DEFENDING champions Perak edged hosts Pahang 2-1 at the group stage, so coach K. Yogeswaran is expecting a tough time when both the teams meet in the Razak Cup Division One final in Kuantan today.
But the Division Two final between Terengganu and Armed Forces is almost a foregone conclusion, as the score was a 7-1 win for Terengganu in the pool match.
“We won narrowly in the earlier encounter, and with home ground advantage, I believe Pahang will be the better prepared side in the final,” concluded Perak coach Yogeswaran.
Pahang will be out to create history, as they have never won the Razak Cup Division One title even though the tournament is into its 52nd Edition.
“It would be a great achievement for us to win the title and I believe my players have progressed well after playing a couple of tough matches,” said Pahang coach Izwan Suhardi.
Pahang will bank on former national player Ismail Abu, who played in the World Cup in June to deliver, as he is currently the Division One top-scorer with six goals.
As for Terengganu, another former player Faizal Saari has delivered seven goals, but even if he fails to fins the target today, coach Sarjit Singh has many other capable strikers to win promotion into Division One next season.
TODAY: Division One: Third-Fourth -- Malacca v Kuala Lumpur (4pm, Pitch 1); Final: Perak v Pahang (8pm, Pitch 1).
Division Two: Final: Terengganu v Armed Forces (6pm, Pitch 1).
Saturday, August 23, 2014
Tengku Abdullah is now AHF president
TENGKU Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah will helm the Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) after he was unopposed when nominations closed.
The incumbent treasurer Fumio Ogura of Japan was also returned unopposed, but the five vice-president’s posts will see 12 hopefuls battling it out on Aug 31.
And elections for council members, 10 in total, will see a circus of 18 individuals ving for positions.
The AHF president’s seat was held by the late Sultan Azlan Shah who had served from 1990, and Tengku Abdullah will continue the tradition of trying to revive Asian hockey.
Four other Malaysian’s will also stand for posts and they are MHC senior vice president’s Nur Azmi Ahmad and S. Shamala who have been nominated for the veeps posts.
Nur Azmi and Shamala have also been nominated for the council, where she is an incumbent, together with another incumbent Datuk Rahim Ariff.
The newcomer from Malaysia for the council post is MHC vice president Manjit Majid Abdullah.
“I can safely presume, from experience. that some of those who have been nominated for vice-presdients as well as council members will pick one post to stand,” said acting AHF president Tan Sri P. Alagendra.
Alagendra, who has been secretary general of the AHF for the past 18 years, will be honoured at the AHF Congress on Aug 31.
“The rules have changed, and those above 70 are not eligible to stand for elections, and also, the AHF will no longer have a secretary general which will be replaced by a CEO,” said Alagendra.
The CEO is Tayyab Ikram of Macau.
AHF have 30 affiliates, out of which Indonesia, North Korea and Mongolia have said they will not be attending the Congress.
“That leaves 27 countries with two votes each. The pres ident, secretary general as well as treasurer does not have voting rights.”
In pasing the baton, Alagendra said: “Asian hockey is facing a challenging time as European, South American as well as Oceania countries have left us far behind.
“The incoming ofice bearers will have their hands full tryng to revive their members fortunes,” said Alagendra.
Tengku Abdullah is also an International Hockey Fed eration (FIH) Executive Board member as well as president of the Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHF).
But he has made a stand not to defend his president’s post in the MHC during the last council meeting where he said: “I’m moving to a bigger ship (AHF) and not abandoning ship (MHC) as I try and help hockey at a larger scale.”
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