigers had five foreign imorts in their ranks.
   Maybank took the lead off Hafifi Hafiz in the 43rd minute, but Tenaga replied two minutes later off Azammi Adabi and the winner was provided by veteran MHL player Amin Rahim with a powerful penalty corner drive in the 47th minute.
   Tenaga skipper Madzli Ikmar said their main problem is with converting chances into goals, as their attack-force is a young brigade.
   "We have Shahril (Saabah) upfront and he does most of the damage, but when he is rested, the young forwardline is still not ready to make sure when presented with a chance.
   "Overall, I believe the team has done well (with three wins) and we are looking forward to a better performance in the Second Round starting Sunday (today)," said Madzli.
   RESULTS: UniKL 0 KLHC 4; Tenaga 2 Maybank 1; Sapura 4 Terengganu HT 8.
  SUNDAY: Tenaga v KLHC (6pm, Pitch I); Maybank v Sapura (6pm, Pitch II); THT v UniKL (5pm, 
Terengganu).

STANDINGS

                                      P W D L F A Pts

KLHC                          5 5 0 0  19    5      15
TERENGGANU       5 4 0 1  22    10     12
TENAGA                  5 3 0 2     10    8    9
SAPURA                  4 1 1 3     8     16     4 
MAYBANK             5 0 2 3      8    13   2
UNIKL                     5 0 1 4       2    17   1

Hawgood for senior team?

THE Malaysian hockey team are set to receive an Australian coach, as soon as Neil Hawgood gets a release 

from the Indian HA.

Hawgood, 52, is a former Australian player who played in the 1988 Olympics. He played seven matches, 

scoring five goals, as the Australian team finished fourth.

Hawgood is currently coaching the Indian women’s team but he is expected to sort out his contract and be 

in Malaysia before the World League Round Two in Singapore on Jan 17-25. The Australian’s contract is till 

2016.

In the World League Round Two, top seeds Malaysia will play Bangladesh, Japan, Poland, Singapore, Oman 

and Ukraine. One more team will be the winners of the last Round One tournament which will be played in 

Suva, Fiji on Dec 6-13. The teams involved are Fiji, Samoa, Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu.

After Hawgood retired as a player, he had coaching stints in London, Scotland, Queensland, Western 

Australia and now India.

The Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) has been on the hunt for a foreign coach since South African 

Paul Revington left early in the year, and has been playing musical chairs with K. Dharmaraj, Arul Selvaraj 

and now Tai Beng Hai to lead the Singapore charge.

If Malaysia finish in the top three in Singapore, they will play in the semi-finals of the World League, either 

in Argentina or Belgium, for a shot at the 2016 Olympics.

MHC officials declined to comment on the latest development, as president Tengku Abdullah Sultan 

Ahmad Shah has imposed a gag order. 

Dharmaraj: Pressure on the chasing pack..

DEFENDING champions Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) are comfortable being the hare in the Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) Premier Division as the First Round Comes to an end Friday.
  Leading by one match over early favourites Terengganu Hockey Team, KLHC coach K. Dharmaraj aims to run down his opposition by keeping a clean slate.
  KLHC play bottom-placed UniKL today, where three points are almost assured.
  "Frankly speaking, we were lucky to beat THT (2-1), and top the charts entering into the second round. Now, all my players need to do is keep winning and place the pressure on the chasing team(s).
  "We need to keep the lead until we meet THT again in Round Two at their own back-yard," said Dharmaraj.
  After UniKL, KLHC meet Tenaga again in Round Two on Sunday and for the record, the four-time consecutive double champions beat Tenaga 5-3 in Round One.
  THT started promisingly with three wins, where their star was Faizal Saari, but after the five Koreans joined them, they lost some steam.
  "We will be playing at home (Terengganu) after this and I believe we will not drop any more points and out match against KLHC in Round Two will decide the League champions. So, nothing is lost yet, and there is plenty to look forward to," said THT coach Sarjit Singh.
  FRIDAY: UniKL v KLHC (6pm, Pitch I); Tenaga v Maybank (6pm, Pitch II); Sapura v Terengganu HT (8pm, Pitch II).
  SUNDAY: Tenaga v KLHC (6pm, Pitch I); Maybank v Sapura (6pm, Pitch II); THT v UniKL (5pm, Terengganu).

STANDINGS

                 P W D L F A Pts

KLHC             4 4 0 0 15 5  12
TERENGGANU       4 3 0 1 14 6  9
TENAGA           4 2 0 2 8  7  6
SAPURA           4 1 1 2 4  8  4
MAYBANK          4 0 2 2 7  11 2
UNIKL            4 0 1 3 2  13 1

KLHC on a roll...

