MHL umpires abused, accused of match-fixing

Malaysia Hockey League umpire Nazmi Kamarudin's car vandalised....

TEMPERS flew Sunday during two Premier Division matches at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil, and umpires were abused with vulgarities and accused of match-fixing.

  The said umpires have made a written report, while Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) have also made a protest and paid RM500 for a review.

  The first incident happened during the Sapura-Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club match which ended 4-4.

  Sapura team manager Louis Gregory and coach Tai Beng Hai, unhappy with umpiring, had verbally abused umpires Nazmi Kamarudin and Mohamed Rohizan.

  Gregory had said, as written in the umpires report: "Berapa dia orang bayar you? (How much did they pay you)."

  While Beng Hai was reported as saying: "You are damn blind (and) you sudah boleh berhenti tiup (You can retire from blowing)."

  The report said both the incidents happened in front of KLHC players as well as team manager George Koshy.

  The other incident happened after UniKL lost 4-3 to Tenaga Nasional.

  UniKL coach Arul Selvaraj and player S. Selvaraju are said to have made vulgar remarks to umpires Iskandar Rashdan and K. Lingam.

  The umpires report read: "After the match UniKL coach Arul Selvaraj approached us (Iskandar and Lingam) and said: 1. You are both F***** idiots; 2. You are clearly biased; 3. You are S**** F*** internationals.

  Selvaraju is said to have commented: "You do not train 24 hours a day, F***** this game and are clearly biased."

  UniKL's protest note read: "Inconsistent decisions by Lingam and Iskandar, who did not work as a team and made decisions which contradicted. UniKL have video evidence, and will provide it during inquiry."

  Meanwhile, the Junior Asia Cup grouping was released by the Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) , and Malaysia are in Group A with India, Japan, and China. In Group B are  Pakistan, South Korea, Oman and Bangladesh.

  The Project 2016, coached by Arul Selvaraj, need to finish among the top-four in Kuantan on Nov 14-22 to qualify for the 2016 Junior World Cup in India.

   Group matches will be for placing, as all teams play in the quarter-finals, and Malaysia need only one win in the knock-out to play in the World Cup.

Sept 4: KLHC v THT to decide title..

KUALA Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) came back from a near-death experience, twice, to hold Sapura to a 4-4 draw in the Premier Division of the Malaysia Hockey League at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil yesterday.
  Sapura took a 2-0 lead, but KLHC drew level, only to see Sapura take a 4-2 lead before nailing the two goals to steal a point in the final quarter.
  However, the title chase is still between KLHC and Terengganu Hockey Team -- in a winner-takes-all on Sept 4 at the Batu Buruk Stadium in Kuala Terengganu.
  Yesterday, THT beat Maybank 3-2 in Batu Buruk to set up the mouth-watering season finale.
   Dangerous Lee finally bloomed for Sapura with goals in the eighth and 28th, while the other goals were scored by Faridzul Afiq (12th) and  Norsyafiq Sumantri (38th).
  As for KLHC, the scorers were Syamim Yusof (13th), Harvinder Singh (15th), Nabil Fiqri (53rd) and Ali Shan (57th).
  The match was delayed by faulty lights, as well a thunderstorm, when Sapura were leading 4-2. In Round One, KLHC were also held to a 3-3 draw by Sapura.
  "We played catch-up in most of the match but after the rain delay, we removed the sweepers post and went on an all out attack. It could have back-fired, but my players gave their best and drew the match," said KLHC coach K. Dharmaraj.
  On their final league match on Sept 4: "We beat THT 6-2 in the Charity Shield, but that can't be use to gauge their strength. We need to play our best game of the season, because if my players enter with a complacent attitude, THT are capable of thrashing is 6-2 as well."
  Sapura coach Tai Beng Hai, peeved with several incidents in the match, refused to attend the press conference.
   RESULTS: Premier Division -- Sapura 4 KLHC 4, Terengganu 3 Maybank 2, UniKL 3 Tenaga 4.
  Division One: Group A: MSP-YP-SSP 3 BJSS 2, MBI 4 MSNT-THT 2; Group B: UiTM 4 UniKL Young Guns 1, Nur Insafi 3 SSTMI 1, ATM Airod 3 Politeknik 0.

Alarm bells for Project 2016...

UNIVERSITI Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) have yet to win a single point in the Premier Division of the Malaysia Hockey League (MHL), and the alarm bells have started to ring loud and clear for coach Arul Selvaraj.
  For, Arul who is also the Project 2016 coach, has 12 national juniors under him in UniKL and time the Junior Asia Cup is just around the corner.
  Kuantan will host the Junior World Cup Qualifier on Nov 14-22 and Malaysia need to make the semi-finals to play in India in 2016.
  Arul admitted that his players still lack confidence in themselves, and he is being helped by Technical Director Terry Walsh to chart their path towards Kuantan,
  "My players (12 Project boys) still lack confidence in themselves and we do have a psychologist to take care of that department, but we have yet to overcome this problem," said Arul after UniKL lost 4-1 to Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club on Friday.
  UniKL held KLHC 1-1 until the fourth quarter, but they crumbled and let in three more goals: "We lost because the players did not believe in themselves," said Arul.
  The Projec 2016 boys will face the challenge of their lives when they play in the Sultan of Johor Cup (SOJC) on Oct 11-18. But Arul is not looking for results from the tournament which will feature some of the best juniors in the world.
  Defending champions India, Australia, Argentina, Britain and Pakistan have confirmed for the SOJC.
  "I will not be looking for results in the SOJC as during that period, we will be looking at moving their stamina to a higher level. I am being helped by Walsh to chart their plan towards the Junior Asia Cup, and I believe we will be ready for the Kuantan challenge," said Arul.
  UniKL will play Tenaga Sunday, and it will be an interesting match for Arul, as Tenaga have six 2016 Project players.
  In the First Round, Tenaga beat UniKL 3-2, and then, Arul had said that his six players in Tenaga played much better than the 12 in UniKL.
  RESULT: Division One: Group B: PKS-KPM 2 UniKL Young Guns 2.
  SUNDAY: Premier Division -- Sapura v KLHC (6pm, Pitch II), Terengganu v Maybank (Batu Buruk, 6pm), UniKL v Tenaga (8pm, Pitch II).
  Division One: Group A: MSP-YPSSP v BJSS (Kuantan, 5pm), MBI v MSNT-THT (Azlan Shah, 5pm); Group B: UiTM v UniKL Young Guns (5pm, Pitch I), Nur Insafi v SSTMI (Sg Petani, 5pm), ATM Airod v Politeknik (Tun Razak, 5pm).
  Note: National Stadium in Bukit Jalil unless stated.

