QNET Selangor off to a roaring start

QNET Selangor Kicked off over the weekend with 7 matches being played.

  Newcomers PAUiTM register a high scoring victory as they scored past Gombak District. Highlander Hockey Club, UKM, Selayang and Permatang Senior also registered victory by big margin.

  X-Hamzah making their debut in the league went thru a torrid time before finding their feet to bear Gombak District 7-4. 

  In another match Synergy Hockey Club Edged out Alumni Seri Nibong . 

   Results
PAUiTM beat Persatuan Hoki Daerah Gombak (PHDG) 7-0

 Highlander Hockey Club beat ALUMI SMK SERI NIBONG 7-1

 UniKL MIAT Hockey Club lost to UKM 0-6

 KIE Hockey Team lost to SELAYANG 0-7

 X-Hamzah HC beat Persatuan Hoki Daerah Gombak (PHDG) 7-4

 ALUMI SMK SERI NIBONG lost to Synergy Hockey Club 1-3

 PERMATANG SENIOR beat SIA GURSTICKS 5-0

 Upcoming matches

 Saturday 26th September
4.00pm KPM SMK Bandar Seri Putra vs SMK Pusat Bdr Puchong 1
5.30pm KPM SMK Puchong BT.14 vs SMK Sg Pusu
7.00pm KPM Synergy Hockey Club vs Highlander Hockey Club
4.00pm STR PDRM vs PAUiTM
5.30pm STR RAMD vs MBPJ SUKMA
7.00pm STR DOLPHINS YOUNG GUNS vs X-Matrix Hockey Club

 Sunday 27th September
4.00pm KPM KIE Hockey Team vs PERMATANG SENIOR
5.30pm KPM X - Hamzah HC vs PDRM
7.00pm KPM SELANGOR SIKHS vs UniKL MIAT Hockey Club
4.00pm STR X-Matrix Hockey Club vs OLAK PKT
5.30pm STR KOR JLJ DIRAJA ( JLJD) vs MBPJ SUKMA
7.00pm STR RAMD vs BJSS
8.30pm STR DOLPHINS YOUNG GUNS vs UiTM

MHL: Paying the price of lavish spending...

WHILE about 3,000 fans went home feeling satisfied when the Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) curtains fell on Sunday,  a handful of coaches were either not impressed, or want drastic changes in place for the next season.
  The TNB Cup fan-fare was well planned, and there was drama worth the travel to Bukit Jalil as Terengganu Hockey Team (THT) and Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) battled neck-and-neck.
  Sixty-minutes could not separate the teams who stood at 1-1, and even the five shoot-outs ended 3-3.
  THT finally laid their hands on the TNB Cup, and a double double, by winning sudden-death shoot-out at 5-4.
  Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) Technical Director Terry Walsh was among the thousands, but he was not impressed.
  "If you ask me about drama, about a close finish its right there. But if you ask me about other areas... (he kept it to himself)," said Walsh while the prize-giving ceremony was ongoing.
  Newly appointed national coach Stephen van Huizen was seated next to Walsh, and he is in no hurry to select a training team from this bunch: "There are no immediate assignments, and so, there is no hurry in naming the training pool just yet."
  And at the press conference, KLHC coach K. Dharmaraj was more vocal about the MHL.
  "Don't get me wrong, I am all for players to earn a good keep by playing in the MHL, but money is becoming a big problem right now.
  "Local players are being paid big bucks and I mean really, really big amounts to secure the best. And the problem here is that the pool is very small, and these players are now demanding even more and are willing to give their very best to their clubs.
  "However, it has and will back-fire in the long run, as they do not show the same determination and zest when playing for the country.
  "In the long run, some players might just have the attitude of giving their best for clubs, while going through the motions when they receive a national call-up," said Dharmaraj.
  Some of the local players receive up to RM20,00 per month, and it is not only for the six-week MHL, but are contracted for at least a year.
  KLHC had lost many players to THT early this season, and the bargaining and pinching of players has already started -- for the next season.
  Sapura coach Tai Beng Hai and Maybank coach S. Vellapan were also of the opinion that foreign and national players should be restricted to six per-team.
  "Well I believe it would be better if the small pool of national players be equally distributed among clubs so that there will not be a big disparity in results. This can be achieved if say, clubs are only allowed to hire six professional players. By professional I mean national and foreign players.
  "So each club can, lets say, field three national and three foreign players or at any other combination, but only six professionals per-team.
  "This would see a healthier tournament, and the fans would also be kept guessing right till the end, and not know the results by just comparing club team-lists," said Beng Hai, a former national coach.
  Maybank's Vellapan echoed the same opinion as Beng Hai.
  This year's league was as predictable as the haze hitting Malaysia every year. And from the first whistle, it was a battle for titles between THT and KLHC while Tenaga Nasional, Maybank, Sapura and University Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) were just there to make up the numbers.
  And if the other four also-rans want to lay their hands on the titles next year, they must be willing to fork out more than RM20,000 and a lucrative contract to secure the best available locals.
  As for the foreign legion who came from Argentina, Pakistan, Ireland, India and South Africa -- they were a big let down -- and their contracts offered peanuts compared to what the cream of the locals received.