DEFENDING champions Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) turned on the power in the third quarter to beat Sapura 4-0 and register their fourth consecutive win in the Premier Division of the Malaysia Hockey League Wednesday.
  KLHC have maximum points from four matches and they are three points ahead of second placed Terengganu Hockey Team.
  Defender Razie Rahim was on the roll as he gave KLHC the lead off their third penalty corner in the 34^th minute. It was his fifth goal in four matches.
  Rashid Baharom (35th), Akhtar Ali (39^th) and Ahmad Kazamirul Nasruddin (41^st) scored the other goals for KLHC.
   FRIDAY: UniKL v KLHC (6pm, Pitch I); Tenaga v Maybank (6pm, Pitch II); Sapura v Terengganu HT (8pm, Pitch II).
  SUNDAY: Tenaga v KLHC (6pm, Pitch I); Maybank v Sapura (6pm, Pitch II); THT v UniKL (5pm, Terengganu).

STANDINGS

                 P W D L F A Pts

KLHC             4 4 0 0 15 5  12
TERENGGANU       4 3 0 1 14 6  9
TENAGA           4 2 0 2 8  7  6
SAPURA           4 1 1 2 4  8  4
MAYBANK          4 0 2 2 7  11 2
UNIKL            4 0 1 3 2  13 1 

Sarjit: We'll be back..

PIC: SARJIT SINGH

KUALA Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) kept their bragging rights intact, while Terengganu Hockey Team (THT) are silently plotting for a Round Two comeback in the Premier Division of the Malaysia Hockey League.
  The star-studded THT, with five Koreans on their side and a host of national players, went down 1-2 to four-time consecutive double champions KLHC, but have not given up hope of winning their first League title.
  "Plenty of mistakes, and bungling a handful of sitters cost us the game, but the tournament still has six more matches to go, and we aim to keep a clean slate until we meet KLHC again in Round Two.
  "The initial goal of winning our first League title is still in sight," said THT coach Sarjit Singh.
  Terenggnau has pumped millions into the team, and Menteri Besar datuk Ahmad Razif was present to watch Sarjit and his men at the national stadium on Sunday.
  After three convincing wins, THT were supposed to stream-roll KLHC, but their penalty corner battery was stopped by good runs.
  "Congratulations to KLHC as they were the better team, but we aim to be the best at the end of the day," said Sarjit.
  KLHC captain Razie Rahim, who nailed thw winner, lauded his teammates for playing their hearts out for the victory.
  “It is an important victory for us because we were able to prove that we can still compete with THT despite them spending a huge sum of money on new players. For us, it was a team effort which made the difference."
  KLHC and THT are tied on nine points, but the champions have one match in hand and will play Sapura tomorrow as their weekend match was washed away by rain.
  "I have many things on my mind right now regarding the THT match, but i will keep it to myself and let my players do the talking on the pitch. Yes, we have a crucial week with three matches lined up, but that's the kind of challenge we thrive upon," said KLHC coach K. Dharmaraj.
  WEDNESDAY: KLHC v Sapura (6pm, Pitch II).

STANDINGS

               P W D L F A Pts

TERENGGANU     4 3 0 1 14   6    9
KLHC           3 3 0 0 11   5    9
TENAGA         4 2 0 2 8    7    6
SAPURA         3 1 1 1 4    4    4
MAYBANK        4 0 2 2 7    11   2
UNIKL          4 0 1 3 2    13   1

Malaysian Open: Danny Chia leads local cast..

DANNY Chia, Nicholas Fung and Shaaban Hussin are among the twelve local players who have qualified to play at the Maybank Malaysian Open on Feb 5th-8th at the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club (KLGCC).
  The tournament will also see a increase of prize money from US$2.75 million to US$3 million.
 The top Malaysian players on the Asian Tour as well as the Professional Golf of Malaysia Order of Merit and members of the Professional Golf Association of Malaysia, will join a field of 156 players consisting of the world’s leading golfers next year.
  The 12 ranked Malaysian are not required to compete at the National Qualifiers on the Nov 18th19th at KLGCC.
  The two-day National Qualifiers will see 100 golfers competing for four more slots.
  The Maybank Malaysian Open offers the highest number of spots for Malaysian golfers in a co-sanctioned international golfing event in the country. As a joint initiative by the Malaysian Golf Association (MGA), Maybank and GlobalOne to provide Malaysian sportsmen the opportunity to compete in world class events.
  Twenty-two spots up for grabs and these are divided among the ten players from the Asian Tour and PGM Tour; four winners from the National Qualifiers; three sponsors invite, one of which is the winner from the Maybank Tour Championship and the participation of four amateurs who are selected by MGA through their own merit.
   Gavin Kyle Green has already secured his spot among the four amateurs. The final two invitational spots with the remaining three amateur spots are expected to be announced by mid January.
 QUALIFIED Malaysians: Nicholas Fung, Danny Chia, Iain Steel, Shaaban Hussin and Ben Leong (from the Asian Tour); R. Nachimuthu, Airil Rizman Zahari, Sukree Othman, Khor Kheng Hwai, Kemarol Baharin (from the PGM Tour) and Arie Fauzi (Maybank invitee).