KLHC consolidate position...

UNIVERSITI Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) almost became giant killers Saturday, but collapsed in the fourth quarter to hand Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) full points in the Premier Division of the Malaysia Hockey League.
  Top-of-the-table KLHC were tied 1-1 with UniKL until the 48th minute, but a 15 minute onslaught saw them collapsing like dominoes.
  KLHC took the lead off Ali Shan in the fourth minute, but Richard Sykes equalsied in the 25th minute and the match looked like it was heading for an upset.
  However UniKL, who have yet to win a single point this season, went down tamely to goals from Noor Faeez Ibrahim (48th) and Razie Rahim (51st, 52nd).
  The difference yesterday was that UniKL players did not have the confidence in the last quarter, while experienced hands KLHC went in the last phase of the match with determination.
  "Yes, we almost had our moment under the spot-light, but when my players went in for the last 15 minutes I could see from their body language that they were saying 'on no, we have to go through another 15 minutes.
  "Lack of confidence in themselves was whay we lost the match," said UniKL coach Arul Selvaraj.
  Arul, who is also the Project 2016 coach, hopes his charges will show progress before the Junior Asia Cup in Kuantan.
  "We have 12 Project 2016 players in this team, and my main worry now is their lack of believe in themselves. This needs to be rectified before we head to Kuantan to qualify for the Junior World Cup," said Arul.
   KLHC coach K. Dharmaraj and hie men had a different mindset: "Going into the last quarter, I told my players that they have a lot of time to win the match and I expected them to score at least one, but they did even better by scoring three. They had the confidence, and we retained our lead and it looks like the final match on Sept 4 (against Terengganu Hockey Team) will decide who lifts the title."
  RESULTS: Premier Division -- KLHC 4 UniKL 1, Terengganu HT 2 Tenaga 1.
  Division One: Group A: MSN-THT 5 BJSS 2; Group B: ATM Airod 3 SSTMI 1, PKS-KPM 1 UiTM 4, Nur Insafi 2 Politeknik 1.
  Women: Group A: ATM Pernama 4 Politeknik 0.
  SATURDAY: Division One: Group B: PKS-KPM v UniKL Young Guns (7pm, Pitch I).
  SUNDAY: Premier Division -- Sapura v KLHC (6pm, Pitch II), Terengganu v Maybank (Batu Buruk, 6pm), uniKL v Tenaga (8pm, Pitch II).
  Division One: Group A: MSP-YPSSP v BJSS (Kuantan, 5pm), MBI v MSNT-THT (Azlan Shah, 5pm); Group B: UiTM v UniKL Young Guns (5pm, Pitch I), Nur Insafi v SSTMI (Sg Petani, 5pm), ATM Airod v Politeknik (Tun Razak, 5pm).

THT& KLHC: No room for errors

MALAYSIA Hockey League (MHL) Premier Divison Leaders Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) believe they will be fighting the battles of their lives this weekend to keep their title hopes alive.

  KLHC top the standings on 19 points, just one point away from double champions Terengganu Hockey team, and hope to survive against UniKL today, and Sapura Sunday.

  "In Round One, both these matches were close as we drew 3-3 with Sapura and could only beat UniKL 1-0. I believe we will have to bring out our best to claim six points thiw weekend, and then only can we play for the final League fixture on Sept 4," said KLHC coach K. Dharmaraj.

  Sept 4 is when KLHC meet Terengganu HT (THT).

  As for THT they play their final three matches at home in Batu Buruk, starting with Tenaga today and Maybank Sunday.

  "If we maintain our form, and THT win both their matches, the last fixture against THT will decide the title. Thats why this weekend is seen as do-ro-die for both the teams," said Dharmaraj.

  THT have a good record playing at home, and their only blemish this season was 6-2 drubbing in the hands of KLHC in the curtain raiser Charity Shield match.

  "To say that we will have an easy time against UniKL is far-fetched, as even though they have 12 Project 2016 players, they have shown great determination and fighting spirit," said Dharmaraj.

  For the record, UniKL have yet to win or draw a match this season, but all their matches went to the wire.

  As for THT coach Sarjit Singh, he will be banking on home support: "The crowd at Batu Buruk has been simply great and with their backing, we hope to win all three matches and defend our title."

  RESULT: Premier Division -- Sapura x Maybank x.

  TODAY: Premier Division -- KLHC v UniKL (6pm, Pitch II), Terengganu HT v Tenaga (Batu Buruk, 6pm).

  Division One: Group A: MASUM USM v TNB Thunderbolts (KLHA, 5pm), MSN-THT v BJSS (batu Buruk, 4pm); Group B: ATM Airod v SSTMI (Tun Razak, 7pm), PKS-KPM v UiTM (5pm, Pitch I), Nur Insafi v Politeknik (Sg Petani, 5pm).

  Women: Group A: ATM Pernama v Politeknik (Tun Razsak, 5pm).

  TOMORROW: Division One: Group B: PKS-KPM v UniKL Young Guns (7pm, Pitch I).

  SUNDAY: Premier Division -- Sapura v KLHC (6pm, Pitch II), Terengganu v Maybank (Batu Buruk, 6pm), uniKL v Tenaga (8pm, Pitch II).