THT lift TNB Cup again...

THE TNB Cup had to be decided on a penalty shoot-out after regulation time saw Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) and Terengganu Hockey Team (THT) tied 1-1 in front of a capacity crowd at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil.
  And after a harrowing shoot-out, which also ended in a 3-3 draw and went into sudden-death, THT lifted their second consecutive double when Syamim Yusof missed, while Nicholas Cicelio scored for a 5-4 win.
  The second pitch finally saw a capacity crowd of 3,000, as THT and KLHC rallied their supporters by bus-loads, and the start of school holidays also lend a helping hand.
  In a pulsating first quarter, Razie Rahim hit the bar in KLHC's first penalty corner, while THT's top-gun Faizal Shaari scored in the third minute, but video referral denied him glory as the ball was poorly trapped and it hit his body before he scored.
  However, both the teams held back in the second quarter, and only started playing hockey again after the half-time break.
  There was very little separating both the sides, until Firhan Ashaari won them a penalty corner in the 36th minute, and Faizal almost tore the netting when he gave THT the lead off his 18th goal of the season.
  And it was game on in the 38th minute when Razie Rahim flicked home his 12th goal, to equalise for KLHC. While the strikers form both sides were blunt, it looks like penalty corners are going to decide the champions.
  KLHC goalkeeper, a veteran of many internationals, kept his team in the hunt with super saves -- and was aptly named as the Best Goalkeeper.
  The match went into penalty shoot-out, but 10 seconds before the regulation time ended Faizal and Umar Bhutta were yellow carded for being involved in a shoving match.
    In the bronze battle, Sapura hammered Maybank 6-0 to claim RM40,000 while the Tigers received RM30,000.
  Pakistan import Haseem Khan started the goal-count with a 24th minute deflection, while the other goals were scored by Dangerous Lee (39th), Marhan Jalil (45th), Faridzul Afiq (47th, 54th) and Haseem (50th).
  Sapura coach Tai Beng Hai attributed the win to early goals, while Maybank coach S. Vellapan said their downfall was due to lack of desire.
  "Maybank were a diluted side as three of their imports were on the crock list, and also, we scored early goals do douse their fire," said Beng Hai.
  As for Vellapan: "My players lacked the desire to win, and that was the root of our collapse."
  RESULTS: Final -- KLHC 1 THT 1 (THT win 5-4 in shoot-out); Third-Fourth: Sapura 6 Maybank 0.
  ROLL-Of-HONOUR: Fairplay: THT; Man-of-the Final: Razie Rahim (KLHC); Best Goalkeeper: Roslan Jamaluddin (KLHC); Top Scorer: Faizal Shaari (THT, 18 goals); Player-of-the-Tournament: Fitri Shaari (THT).