KLHC beat THT,,

MALAYSIA Hockey League Premier Division champions Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) beat star-studded Terengganu Hockey Team (THT) 2-1 to keep a tight grip on the League title at the national stadium in Bukit Jalil yesterday.
   THT were supposed to pose a threat to double champions KLHC, but their First Round effort fizzled out and at the stands of the second pitch was the Terengganu Menteri Besar Datuk Ahmad Razif, who unfortunately came when his team played lousy hockey after three consecutive wins.
  "Im happy my players claimed the First Round victory over THT, but we will be playing three matches next week (including the midweek Sapura match) and we need to win all by keeping our feet on the ground. Also, we will be playing THT in Terengganu in the Second Round, and so, to celebrate early would be foolish," said KLHC coach K. Dharmaraj.
  KLHC were caught napping in the 26th minute when Kang Moon Kweon slotted in the lead for THT, after which, the fans only cheered for missed sitters as the two early favourites were blunt in the semicircle.
   And KLHC were lucky when a comical situation, where the entire THT defense stood rooted for 10 seconds, saw Syamim Yusuf slot in the equaliser with a slow-motion attempt.
    National player Razie Rahim, the best penalty corner flicker in the country, then gave KLHC the lead when he perfected a drive in the 40th minute.
   THT won 5 penalty coners after that, but were unable to crack former national skipper Roslan Jamaluddin and the defending champions walked away with three crucial points.
   In another match, UniKL won their first point of the league when they held Maybank to a 1-1 draw. UniKL took the lead off Phillipp Stahr (39th) while Jiwa Mohan saved Maybank with a 45th minute effort.
RESULTS: Maybank 1 UniKL 1, KLHC 2 Terengganu HT 1, Tenaga 1 Sapura 0.

STANDINGS

           P W D L F A Pts

TERENGGANU    4 3 0 1 14   6    9
KLHC                       3 3 0 0 11  5  9
TENAGA                4 2 0 2 8    7    6
SAPURA                 3 1 1 1 4    4    4

MAYBANK            4 0 2 2 7    11   2
UNIKL                     4 0 1 3 2  13 1

Sarjit: THT received timely wake-up call

TERENGGANU Hockey Team's (THT) coach Sarjit Singh believes his charges received a timely wake-up call from Maybank before their big game against defending champions Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) in the Malaysia Hockey League Premier Division today.
  THT were 2-3 down at one point, before they turned the tables on Maybank and won 4-3.
  "The Maybank wake up call was timely, and I think it is what we needed before playing KLHC. Maybank showed us what can happen if we take our feet off the pedal, and we can't afford anymore lapses, especially against KLHC today as we aim to wrest the title from them by keeping a clean record in the First Round," said Sarjit.
  THT were a jaded side, despite fielding five South Koreans for the first time in the MHL, and were saved by bungling Maybank forwards who missed at least three sitters.
  "Maybank played very well and I think that they at least deserved one point from the match, and we can't afford the same against KLHC” said THT coach Sarjit Singh.
  KLHC are one match behind, as their Sapura encounter on Saturday was washed away by rain and they will play the return during midweek.
  Tenaga Nasional, the only all-local outfit in the MHL, will face Sapura today and skipper Madzli Ikmar said: "Although our management asked us to hire local talent, our coaching set-up declined because we believe in helping pur local talent grow.
  "It is sad to see some budding talent not playing in the MHL, as their spot has been taken over by foreign imports. We have many youth in this current team, and I believe in three years time, we will be at our very best.. better than teams which rely on imports," said Madzli, a former international.
  Tenaga, three points after three matches, will meet undefeated Sapura today.
  SUNDAY: Maybank v UniKL (6pm, Pitch I), KLHC v Terengganu HT (6pm, Pitch II), Tenaga v Sapura (8pm, Pitch II).

STANDINGS

           P W D L F A Pts

TERENGGANU 3 3 0 0 13 4 9
KLHC       2 2 0 0 9 4  6
SAPURA     2 1 1 0 4 3  4
TENAGA     3 1 0 2 7 7  3
MAYBANK    3 0 1 2 6 10 1
UNIKL      3 0 0 3 1 12 0

Terengganu HT struggle against Tigers..