  Division One: Group A: MSP-YPSSP v BJSS (Kuantan, 5pm), MBI v MSNT-THT (Azlan Shah, 5pm); Group B: UiTM v UniKL Young Guns (5pm, Pitch I), Nur Insafi v SSTMI (Sg Petani, 5pm), ATM Airod v Politeknik (Tun Razak, 5pm).

PREMIER DIVISION

                  P     W       D       L       F       A       pts

 

KLHC                     7 6 1 0 20 9 19

TERENGGANU HT     7 6 0 1 25 11 18

SAPURA                     7 3 1 3 12 14 10

TENAGA            7 3 0 4 10 16 9

MAYBANK           6 1 0 5 8 16 3

UNIKL                  6 0 0 6 7 16 0

Koshy needs to do CPR on MHL

COLUMN 

by Jugjet Singh

WHILE the best will head for Hockey India League (HIL), the rest came to play in the Premier Division of the Malaysia Hockey League (MHL).

  Just as this column was being written, in came an email and the intro was --  HIL to conduct auction for 135 Indian and 141 foreign players on Sept 17.

  Among the foreign players to be auctioned, Australian ace Jamie Dwyer's name stood out. Dwyer has played in four World Cups, and will be playing in his fourth Olympics in Rio de Janeiro after helping Australia become champions at the Belgium World League Semifinals.

  Five out of six teams in the Premier Division hired players from Argentina, Pakistan, Ireland, South Africa and Germany -- but the hired guns have yet to impress in any manner.

  Tenaga Nasional, the title sponsors, were the only team who believed in locals and they are doing much better than foreign-injected Sapura, Maybank and UniKL at the start of the Second Round.

  Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) and Terengganu Hockey Team (THT) are the only two teams in battle for the League title, and are on 19 and 18 points respectively after seven matches.

  The pretenders are Sapura (10 points), Tenaga (nine), Maybank (three) and yet-to-win-a-point UniKL.

  And even KLHC and THT are being carried by their local players, while their foreign imports are in the shadows.

  The Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) had said at the start of the MHL that the foreign players are needed to inject prestige and also attract fans.

  However, the imports have failed in every department. The Premier Division matches at Bukit Jalil have yet to attract the desired number of fans, and in fact, 70 percent of those who come to watch the matches are family members and friends of players.

  Both the stadiums in Bukit Jalil only see about 100 to 200 'fans' turning up to watch the Premier Division matches, but the presence of hockey players from other teams waiting for the next match, adds to the numbers.

  Sadly, even MHC officials are normally missing from the stands.

  Nobody but KLHC and THT seem to be enjoying the spotlight, and a top MHC official said it all: "We tried everything to attract the fans, but failed."

  MHC Deputy President and Competitions Chairman George Koshy had promised drastic changes in the MHL when he went on his election rounds early this year.

  But he did not have enough time to implement them this season. Lets see if Koshy, who is also the KLHC team manager, can give this dead-end league a kiss of life, and make it as interesting and lucrative as the HIL.

Dharmaraj prefers women...

FORMER National coach K. Dharmaraj has had enough with the men, and if granted, he now wishes to train the women instead.

  Dharmaraj, who was elevated to the senior men's coach after taking his charges to a fourth spot in the Junior World Cup, does not want to re-visit the scheming and plotting which saw him unceremoniously dumped after a disastrous senior World Cup outing at the Hague, Netherlands.

  "I would rather coach the women now, as I've had a bad experience with a group of senior players who got together and plotted my exit. There was just too much of unnecessary stress and I also believe if I'm placed back with the men, many players will prematurely retire and I don't wan't that on my shoulders," said the present Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club and National Sports Council (NSC) development coach.

  The Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) has hired Australian Terry Walsh as Technical Director, and together with the coaching committee, Walsh is expected to announce the various national team coaches for the men and women in two weeks time.

  Dharmaraj also feels its up to the MHC and their selectors to kick out dead-wood, and trouble makers from the senior side.

  "I believe the MHC know everything and it is up to them, the scouts, as well as the new coach to select who they want and kick out who they feel would cause further trouble in the team.

  "As for me, I believe the women have potential and with 16 teams in the Junior World Cup, there is a great possibility of qualifying for the tournament if effort is placed," said Dharmaraj.

  On another note, KLHC will play Tenaga in the second round of the Premier Division Sunday, and the three points slant towards Dharmaraj and his men.

  In round one, KLHC beat Tenaga 3-1.

  RESULTS: Division One: Group A: BJSS 4 Masum-USM 1; Group B: PKS-KPM 3 ATM Airod  4, UiTM x Nur Insafi x.

  Women -- Group B: KL-Sukma x PKS-KPM  x.

  SUNDAY: Divison One (Second Round): Maybank v UniKL (Pitch I, 8pm), Sapura v Terengganu HT (Pitch II, 6pm), Tenaga v KLHC (Pitch II, 8pm).

  Division One -- Group A: MSN-THT v MSP-YP-SSP (batu Buruk, 6pm), Masun-USM v MBI (KLHA, 5pm); Group B: UniKL Young Guns v Nur Insafi (Pitch I, 6pm), SSTMI v Politeknik (SSTMI, 5pm).

  Women -- Group A: Politeknik v Penang Juniors (Malacca, 5pm), MSN-PHT v The Cops (Batu Buruk, 4pm); Group B: MSN-Kedah v SSTMI (Padang Serai, 5pm), PKS-KPM v UiTM Lions (Pitch I, 4pm).

  NOTE: National Hockey Stadium unless stated.