Twenty bus-loads to cheer-on THT v KLHC

TWENTY bus-loads of fans from Terengganu will arrive Sunday to cheer-on Terengganu Hockey Team (THT) in their quest to win back-to-back doubles in the Premier Division of the Malaysia Hockey League.
  THT will face nemesis Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) for the TNB Cup at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil, with no clear favourites.
  KLHC lost both their titles to THT last season, and also crumbled 5-4 in the League this year -- but their 6-2 Charity Shield win still troubles THT.
  Playing at the Batu Buruk Stadium in Kuala Terengganu, 3,500 fans in a 2,000-capacity stadium played a role of the twelfth player to cheer on THT to a slim win for the League title.
  "Fans played a big role in our success this season, and as a reward, as well as for another round of support, 20 buses will arrive from Terengganu for the TNB Cup final," said THT assistant coach Shamsol Ismail.
  THT are dead serious about claiming the double again, as coach Sarjit Singh could be seen, from the window, busy training his charges while the press conference was ongoing.
  Terengganu skipper Shahrun Nabil feels they have a good chance if they play like they did against Maybank in the second leg of the TNB Cup semi-finals.
  "We need to bring out that same determination on Sunday, because we were down 3-5 to Maybank from the first leg, but went on to carve a hard-fought 7-2 victory in the return leg. That's the way I want my team-mates to play again against KLHC," said Shahrun Nabil.
  KLHC coach K. Dharmaraj believes it will be a close game, and could even end up in a shoot-out.
  "In my 17 years in the MHL, I have taken my side to 15 finals and lost four titles on shoot-outs. TNB Cup finals, especially, have been very close affairs and so, we are prepared for all eventualities this time around," said Dharmaraj.
  KLHC will again rely on Malaysia's No 1 penalty corner flicker Razie Rahim, who has delivered a total of 11 goals this season -- one field, nine penalty corners and one penalty stroke.
  The other KLHC trump card is Pakistan import Ali Shan who has scord six of which three were from field and three from penalty corners.
  As for THT Premier Division top-scorer Faizal Shaari, 17 goals, will be the man to stop. Faizal scored 10 field, five penalty corner and two penalty stroke goals and is an all-rounder.
  THT also have Tengku AHmad Tajuddin, 10 goals, who has been playing his best games in the TNB Cup knock-out stage.
  With no clear favourites, the TNB Cup final could go either way, but one thing is for sure -- it will be worth the time and effort put in by fans to travel to the stadium, or watch it live on Astro Arena 801.
  SUNDAY: Final -- Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club v Terengganu Hockey Team (8pm, Pitch II); Third-Fourth: Maybank v Sapura (6pm, Pitch II).
  Note: Both matches at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil.

Australian help on the way...

MALAYSIAN Hockey Confederation (MHC) president Datuk Seri Subahan Kamal and his team are set to celebrate their 100-days in office in style.

  In the cards is a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Hockey Australia, the unveiling of a five-year blueprint to take Malaysia into the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and many changes in the Malaysia Hockey League.

  Subahan walked into the MHC office unopposed on May 14, and almost saw Malaysia qualify for the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, but fell 3-2 to India in the quarter-finals of the World League Semifinals in Belgium.

  At a dinner hosted for journalists in Antwerp, Subahan had said that even though he had no hand in preparing this team, he took full responsibility for their failure, and will unveil a plan to 'make sure' Malaysia play in Tokyo.

  Australian Terry Walsh was secured, MoU with Hockey Australia ready to sign and a comprehensive blue-print will be unveiled in a Press Conference at the National Sports Council (NSC) on Wednesday.

  First the exciting MoU with World No 1 Australia.

  Even though Malaysia are one step behind Singapore on this matter, it does not matter.

  The Lion City signed an MoU in July, after a high of holding Malaysia Under-20 side to a 2-2 draw before losing the Sea Games gold 4-3 on penalties.

  Singapore plan for two more silvers, men and women, in the 2017 Kuala Lumpur Sea Games and are even talking of an upset on our home soil.