TERENGGANU Hockey Team struggled to beat Maybank 4-3 in the Malaysia Hockey League Premier Division at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil yesterday.
   South Korean import Jang Jong Hyun, who only arrived Thursday, nailed a hat-trick of penalty corners in the 21st, 37th and 58th, while the other goal was scored by Firhan Ashaari (47th).
  Maybank's goals were scored by Amirullah Zainol (28th), Syafiq Zain (38th) and Jiwa Mohan (45th).
  In another match,Tenaga Nasional notched their first win when they beat UniKL 3-0 with goals from Shahril Saabah (12th), Izad Hakimi (35th) and Ramadan Rosli (47th).
  "Realistically speaking, we have lost the League title fight and hopefully this win will spur us to play much better in the Second Round which will prepare us for the knock-out stages,"  said skipper Madzli Ikmar. 
  UniKL coach Arul Selvaraj was also looking forward to the Second Round: "Even though we are at the bottom of the six-team pool  with three defeats, I feel my players are improving with every game, and we will be mych better prepared for the Second Round."
  UniKL lost their penalty corner flicker Jonas Weinhardt, from Germany, to hamstring and will be out for at least two weeks.
    Meanwhile, a waterlogged Pitch I caused the Sapura-Kuala Lumpur HC match to be abandoned to midweek.
  RESULTS: Sapura v KLHC (match abandoned, rain), UniKL 0 Tenaga 3, Maybank 3 Terengganu HT 4.
  SUNDAY: Maybank v UniKL (6pm, Pitch I), KLHC v Terengganu HT (6pm, Pitch II), Tenaga v Sapura (8pm, Pitch II).

STANDINGS

           P W D L F A Pts

TERENGGANU 3 3 0 0 13 4 9
KLHC                    2 2 0 0 9 4 6
SAPURA             2 1 1 0 4 3 4
TENAGA          3 1 0 2 7 7 3
MAYBANK       3 0 1 2 6 10 1
UNIKL              3 0 0 3 1 12 0

Beng Hai's turn on coaches' Musical Chair

TAI Beng Hai looked shell-shocked when he was named as the national seniors coach by Malaysian Hockey Confederation vice president Datuk Nur Azmi Ahmad.
   What was supposed to be a Team Management Meeting to chart next year's plans turned out to be a veto decision taken by the MHC president Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah as even the Coaching Committee did not meet to decide on this matter.
  And while the MHC are still on the hunt for a foreign coach, former national coach Beng Hai will sit on this ongoing coaches' musical chair.
  "Beng Hai has been named by our president to coach the national seniors for the World League Round Two in Singapore, and Arul Selvaraj will now concentrate on the juniors," said Nur Azmi.
  The Round Two will be held from Jan 17-25 and Malaysia, the top seed, must finish among the top-three to qualify for the World League Semi-finals which offers entry into the Rio De Janeiro 2016 Olympics.
  Beng Hai, who is coaching Sapura in the Malaysia Hockey League, will only have his men when the MHL ends on Dec 14. Fitness could be his main problem.
  "All the national players are in the MHL and I believe their respective clubs also conduct physical training and they should be ready when to report in good shape at the end of the MHL.
  "Although I will only have one month for centralised training, I will also be approaching MHL teams to release their players at lease once a week to train with me," said Beng Hai.
   Arul, who wore three hats before yesterday, is pleased that he will be able to fully concentrate on the juniors for the Junior Asia Cup at the end of next year.
  He is also free to coach UniKL in the MHL as his contract allows it.
  "As I said before I am ready to coach any level, and now that I have been fully entrusted with the juniors, my focus will be much more specific," said Arul.
  In the World League Round Two Malaysia, ranked 13th in the world, will play Bangladesh, Japan, Poland, Singapore, Oman and Ukraine. One more team will be the winner of the last Round One tournament which will be played in Suva, Fiji from Dec 6-13. The teams involved are Fiji, Samoa, Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu.
  Malaysia need to finish in the top three to make the semis cut and play either in Belgium or Argentina.
  On another note the MHC have yet to submit the minutes of the EOGM held during the Sultan of Johor Cup to the Sports Commissioner's office and this could delay the elections slated for early next year.

Explosive MHL weekend..

TERENGGANU Hockey Team's five South Koreans finally arrived to help their cause in a crucial Malaysia Hockey League Premier Division weekend.
  Terengganu and Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC), with two wins each, are the early favourites, and will go head on this Sunday to decide who is the best in Round One action.
  But before that, THT must overcome Maybank, while KLHC face Sapura today.
  "We have been playing with 14, as Engku Malek was injured, while the Koreans only arrived today (yesterday) and we had light training in the evening. Now, my bench is much stronger and I believe we will take the advantage going into the Second Round if we win six points this weekend.
  THT after demolishing UniKL 7-0 to put to the grind by Tenaga and could only play to a narrow 2-1 win.
  The Koreans - Kang Moon Kyu, Seo Jong Ho, Kang Moon Kweon, Bae Jeong Seok, and Jang Jong Hyun, are expected to give Maybank a torrid time.
  Defending champions KLHC are growing in strength as they beat Tenaga 5-3 in Charity Shield and then a convincing 4-1 win over Maybank last Sunday.
   “We went into the match (against Maybank) just looking for three points and we did not expect to get an easy win. We were fortunate to take an early lead and pushed on from there,” said KLHC coach K. Dharmaraj.
  Today, winless Tenaga and UniKL will be going for their first points: "I think overall the team played well against THT last Sunday. It was a tight match and we had many good chances, I’m very happy with the way my team performed. But the thing that we have to work on is our ability to finish off our chances in front of goal,” Saif Tenaga coach Nor Saiful Zaini.
  FRIDAY: Sapura v KLHC (6pm, Pitch I), UniKL v Tenaga (6pm, Pitch II), Maybank v Terengganu HT (8pm, Pitch II).
  SUNDAY: Maybank v UniKL (6pm, Pitch I), KLHC v Terengganu HT (6pm, Pitch II), Tenaga v Sapura (8pm, Pitch II).