KLHC edge Maybank

KUALA LUMPUR Hockey Club (KLHC) came back from a goal down to edge Maybank 2-1 to keep their grip on the Premier Division of the Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) yesterday.
  Playing at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil, Maybank's Pakistan import Muhammad Toseeq scored a field goal in the 36th minute, but the joy was short lived as a minute later, Mohamed Syamim nailed the equaliser.
  KLHC were saved the blushes by Pakistan's Ali Shan, who scored a penalty corner rebound in the 42nd minute.
  "We went in expecting a tough match and I'm glad that we did not crack when we were trailing but kept pushing for a win," said KLHC coach K. Dharmaraj.
  KLHC had beaten Maybank 3-1 in the first round but yesterday's match was a close shave.
  "Entering into the second round we should have done much better, and that's the one aspect that I'm not happy with our progress so far. Otherwise, we are doing just enough to challenge for the title," said Dharmaraj.
  After six matches, KLHC top the standings on 16 points with five wins and one draw.
  Maybank, on the other hand, have yet to win a game: "Even though we have yet to win a point after five matches, I believe the team is improving and we should claim a win against UniKL (Sunday)," said Maybank coach S. Vellapan.
  Maybank and UniKL also have yet to complete their first round fixtures which was washed away by rain. That abandoned match will be played on September 2.
  RESULTS: Premier Division (Round Two): KLHC 2 Maybank 1, UniKL 0 THT 3, Tenaga 2 Sapura 1.
  Division One Group A: BJSS 1 Thunderbolts 3, MSP-YP-SSP 2 MBI 5; Group B: PKS-KPM 4 SSTMI 2, UiTM 1 ATM Airod 1.
  Women's Group A: MSNT-PHT 0 Penang Juniors 1; Group B: Manjung 0 SSTMI 4, BJSS 0 Thunderbolts 3.
  SATURDAY: Division One: Group A: BJSS v MASUM-USM (Kuantan, 5pm); Group B: PKS-KPM v ATM AIROD  (NHS I, 5pm), UITM v NUR INSAFI (NHS II, 7pm).
  Women -- Group B: KL-SUKMA v PKS-KPM  (KLHA, 8pm).

STADIUM DREAM: UniKL's finest hour...

 Asian Hockey Federation president Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah at the ground breaking venue...

UNIVERSITI Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) yesterday broke new ground when their Chancellor Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah officiated at a ground breaking ceremony to build a 500-seater hockey stadium in Bangi.
  To be called the Tengku Abdullah Stadium, it will cost RM7.5 million and is expected to be completed by the end of 2016.
  "Hockey has made Malaysia proud at the international level in the past, and I hope with this new UniKL stadium, we can reach that level again," said Tengku Abdullah who is the Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) president.
  UniKL Young Guns were formed in 2009, and in a short span have exposed 160 players in the Malaysia Hockey League as well as Junior League. In the last Junior World Cup where Malaysia finished fourth, UniKL contributed 12 players.
  This year, in collaboration with the Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC), UniKL started a free coaching clinic every Saturday for goalkeepers, and players below the age of 16.
  When completed UniKL will utilise it for development, as well as home for the MHL and JHL matches.
  Meanwhile, UniKL will face another challenge when they meet MHL double champions Terengganu Hockey Team (THT) again in Round Two of the Premier Division in Kuala Lumpur today.
  In Round One, THT beat UniKL 4-2.
  THT's only blemish was when they were hit 6-2 by Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) in the Charity Shield, and being the first game of the Second Round, THT are expected to hit UniKL hard to keep sight of their League title.
  UniKL are still winless after four matches and fifth on the standings, and still have not completed their First round rain abandoned match against bottom placed Maybank.
  "Even tough UniKL have 12 youth from Project 2016, they have shown good fighting spirit and have only lost narrowly to all the teams. I expect it to be another tough match for us, but we need a win to keep the momentum going in the second round," said THT coach Sarjit Singh.
  TODAY: Premier Division (Round Two): KLHC v Maybank (6pm), UniKL v THT (8pm, Pitch I), Tenaga v Sapura (8pm, Pitch II).
  Division One Group A: BJSS v Thunderbolts (KPM, 5pm), MSP-YP-SSp v MBI (Kuantan, 5pm); Group B: PKS-KPM v SSTMI (4pm, Pitch I), UiTM v ATM Airod (6pm, Pitch I).
  Women's Group A: MSNT-PHT v Penang Juniors (Batu Buruk, 4pm); Group B: manjung v SSTMI Thunderbolts (Azlan Shah, 5pm).
  NOTE: National Hockey Stadium unless states.

Kelab Aman Happy Hockey kids rewarded...

Subahan: Shaking and moving..

Pic: Subahan being welcomed at the Kelab Aman Happy Hockey function.

DATUK Seri Subahan Kamal has only been three months in office, but his achievements in the Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) are dynamic, as well as progressive.
  He took over from Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah on April 28, quite reluctantly though, when nominations closed and he was unchallenged.
  But since, he has not only brought down MHC's massive debts, but also managed to hire the best hockey mind in the world -- Australian Terry Walsh as Technical Director.
  "When I took over from Tengku Abdullah, MHC had a debt of RM2.8 million and we have managed to reduce it to RM1.7 million with good team-work from all departments," said Subahan.
  RM1 million in three months, and Subahan is confident he can solve the money issue soon.
  MHC have also managed to rope in Qnet, an Asian direct selling company, who are also the official direct selling partners of with the Manchester City Football Club.
  "Qnet have been silently supporting hockey since the days of Tengku Abdullah (2011) but have come in strongly with a pledge of RM1.5 million over five years to help facilitate the national team's participation as well as the organisation of various domestic and international tournaments," said Subahan.
  The president also took responsibility over the failure of Malaysia in the World League Semi-finals.
  "Even though the current office bearers were barely weeks into their job when the team left for Belgium, I take responsibility for their failure to qualify for the Olympics.
  "Having said that, the MHC have started preparations to make sure we have a strong team to challenge, and qualify for the next Olympics in 2020 Tokyo," said Subahan.
  To that effect, Walsh was hired over the weekend -- and the Australian started Monday on the run by organising a coaching seminar for 14 Malaysian coaches.
  Walsh and the coaching committee will, in two weeks time, name the national chief coach as well as coaches for the various national teams, including the women's.
  After chairing the Executive Board meeting on Saturday, Subahan said there were many other issues which has been tightened up since he took over, but he will only speak about them when he organises a 100-day in office function.
  "I have a plan, and my team of office bearers have been performing to their personal KPI's. More information will be revealed when we host out 100-day in office function.
  After naming Walsh during lunch time, at night, Subahan attended a Kelab Aman Happy Hockey fund-raising dinner in Kuala Lumpur, and there were many happy faces when he announced several incentives for the junior development programme for ages four to 18.
  Barely 100 days on, Subahan and his team have managed to almost turn around the MHC, and now there must be positive changes on the pitch as Walsh said: "Malaysia can break into the top-10 and even the top-8 when certain things are aligned."
  However, the Australian was frank and point blank when asked if Malaysia can win major tournaments like the Olympic and World Cup in the near future: "That, is out of sight." 