  Malaysia want to play in the World Cup and Olympics again.

  The MoU details are still sketchy, but if it follows what Singapore has signed, then Malaysia will send teams to play in the Hockey Australia national championships in 2016 to 2018, and their 'Hookin2hockey' programme will be implemented into the MHC coach education programme and coaching.

  Coaches and umpire exchange programmes should also be in the documents signed with collaboration with the NSC.

  It is also believed that youth development and high performance hockey in the country will receive a big boost from Australia, who have shown to the world that their style of total hockey is what gets the results in World Cups and Olympics.

  The five-year blueprint will encompass a detailed route to take Malaysia back into the Olympics, a feat last achieved in Sydney 2000.

  The MHC are keeping this development under wraps, but good news should be shared and Hookin2hockey is what we need to get the grassroot hooked to the sport in a fun and systematic way.

  And the MHC are also keen to follow up the statement made by Walsh when his appointment as Technical Director was made known; That he wanted to see all ethnic groups in Malaysia play like they did in the old days.

  The fine print and more details will be elaborated by Subahan on Wednesday, and for starters, he and his team get top KPI grades from this scribe, in their 100-days in office.

  And its without taking into account that they reduced MHC's debts from RM2.8 million to RM1.7 million.

Singapore makes right Under-14 move...

THT blast Maybank into orbit...

  RESULTS: Semi-finals (Second Leg):
  Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club 2 Sapura 1.
  (KLHC win 8-1 on aggregate)
  Maybank 2 Terengganu Hockey Team 7.
  (THT win 10-7 on aggregate)


TERENGGANU Hockey Team (THT) showed their pedigree yesterday when they came back from a two-goal deficit to beat Maybank 10-7 on aggregate in the Second Leg Semi-finals of the TNB Cup at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil.
  THT advanced to the final on Sunday, by hammering Maybank 7-2, and they will face Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) for the Overall title.
  League champions THT started with three goals in the first 15 minutes, and nailed Maybank with precision marking and scoring.
  THT's goals were scored by Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin (second, eighth), Jose Leandro Tolini (ninth), Faizal Saari (33rd, 51st), Firhan Ashaari (45th) and Nicolas Cicileo (49th), 
  Pakistan's Muhammad Toseeq (39th) and India's B. Deepanshu (59th) scored for Maybank.
  In the other semi-finals, KLHC took a walk in the park but still beat Sapura 2-1 for an 8-1 aggregate win.
  Mumammad Imran (ninth) was the solitary scorer for Sapura in both the legs, while Razie Rahim (29th) and Ali Shan (52nd) got the winner for KLHC.
  "I believe my players lost out to fatigue because we played three matches in five days and were hit 1-6 (in the first leg semis), and this is not the national team, for them to sustain the pace," said Sapura coach Tai Beng Hai.
  KLHC coach K. Dharmaraj is no stranger to playing in the final, as in his 17 years in the Malaysia Hockey League he has coached in 15 finals.
  And he took his side to the top in five finals, and lost nine.
  "I have been coaching the same side (with three name changes) for the past 17 years and I know there are no favourites in a final. Any team that seizes the day, will life the trophy," said Dharmaraj.
  He started with Arthur Anderson which evolved into Ernst & Young, and is now KLHC.
  Dharmaraj has no favourites to join him on Sunday: "It is not the opposition that counts, is how my players perform on Sunday which will determine the club's fate."
  SUNDAY: Final -- Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club v Terengganu Hockey Team (8pm, Pitch II); Third-Fourth: Maybank v Sapura (6pm, Pitch II).
  Note: Both matches at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil.