STANDINGS

           P W D L F A Pts

TERENGGANU 2 2 0 0 9 1 6
KLHC       2 2 0 0 9 4 6
SAPURA     2 1 1 0 4 3 4
MAYBANK    2 0 1 1 3 6 1
TENAGA     2 0 0 2 4 7 0
UNIKL      2 0 0 2 1 9 0

MHL: More action off the pitch..

THE Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) Pemier Division is just a weekend old, but two glaring issues need to be adressed before the situation gets out of hand.
   One is that national juniors and seniors coach Arul Selvaraj coaching club-side UniKL, and the other is the declining standard of umpiring.
   Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) vice-president Datuk Nur Azmi Ahmad was asked the question of Arul wearing three hats during the Sultan of Johor Cup, and his answer was: "Its my personal opinion, but I feel a national coach should not be coaching a club side. But this has been happening for a while now, and I will try and sort it out before the MHL starts."
  But there was no solution forthcoming and the MHL has started, and now Negri Sembilan coach S. Chandran and Old La Sallian Association of Klang team manager Joseph de Silva are questioning his selection methods.
  "Negri were the silver medallists in last year's Malaysia Games and only one player was selected for national juniors training and he was dropped. I watched the Sultan of Johor Cup, and as a long-standing development coach, I know that the best players in the country were not at the SOJC and that is why we finished fifth.
  "The SOJC players were mainly from Kuala Lumpur, and now instead of scouting for talent from the stands during the MHL, national coach Arul is coaching UniKL which I believe is not the right thing to do.
   "The perception is quite bad, and I think instead of giving coaches to select players for national juniors and seniors training squad, an independent panel needs to be formed, like previously, to make sure players from all over the country are selected, and not from one or two clubs exclusively," said Chandran.
  The MHL has always been the final frontier for a player to shine, before he is called up for national training.
  Joseph also feels it is not right for Arul to be the judge, jury and executioner.
  "I am finding the situation a bit comical, but its not hilarious as the country will suffer in the end if the national coach is allowed to also coach a club side. There is bound to be conflict of interest when selection is done. And currently, there are better players around the country than what we have in Kuala Lumpur," said Joseph.
  As for umpiring, Supara are fuming mad with the standard of umpiring even though they beat UniKL 2-1 on Sunday, but were involved in a walk-out threat: "The Chairman of the Umpires Committee (Faithal Hassan) is nowhere to be seen during the first week of matches. Is he above or too good for all the participating teams?
  "The MHC must make sure he is around to address any potential problems. Team officials need someone on match-day to answer and address critical situations. Right now, there seems to be no communication between teams and the Umpiring Committee," said Sapura assistant manager S. Kuhan, who was a former national skipper.
  FRIDAY: Sapura v KLHC (6pm, Pitch I), UniKL v Tenaga (6pm, Pitch II), Maybank v Terengganu HT (8pm, Pitch II).
  SUNDAY: Maybank v UniKL (6pm, Pitch I), KLHC v Terengganu HT (6pm, Pitch II), Tenaga v Sapura (8pm, Pitch II).

Terengganu scrape past Tenaga

STAR-STUDDED Terengganu Hockey Team (THT)narrowly beat Tenaga Nasional 2-1 in the Premier Division of the Malaysia Hockey League at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil yesterday.
   And five-goal hero Faizal Saari, in their 7-0 demolition of UniKL, was again the toast for THT when he nailed the winner.
   THT took the lead when Baljit Singh Sarjab scored off a penalty corner attempt in the 20th minute, only to see Tenaga Nasional draw level off a Shahril Saabah penalty corner in the 43rd minute.
  The match was then separated by Faizal's 46th minute penalty corner goal, and THT held on tightly to the lead until the final whistle.
   In another match, Sapura and UniKL played a robust game where walk-outs and umpire protests were plenty, before the University side were subdued.
    Pakistan import Khasif Ali was the deciding factor in the match as he opened scoring in the 48th minute, before UniKL German import Phillipp Stahr equalised also off a penalty corner in the 56th minute.
   Kashif then nailed the winner off a penalty stroke attempt in the 57th minute.
   RESULTS: Tenaga Nasional 1 Terengganu HT 2; Sapura 2 UniKL 1; KLHC 4 Maybank 1.