Walsh: Here to educate coaches and players..

TERENCE Arthur Walsh is back in Malaysia as a coaching Technical Director.

  Better known around the globe as Terry Walsh, he last coached Malaysia from 1990-1994, and yesterday he answered questions on why he made it back to our shores after being unceremoniously hounded out 21 years.

  "The reason I am back is because there have been many positive changes in the administration of hockey in the country," was his blunt opening statement.

  And then he gave an insight which hit the nail spot on: "Australians do not reveal much, but when they do it good that one listens. I was told (by Australian coaches and players) that Malaysian players have great potential, but they just do not know how to do it...."

  And he gave an example: "I was watching Malaysia play India in the quarter-finals of the World League Semi-finals from thousands of miles away and after taking a 2-1 lead, they lost their Olympic hope to two penalty corners (lost 3-2).

  "They showed great potential by coming back from a goal down to lead 2-1, but after that, they just did not know what to do."

  Walsh signed a two-plus-two contract with the Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) and his primary job is to educate the coaches and players.

  For starters, he will conduct a two-day coaching seminar from Monday for 14 FIH Level Three Malaysian coaches, and in two weeks time will sit down with the MHC Coaching committee to select the chief coach.

  The other revelation made by Terry was that other races have been left out of the hockey fraternity.

  "Malaysia had and I believe has many good players from all segments (races) and we need to bring them back into the game to form a lethal combustion which will take the nation into the top 10 or even top eight in the world.

  In the 90s there were many non-Malays playing hockey for the country, but today, only goalkeeper S. Kumar and Baljit Singh remain in the senior team, while there are no non-Malays in the Project 2016 squad as well as in the women's teams.

  When asked if he will chance the playing system: "No, there are many good things in how the team plays now, but we need to chance some factors to make everything linear and then we can start by becoming better in the Asian level, before looking at the world tournaments."

  Walsh was the chief coach of India from 2013 to 2014, but a left after getting caught in red tape, but not before making sure India become Asian Games champions and qualify for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.

  As for Malaysia, the three important senior tournaments in 2018 are the World Cup, Asian Games and Commonwealth Games.

  This year, the juniors would be involved in a Junior World Cup qualifier, when Kuantan plays hosts to the Junior Asia Cup.

KLHC keep the lead...

DOUBLE champions Terengganu Hockey Team (THT) had to bring out their best to edge Sapura 1-0 in the Premier Division of the Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) at the Batu Buruk Stadium yesterday.
  The solitary goal was scored by national player Azlan Misron, off a penalty corner set-piece, in the 39th minute.
  And at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) rode on luck to beat Tenaga Nasional 3-1 to top the standings on 10 points.
  Tenaga took the lead off a Shahril Saabah goal in the 25th minute, but Pakistan import Ali Shan nailed the equaliser in the 30th minute.
  But a silly mistake by Tenaga's Amirol Aideed gifted the goal to Rashid Baharom (47th), and the third was slotted in by Pakistan's Umar Bhutta in the 48th minute.
  THT coach Sarjit Singh said it was not an easy match, as Sapura were on top of them most of the match.
  "We did just enough to win three points on our home turf, as Sapura pinned us down in our own semi-circle in the last quarter. This year, the competition is very high and it is not going to be as easy as last season, as even the national juniors are playing very well for their clubs," said Sarjit.
  THT have nine points from four matches, and will play UniKL next on Sunday.
  "UniKL only lost 0-1 to KLHC (Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club) and I believe it will be another bruising encounter. However, we are playing at home in Terengganu and the crowd support was great against Sapura, and I believe the fans will come out in numbers again Sunday to support their players win three points," said Sarjit.
  Sapura will travel back to Kuala Lumpur to play Tenaga Nasional at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil Sunday, and coach Tai Beng Hai is keeping his fingers crossed that the journey does not 'kill them'.
    RESULTS: Premier Division -- KLHC 3 Tenaga 1, Terengganu HT 1 Sapura 0.
  Division One: Group A: Thunderbolts x MASUM USM x, BJSS 4 MSP-YP-SSP 3; Group B: SSTMI 0 PKS KPM 1, ATM Airod 1 UiTM 3, Nur Insafi 2 Politeknik 1
  Women: Group A: Penang Juniors 1 MSNT-PHT 1, Politeknik 1 The Cops 2; Group B: KL Sukma 4 Manjung 0.
 TODAY: Division One B: UniKL Young Guns v UiTM (National Stadium I, 5pm), SSTMI v Nur Insafi (Taman Daya I, 5pm), PKS-KPM v Politeknik (Taman Daya II, 5pm).
  Women: Group A: Politeknik v ATM Pernama (Malacca, 5pm); Group B: PKS-KPM v KL Sukma (National Stadium II, 7pm), SSTMI Thunderbolts v MSN Kedah (Taman Daya I, 7pm).
   TOMORROW: Premier Division -- Terengganu HT v UniKL (Batu Buruk, 6pm), Sapura v Tenaga (National Stadium II, 6pm), Maybank v KLHC (National Stadium II, 8pm).
  Division One: Group A: BJSS v Thunderbolts (Ministry of Education, 5pm), MSp-YP-SSP v Ipoh MC (Kuantan, 5pm); Group B: PKS-KPM v SSTMI (National Stadium I, 4pm), UiTM v ATM Airod (National Stadium I, 6pm).
  Women: Group A: MSNT-PHT v Penang Juniors (Batu Buruk, 4pm); Group B: Manjung v SSTMI Thunderbolts (Azlan Shah, 5pm).

