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.