CIMB Classic Final Round Scores

FINAL ROUND SCORES KLGCC: 
271 Ryan Moore (US) 68-69-67-67.
274 Gary Woodland (US) 71-70-66-67, Kevin Na (US) 69-68-67-70, Sergio Garcia (SP) 69-68-68-69.
276 Cameron Smith (Aus) 70-69-69-68, Sang-Moon Bae (S Kor) 71-68-68-69.
277 John Senden (As) 72-68-69-68.
278 Rory Sabbatini (SA) 70-72-70-66, Davis Love III (US) 68-71-71-68, Prom Meesawat (Thai) 68-71-70-69, Angelo Que (Phil) 67-72-69-70, Billy Hurley III (US) 67-67-71-73.
279 Jonas Blixt (Swe) 69-69-75-66, Danny Lee (NZ) 69-69-73-68, Brian Stuard (US) 67-72-72-68, Lee Westwood (Eng) 72-65-74-68, Kevin Chappell (US) 69-68-70-72, Brendon de Jonge (Zim) 70-73-65-71.
280 Scott Stallings (US) 69-76-67-68, Charl Schwartzel (SA) 74-70-68-68.
281 Heath Slocum (US) 71-73-70-67, Mike Weir (Can) 73-68-72-68, Hideki Matsuyama (Jpn) 70-70-72-69, Jonathan Byrd (US) 70-74-69-68, Nicholas Thompson (US) 69-73-70-69.
282 Ryo Ishikawa (Jpn) 69-71-73-69, Michael Putnam (US) 71-72-72-67, Jhonattan Vegas (Ven) 74-71-70-67, Jason Dufner (US) 74-70-69-69, Greg Chalmers (Aus) 75-68-68-71, Patrick Reed (US) 70-70-68-74, Kevin Streelman (US) 68-68-71-75.
283 Pat Perez (US) 72-73-69-69, Retief Goosen (SA) 74-70-69-70, Kyle Stanley (US) 76-71-69-67, Jeff Overton (US) 68-69-71-75.
284 Billy Horschel (US) 72-68-73-71, Paul Casey (Eng) 73-68-71-72.
285 David Lingmerth (Swe) 68-72-73-72, Charlie Wi (S. Kor) 72-70-72-71, Chris Stroud (US) 70-74-71-70, Rikard Karlberg (Swe) 65-76-75-69, Luke Guthrie (US) 73-68-71-73, Marc Leishman (Aus) 74-72-71-68, Seung-Yul Noh (S Kor) 68-69-72-76.
286 Jason Knutzon (US) 72-70-72-72, Steven Bowditch (Aus) 71-73-74-68.
287 Stephen Lewton (Eng) 74-69-70-74.
288 Trevor Immelman (SA) 74-70-71-73, Matt Every (US) 69-73-74-72, J.B. Holmes (US) 75-77-70-66.
289 Will MacKenzie (US) 69-73-71-76, Anirban Lahiri (IND) 74-72-70-73, Tim Wilkinson (NZ) 68-79-71-71, Matt Jones (AUS) 81-69-69-70.
290 Troy Merritt (US) 72-75-70-73, Brice Garnett (US) 70-75-73-72, James Hahn (US) 74-77-68-71, Tim Clark (SA) 72-74-74-70, Stewart Cink (US) 74-73-73-70.
291 Morgan Hoffmann (US) 72-74-73-72, Roberto Castro (US) 77-74-71-69.
292 Robert Allenby (Aus) 73-73-73-73, Will Wilcox (US) 75-74-72-71.
293 Danny Chia (Mas) 75-74-72-72, Nicholas Fung (Mas) 73-74-75-71, Ricky Barnes (US) 71-77-74-71, Carlos Ortiz (Mex) 76-72-75-70, Chesson Hadley (US) 75-75-74-69.
294 Boo Weekley (US) 75-72-74-73.
295 K.J. Choi (S Kor) 71-74-71-79, Antonio Lascuna (Phi) 72-72-74-77.
296 Brian Davis (Eng) 71-75-75-75.
297 Tian-Lang Guan (am, Ch) 76-71-72-78.
299 David Lipsky (US) 74-73-77-75.
301 Charlie Beljan (US) 76-75-74-76.
303 Seuk-hyun Baek (S Kor) 81-72-77-73.