Maybank v UniKL washed out

THE Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) Premier Division match between Maybank and Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) was abandoned after heavy rain at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil Thursday.
  Both the teams were supposed to play Friday, but requested for a change in fixtures because UniKl will be travelling to Terengganu to play Terengganu Hockey Team (THT) on Sunday.
  Friday, the high-stakes match to watch is THT and Sapura, both looking to pull free in the first round.
  RESULT: Premier Division -- Maybank v UniKL (Game postponed due to heavy rain).
  FRIDAY: Premier Division -- KLHC v Tenaga (National Stadium II, 6pm), Terengganu HT v Sapura (Batu Buruk, 6pm).
  Division One: Group A: Thunderbolts v MASUM USM (Taman Daya, 7pm), BJSS v MSP-Yp-SSP (Ministry of Education, 5pm); Group B: SSTMI v PKS KPM (Taman Daya, 5pm), ATM Airod v uiTM (Tun Razak, 5pm).
  Women: Group A: Penang Juniors v MSNt-PHT (Sungai Petani, 5pm), Politeknik v The Cops (Malacca, 5pm); Group B: KL Sukma v manjung (KLHA, 5pm).
 SATURDAY: Division One B: UniKL Young Guns v UiTM (National Stadium I, 5pm), SSTMI v Nur Insafi (Taman Daya I, 5pm), PKS-KPM v Politeknik (Taman Daya II, 5pm).
  Women: Group A: Politeknik v ATM Pernama (Malacca, 5pm); Group B: PKS-KPM v KL Sukma (National Stadium II, 7pm), SSTMI Thunderbolts v MSN Kedah (Taman Daya I, 7pm).
   SUNDAY: Premier Division -- Terengganu HT v UniKL (Batu Buruk, 6pm), Sapura v Tenaga (National Stadium II, 6pm), Maybank v KLHC (National Stadium II, 8pm).
  Division One: Group A: BJSS v Thunderbolts (Ministry of Education, 5pm), MSp-YP-SSP v Ipoh MC (Kuantan, 5pm); Group B: PKS-KPM v SSTMI (National Stadium I, 4pm), UiTM v ATM Airod (National Stadium I, 6pm).
  Women: Group A: MSNT-PHT v Penang Juniors (Batu Buruk, 4pm); Group B: Manjung v SSTMI Thunderbolts (Azlan Shah, 5pm).

THT bounce back after hammering...

TERENGGANU Hockey Team (THT) and their Argentines look like they have recovered from early jitters, and jet-lag, after they were hammered 6-2 by Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) 6-2 in the Premier Division Charity Shield.
  Double champions THT came charging back to win their next two matches convincingly, by hammering Maybank 5-1 and Tenaga Nasional 5-0 to stay in the hunt to defend their titles.
  THT, who hired four Argentina and One Pakistan player, showed better understanding after a turbulent opening match.
  "The Charity Shield is best forgotten, because almost all my players played well below par and lost 2-6. To be frank, my guest players had just arrived in Malaysia three days before we played KLHC, and they were still getting adjusted to the weather and also the time difference then," said THT coach Sarjit Singh.
  The four Argies took a total of 52 hours to arrive, with two stop overs and 16 hours in transit.
  "When my Argentine players arrived they were really tired as it nearly took them three days of travelling to finally reach their destination.
  "But now, they are used to the new time zone, as well as slowly getting adjusted to the weather," said Sarjit.
  Jose Leandro Tolin scored three penalty corner goals, one each against KLHC, Maybank and Tenaga. THT's top scorer is Faizal Saari with five goals to his name, three field, one penalty corner and one penalty stroke.
  KLHC and Sapura are leading the charge on seven points each, but they THT are snapping at their heels and its going to be another exciting MHL weekend when THT play Sapura on Friday -- as it could make or break both teams.


PREMIER DIVISION

                                         P W D L F  A Pts
KL HOCKEY CLUB 3 2 1 0 10 5 7
SAPURA                         3 2 1 0 7  5 7
T'GGANU HT                 3 2 0 1 12 7 6
TENAGA                3 2 0 1 5  8 6
UniKL                       3 0 0 3 3  6 0
MAYBANK               3 0 0 3 3  9 0

Maybank suffer third defeat..

MAYBANK turned out to be the early casualty in Premier One of the Malaysia Hockey Legue (MHL) as they fell to their third defeat when they were edged 2-1 by Sapura yesterday.

  After losing 2-1 to Tenaga Nasional and 5-1 to Terengganu Hockey Team, the defeat yesterday has put Maybank out of contention for a top-two finish.

  And it looks like the Tigers' investment in six foreign players, five Pakistan and one from India, has made little difference to their campaign.

  Sapura, with five imports, impressed when they held Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club 3-3 on Friday.

  Yesterday, Maybank took the lead off Mohamad Syafiq Zain in the ninth minute, but Dangerous Lee drew level in the 38th minute, while Pakistan import Abdul Haseem Khan nailed the Sapura winner in the 54th minute.

  "We have had a good start this season and hope to keep the momentum going in the remaining matches. Today (yesterday) we had to chase after being a goal down, and my players put up a good fight," said Sapura coach Tai Beng Hai who is riding the MHL on seven points after three matches.

   Maybank coach S. Vellapan said in all three matches they had to chase in the final quarter and that cost them the matches.

  "We were always chasing for goals and when we opened up to counter, that is when we got hit. In the remaining matches, we need to make sure this does not happen," said Vellapan.

    RESULTS: Premier Division: Maybank 1 Sapura 2, UniKL 0 KL Hockey Club 1, Tenaga Nasional 0 Terengganu HT 5.

  Division One Group A: BJSS 2 MBI 1, MSN-THT v TNB Thunderbolts (Match abandoned, rain).

  Group B: UniKL Young Guns 1 SSTMI Thunderbolts 1, ATM Airod 4 PKS-KPM 5, UiTM 2 Politeknik 0.