Moore lands one more at KLGCC

By Jugjet Singh

RYAN Moore of the United States not only defended his CIMB Classic crown, but also defeated the same rival to claim a cool US1.26 million after four days of work at the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club yesterday.
   Moore finished on 17-under 271, after a final round of 67, to become the first player to defend a title on the PGA Tour since 2013.
   And he also beat compatriot Gary Woodland by three strokes to the big paycheque. Last season, be beat Woodland in a playoff to win his maiden title.
   Woodland, Spaniard Sergio Garcia and US player Kevin Na ended tied-second on a 14-under 274 score.
  Woodland three-putted the last hole for a 67, reducing pressure on Moore as he claimed his fourth PGA Tour title.
   Na led by two strokes early and was within a shot with two holes to play, but he drove into a treetop on the 17th and took a double bogey, and went out of contention.
   "There was plenty of pressure on the 15th and 16th as I went into the final chase, but strangely, after Na got his ball stuck on a treetop and we were all involved in searching for it, that moment made me calm, and it helped me regain my composure," said Moore.
   With massive crowds gathered at the KLGCC, Moore birdied three of the last five holes to race home to his fourth PGA TOUR victory and become the first repeat champion at the CIMB Classic, which inaugurated in 2010 as the first PGA TOUR event held in Southeast Asia.
   “It was incredible to finish the way I did. Coming down to the last few holes, I like to tell myself all the time that I'm a closer. That's what I play golf for. These are the moments and what I'm out here for, so let's do what we can. Let's just hit good shots, and let’s see if we can close this thing, and I was able to do that,” said a delighted Moore.
   Asian Tour rookie Cameron Smith of Australia extended his dream season by finishing tied fifth  on 276 alongside Korea’s Bae Sang-moon, an Asian Tour graduate, while Filipino Angelo Que and Thailand’s Prom Meesawat were amongst those who shared eighth position on 278, with all three earning exemptions into next week’s PGA Tour event in Mississippi.
   Na, who won his first professional title in Malaysia in 2002 and chasing a second PGA Tour victory, led by one at the turn before Moore drew level with his fifth birdie of the day on 10. The pivotal moment came on the drivable par four 14th hole when Na found the green while Moore laid up.
    As it turned out, Na three-putted for par while Moore hit it superb approach for an easy birdie to lead for the first time on his own in the final round. He sandwiched a bogey with birdies on 15 and 17 but it was enough to allow him to stroll home at the last hole.
   Na was disappointed to let victory slip from his grasp. ”It was my tournament but Ryan played fantastic. Hats off to him, he deserves it. It’s disappointing when you know you had the lead and it’s yours,” said Na.
    “I hit a good drive on 14 and a yard shorter, the ball would have come down stone dead for eagle. I hit a good putt and it broke the other way.  On 16, I was a bit frustrated. A camera went off and I backed off and never regrouped (to miss his birdie chance). It’s my fault for hitting a bad putt. At the next hole, I got very unlucky, hit the trees and the ball never came down.”
   Garcia, the highest ranked player in the field, stayed within touch of the leaders with an outward 33 but a poor drive on 10 led to a double bogey seven which eventually took the steam out of his title run.
    “Front nine, I was quite good and gave myself a lot of chances and I just had a really bad break on 10, hit my tee shot a little left and hit the cart path, and the ball kind of disappeared.  That one put me a little bit behind the eight ball,” said the Spaniard.

Na and Moore top CIMB Classic

KEVIN NA of the United States shot five birdies in a bogey free round to hold the joint lead with compatriot and defending champion Ryan Moore going into the final round of the CIMB Classic at the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club (KLGCC) yesterday.
   The lead changed hands for the third time in as many days, and Na's five-under 67 yestarday took his total to 12-under 204. Moore also had a five-under 67, and a 204 total.
   Na, who won the Volvo Mastars in 2002 in Kuala Lumpur, believes a 17-under score should land the title today.
   "Its nice to be 12-under, but tomorrow (final round) is another day and with many top golfers close by, I believe one would have to shoot another five-under, the least, and a 17-under total should be enough. That's my prediction," said Na.
   He has been bogged down by weather delays in two consecutive rounds, and finds the greens harder to play after that.
   "Well I had five birdies, but did have a close look at a few Eagles out there but could not sink them. And after the weather delay, it becomes that much harder to read the greens," said Na.
   Both Na and Moore has been steady in their progress, as Na had an opening 69, followed by a 68 and a 67. Moore started with a 68, went to 69, and hit a splendid 67 with seven birdies and two bogies on his card.
   World Number Four Sergio Garcia of Spain and overnight leader Billy Hurley III of the United States are just a stroke adrift at 11-under 205, and could be the surprise package in the final round.
   Close on the leaders are also a pack of four, at nine-under 207. Gary Woodland (US, 66), Bae Sang-Moon (S Kor, 68), Kevin Chapell (US, 70) and Kevin Streelman (US, 71).
   Moore has the same feeling he had going into the final last year: "I really enjoy the golf course, obviously enjoyed it last year as well as I've just been able to play good, solid, consistent golf so far, just putting it in the fairway, giving myself chances, and I've been fortunate enough to make some putts, so in the end that's why I'm here.
   "And there are only positive vibes, as you know, I've been here (KLGCC), I've done it on this course, and so that should just give me that little extra course going into the final.
   "I know what it's like to win out here, and I'm going to try and make that happen again."
   The defending champion knows it going to be a tight Sunday race: It's a pretty tight leaderboard out there and for me, I have kind of a very simple approach to the course as far as my clubs off the tee and the way, you know, the way I try and pick this course apart.
   "And I'm just going to stick to that. I can't overpower this golf course, and I think this course sneaks up on you if you do try and overpower it.
   "So it's all about getting it in the fairways early on in the day and giving myself chances. I've been making putts so far the last three days, and I think just keep giving myself good opportunities and make some putts early and kind of get it rolling."