  Women's Group A: MSN-PHT 1 Politeknik 2; Group B: Manjung 0 UiTM Lions 3.

All-local Tenaga show power...

TENAGA Nasional kept a clean record when they edged Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) 3-2 in the Premier Division Of the Malaysia Hockey League Friday.
  Playing at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil, UniKL who had lost their opening match 2-1 to Sapura, scored off a first minute penalty corner.
  Najmi Farizal's flick gave them the lead, but Shahril Saabah drew level for Tenaga in the 27th minute only to see Nor Aqmal Gaffar (41st) give the Universiti side the lead again.
  The match went into high gear after that and Azril Misron (57th) gave Tenaga a lifeline at 2-2, and the winner was claimed by Ramadan Rosli off a field attempt in the 58th.
  It was Tenaga's second win, as they had beaten Maybank 2-1 last weekend.
  Tenaga have six 2016 Project players, while UniKL have 10 juniors.
  "UniKL are a team which plays high press for the entire game, and patience win us the game as we know that they can't keep up the momentum for 60 minutes.
  "I'm very proud of my players, as they showed that local players can play good hockey and win matches as well," said Tenaga assistant coach M. Kaliswaran.
  UniKL coach Arul Selvaraj blamed the crumble on accountability: "There was no accountability in the last quarter as tiredness crept into my players game and this is an area which I have been working on without success.
  "Anyway, even in defeat Im proud to say that there were 16 2016 Project players on both sides and they did show some flare."
  Arul is also the Project 2016 squad, which is preparing for the Junior Asia Cup in Kuantan in Novemner. The Cup is a Junior World Cup qualifier, with four teams from Kuantan qualifying for New Delhi next year.
  RESULTS: Premier Division: Tenaga Nasional 3 UniKL 2, Maybank x Terengganu HT x, KL Hockey Club x Sapura x.
  Division One Group A: MSP-YP-SSP 0 TNB Thunderbolts 2, MSNT-THT 1 MBI 0; Group B: PKS-KPM 4 Nur Insafi 4.
  Women's Group A: ATM Pernama 1 The Cops 0, Penang Juniors 0 Politeknik 2, MSN Kedah 1 PKS KPM 3.
  SATURDAY: Division One Group A: Masum USM v BJSS (KLHA, 5pm); Group B: UniKL Young Guns v Politeknik (National Stadium I, 5pm), UiTM v SSTMI ((National Stadium I, 7pm), ATM Airod v Nur Insafi (Tun Razak, 5pm).
  Women's Group B: SSTMI Thunderbolts v KL Sukma (Taman Daya I, 5pm), Manjung v PKS-KPM (Azlan Shah, 8pm), MSN Kedah v UiTM Lions (Padang Serai, 5pm).
  SUNDAY: Premier Division: Maybank v Sapura (National Stadium II, 6pm), UniKL v KL Hockey Club (National Stadium II, 8pm), Tenaga Nasional v Terengganu HT (National Stadium I, 8pm).
  Division One Group A: BJSS v MBI (KPM, 7pm), MSN-THT v TNB Thunderbolts (Batu Buruk, 7pm).
  Group B: UniKL Young Guns v SSTMI Thunderbolts ((National Stadium I, 4pm), ATM Airod v PKS-KPM (Tun Razak, 5pm), UiTM v Politeknik (National Stadium I, 6pm).
  Women's Group A: MSN-PHT v Politeknik (batu Buruk, 5pm); Group B: Manjung v UiTM Lions (Azlan Shah, 5pm).

KLHC poised to break free...

KUALA Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) are tipped to break away from the Premier Division chasing pack this weekend, as they play Sapura and UniKL in the Malaysia Hockey League.
  KLHC started the season by hammering double champions Terengganu Hockey Team (THT) 6-2 in the Charity Shield last Sunday, and are looking good to keep their momentum.
  Sapura could only beat UniKL 2-1 last Sunday.
  "Even though we hit a big score past THT, there were many areas of our game that still needs to be tightened if we want to continue winning.
  "I've been in the MHL long enough to know that a team needs to be consistent to win the title, and one big win does not mean anything at the early stage," said KLHC coach K. Dharmaraj.
   THT coach Sarjit Singh believes Maybank will not be easy today, after losing 1-2 to Tenaga Nasional: "Both of us have lost our opening matches and I believe it will not be an easy encounter as we chase for points. However, my foreign players from Argentina are now more accustomed with the local players and we are ready to give a better fight."
  RESULTS (Wednesday): Division One Group B: UiTM 2 PKS-KPm 3; Women's Group B: KL-Sukma 0 Uitm Lions 0, PKS-KPM 4 SSTMI Thunderbolts 0.
   TODAY: Premier Division: Tenaga Nasional v UniKL (National Stadium II, 6pm), Maybank v Terengganu HT (National Stadium II, 8pm), KL Hockey Club v Sapura (National Stadium I, 8pm).
  Division One Group A: MSP-YP-SSP v TNB Thunderbolts (Kuantan, 5pm), MSNT-THT v MBI (Batu Buruk, 5pm); Group B: PKS-KPM v Nur Insafi (National Stadium I, 5pm).
  Women's Group A: ATM Pernama v The Cops (Tun Razak, 5pm), penang Juniors v Politeknik (Sg petani, 5pm), MSN Kedah v PKS KPM (Padang Serai, 5pm).
  TOMORROW: Division One Group A: Masum USM v BJSS (KLHA, 5pm); Group B: UniKL Young Guns v Politeknik (National Stadium I, 5pm), UiTM v SSTMI ((National Stadium I, 7pm), ATM Airod v Nur Insafi (Tun Razak, 5pm).
  Women's Group B: SSTMI Thunderbolts v KL Sukma (Taman Daya I, 5pm), Manjung v PKS-KPM (Azlan Shah, 8pm), MSN Kedah v UiTM Lions (Padang Serai, 5pm).
  SUNDAY: Premier Division: Maybank v Sapura (National Stadium II, 6pm), UniKL v KL Hockey Club (National Stadium II, 8pm), Tenaga Nasional v Terengganu HT (National Stadium I, 8pm).
  Division One Group A: BJSS v MBI (KPM, 7pm), MSN-THT v TNB Thunderbolts (Batu Buruk, 7pm).
  Group B: UniKL Young Guns v SSTMI Thunderbolts ((National Stadium I, 4pm), ATM Airod v PKS-KPM (Tun Razak, 5pm), UiTM v Politeknik (National Stadium I, 6pm).
  Women's Group A: MSN-PHT v Politeknik (batu Buruk, 5pm); Group B: Manjung v UiTM Lions (Azlan Shah, 5pm).