THIRD ROUND SCORES:
204  Kevin Na (US) 69-68-67, Ryan Moore (US) 68-69-67.
205  Sergio Garcia (SP) 69-68-68, Billy Hurley III (US) 67-67-71.
207  Gary Woodland (US) 71-70-66, Sang-Moon Bae (S Kor) 71-68-68, Kevin Chappell (US) 69-68-70, Kevin 
Streelman (US) 68-68-71.
208  Brendon de Jonge (Zim) 70-73-65, Patrick Reed (US) 70-70-68, Angelo Que (Phil) 67-72-69, Cameron 
Smith (Aus) 70-69-69, Jeff Overton (US) 68-69-71.
209  John Senden (Aus) 72-68-69, Prom Meesawat (Thai) 68-71-70, Seung-Yul Noh (S Kor) 68-69-72.
210  Davis Love III (US) 68-71-71.
211  Greg Chalmers (Aus) 75-68-68, Danny Lee (NZ) 69-69-73, Brian Stuard (US) 67-72-72, Lee Westwood 
(Eng) 72-65-74.
212  Rory Sabbatini (SA) 70-72-70, Charl Schwartzel (SA) 74-70-68, Nicholas Thompson (US) 69-73-70, Luke 
Guthrie (US) 73-68-71, Scott Stallings (US) 69-76-67, Paul Casey (Eng) 73-68-71, Hideki Matsuyama (Jpn) 
70-70-72.
213  Jonathan Byrd (US) 70-74-69, Jason Dufner (US) 74-70-69, Stephen Lewton (Eng) 74-69-70, Retief 
Goosen (SA) 74-70-69, Will MacKenzie (US) 69-73-71, Ryo Ishikawa (Jpn) 69-71-73, Mike Weir (Can) 73-68-
72, Billy Horschel (US) 72-68-73, David Lingmerth (Swe) 68-72-73, Jonas Blixt (Swe) 69-69-75.
214  Heath Slocum (US) 71-73-70, Jason Knutzon (US) 72-70-72, Charlie Wi (S Kor) 72-70-72, Pat Perez (US) 
72-73-69.
215  Michael Putnam (US) 71-72-72, Chris Stroud (US) 70-74-71, Trevor Immelman (SA) 74-70-71, Jhonattan 
Vegas (VenN) 74-71-70.
216  Matt Every (US) 69-73-74, KJ Choi (S Kor) 71-74-71, Rikard Karlberg (Swe) 65-76-75, Anirban Lahiri (Ind) 
74-72-70, Kyle Stanley (US) 76-71-69.
217  Marc Leishman (Aus) 74-72-71, Troy Merritt (US) 72-75-70.
218  Antonio Lascuna (Phil) 72-72-74, Steven Bowditch (Aus) 71-73-74, Brice Garnett (US) 70-75-73, Tim 
Wilkinson (NZ) 68-79-71.
219  Robert Allenby (Aus) 73-73-73, Morgan Hoffmann (US) 72-74-73, Tian-Lang Guan (am, Ch) 76-71-72, 
Matt Jones (Aus) 81-69-69, James Hahn (US) 74-77-68.
220  Tim Clark (SA) 72-74-74, Stewart Cink (US) 74-73-73.
221  Brian Davis (Eng) 71-75-75, Boo Weekley (US) 75-72-74, Will Wilcox (US) 75-74-72, Danny Chia (Mas) 75-
74-72.
222  Nicholas Fung (Mas) 73-74-75, Ricky Barnes (US) 71-77-74, Roberto Castro (US) 77-74-71, J.B. Holmes 
(US) 75-77-70.
223  Carlos Ortiz (Mex) 76-72-75.
224  David Lipsky (US) 74-73-77, Chesson Hadley (USA) 75-75-74.
225  Charlie Beljan (US) 76-75-74.

230  Seuk-hyun Baek (S Kor) 81-72-77.