KLHC blank out double champs THT

ONLY about 300 fans showed up for the Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) Premier Division Charity Shield at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil yesterday.
  And the action on the pitch was also a big disappointment, as double champions Terengganu Hockey Team (THT) started off on a lame note, and went crashing 2-6 to Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC).
  The four Argentine, as well as one Pakistan import of THT looked lost, and did little to help their cause -- and hopefully they play better hockey in the remaining matches.
  Argentine Jose Leandro Tolini scored a well placed, but not powerful, penalty corner goal in the 15th minute, but THT went crashing in a three-minute penalty corner blitz.
  All three KLHC penalty corner goals were taken by Razie Rahim, but the first one was deflected home by Pakistan's Ali Shan (19th), the second deflected in by Nabil Fiqri (20th) and the third was flicked in directly by Razie (21st).
  Rashid Baharom added the fourth misery in the 33rd minute, with a simple tap in.
  KLHC showed their pedigree, to snatch their fourth Charity Shield when Rashid scored his second in the 49th minute, and Harvinder Singh made it 6-2 in the 58th.
  Ismail Abu scored THT's second colsolation in the 52nd.
  The other Charity Shields were won in 2011, 2012 and 2014.
  KLHC coach K. Dharmaraj said his experience in the MHL tells him its too early to judge the other team.
  "We were actually saved by the three consecutive penalty corners, after which THT had to move up and we got our chances to increase the lead off counter attacks.
  "However, the score-line does not reflect the game actually, as THT strikers did keep our goalkeeper very busy. I believe we can't take this game as a measurement of our strength, as we have many more good teams to play," said Dharmaraj.
  KLHC skipper Razie Rahim said: "Maybe our foreign players settled faster than THT's imports and thats why we were able to win by a comfortable margin."
  As for THT coach Sarjit Singh, he believes his players will bounce back.
  "After letting in three goals in three minutes, we had to play catch-up and move forward. However, our attempts did not hit the target, while KLHC were deadly in counter-attacks. Leaving the defeat behind, I know we will bounce back," said Sarjit.
  RESULTS: Premier Division: KLHC 6 Terengganu HT 2, Tenaga Nasional 2 Maybank 1, Sapura 2 UniKL 1.
  Division One Group A: TNB Thunderbolts 3 MBI 0, MASUM-USM 2 MSP-YP-SSP 3, BJSS 3 MSP-YP-SSP 1; Group B: Politeknik 2 ATM Airod 1, Nur Insafi 4 UniKL Young Guns 3.
  Women's Group A: ATM Pernama 9 Penang Juniors 0; Group B: KL-Sukma 4 MSN Kedah 0.

Charity Shield: Explosive encounter expected...

FANS can expect no charity from both sides, as Terengganu Hockey Team (THT) and Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) square off in the Charity Shield at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil Sunday.
  For, not only does the winner gets an early trophy, but also three points.
  For the record, double champions THT will be gunning for their first Charity Shield (introduced in 2009), while KLHC have lifted the shield three times in 2011, 2012 and 2014. Tenaga Nasional are the other hat-trick winners in 2009, 2010 and 2013.
  Coach K. Dharmaraj and his men dominated the MHL from 2010 to 2013, until THT arrived last season to steal the double from them.
  "I don't believe in holding back in any match, and promise an exciting and explosive Charity Shield. We want the three points to start with a bang. But having said that, THT have the best local talent in their fold, and it is not going to be an easy match," said KLHC coach Dharmaraj.
  Flushed with six Pakistan imports, and with the best penalty corner flicker in the country -- Razie Rahim -- KLHC are tipped to be among the front-runners in the Premier Division.
  As for THT, they have hired four Argentines in Pablo Javier, Nicholas Cicileo, Jose Leandro and Ignicio Quilez. Their Pakistan import is Shakeel Butt.
  With 24 imports in five teams, the Premier Division is set to be a showcase tournament this season. Only Tenga Nasional have remained an all-local outfit.
  The other team to watch for debelopment purposes is UniKL Young Guns, who will be skippered by national player Baljit Singh.
  "The captaincy was awarded to Baljit for his recent excellent performance at the World League Semifinals in Antwerp. It was also for the leadership he provides during training and for his loyalty to the team as a player and also as an employee of UniKL.
  "We at UniKL also share Baljit's passion towards hockey, and will field 12 Junior World Cup trainees in the Premier Division this seasion," said team manager Faiz Isa.
  RESULTS: Division One B: SSTMI 0 ATM Airod 5; Women's Group A: The Cops 1 Penang Juniors 4; Group B: Manjung Hockey Club 1 MSN Kedah 2.
  SUNDAY: Premier Division: KLHC v Terengganu HT (Bukit Jalil II, 5.30pm), Tenaga Nasional v Maybank (Bukit Jalil II, 8pm), Sapura v UniKL (Bukit Jalil II, 8pm).
  Division One Group A: TNB 
Thunderbolts (Taman Daya I, 5pm), MASUM-USm v MBI (KLHA, 7pm), BJSS v MSP-YP-SSP (KPM, 5pm); Group B: Politeknik v ATM Airod (Taman Daya II, 5pm), Nur Insafi v UniKL Young Guns (Sg Petani, 5pm).
  Women's Group A: ATM Pernama v Penang Juniors (Tun Razak, 5pm); Group B: KL-Sukma v MSN Kedah (KLHA, 8pm).