Maybank upset THT 5-3

MAYBANK almost pulled off the biggest upset of the TNB Cup, but they lost their scrip in the final quarter and could only beat league champions Terengganu Hockey Team (THT) 5-3 in the First Leg Semi-finals at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil Tuesday.
   Maybank played like Tigers, to take a 4-1 lead, but allowed THT to claw back into the match.
  Pakistan import Muhammad Irfan scored the opener for Maybank in the 15th minute, but Faizal Shaari equalised with his 14th goal for THT in the 17th minute.
  Irfan took his MHL tally to five goals in the 27th minute, while Hafifi Hafiz (23rd) and Syafiq Mohamed Zain (41st) made it 4-1.
  However, Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin (45th) and Malaysia Hockey League top scorer Faizal scored his 15th goal in the 50th minute to narrow the gap to 3-4.
  Maybank's Syafiq got his brace in the 59th minute to give his side a two-goal cushion going into the Second Leg tomorrow.
  Maybank coach S. Vellapan hit it right when he said: "Desire and self-believe is what my players had in this game, as THT is a much more talented side."
  Last season Maybank beat THT 3-2 in the First Leg Semi-finals, but crumbled 1-6 in the Second Leg.
  "We can't rely on a two-goal cushion against a team like THT as they almost turned the match in the last quarter today (yesterday). We will have to keep the same momentum and speed for the next 60 minutes if we want to play in the final," said Vellapan.
  THT coach Sarjit Singh did not expect to lose yesterday, but he is confident it is only a temporary set-back.
  "Maybank played extremely well but I am confident my players will overcome the two-goal cushion on Thursday and take us into the final," said Sarjit.
  THT had a 10-day rest as they did not play in the quarter-finals after being seeded, while Maybank played a grueling match against Tenaga on Sunday to reach the last four.
  RESULTS --Semi-finals (First Leg): Terengganu Hockey Team 3 Maybank 5; Sapura 0 Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club 6.
  THURSDAY: Semi-finals (Second Leg): Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club v Sapura (Bukit Jalil Pitch II, 6pm), Maybank v Terengganu Hockey Team (Bukit Jalil Pitch II, 8pm).

Hazy prediction in TNB Cup semis...

Pic: THT players after beating KLHC 5-4 to lift the league title at the Batu Buruk Stadium in Kuala Terengganu.

KUALA Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) team manager George Koshy will have more than Sapura on mind when both the teams meet in the First Leg Semi-finals of the TNB Cup at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil Tuesday.
  For Koshy, who is also the Competitions Committe chairman, will have one eye on the haze enveloping the country right now.
  The haze reading around Bukit Jalil yesterday evening, by the National Sports Institute, was around 180 to 200, and this could throw a spanner in the TNB Cup party.
  The other semi-finals will be between league champions Terengganu Hockey Team and Maybank.
  "The Competitions Committee is constantly monitoring the haze situation around Bukit Jalil, and if it reaches an unhealthy level, we will make a call on the spot. But we will not set any standard, or figure just yet, as there is a chance the situation could improve in the next 24 hours," said Koshy.
  The form-book suggests KLHC and THT advance to the final, but both the coaches will be taking a cautious approach.
  THT coach Sarjit Singh said: "Our aim is to play in the final and defend our Overall title and that's what we will be playing for. Having said that, Maybank have shown tremendous improvement from their disappointing league statistics, and they will be hard to beat, but not impossible."
  Maybank finished fifth in the six-team league, with only one win and a draw to show. But they played much better in the two-leg quarter-finals to edge out a fighting Tenaga Nasional.
  THT had beaten Maybank 5-1 and 3-2 in the league.
  As for KLHC coach K. Dharmaraj, he believes Sapura would be a handful as they were held 3-3 and 4-4 in the league.
  "Both our earlier matches against Sapura ended in draws, and that's one reason why the league title slipped from our hands. Players from both teams know each other well, and I predict KLHC will have to be on their toes during both legs to play in the final," said Dharmaraj.
   Players to watch in THT are Faizal Saari, 13 goals, and Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin, seven goals.
  As for KLHC, national skipper Razie Rahim is the mainstay in defense, as well as penalty corners where he has scored nine goals.
  Pakistan import Muhammad Imran, with six penalty corner goals, will be Sapura's trump card.
  TUESDAY --Semi-finals (First Leg): Terengganu Hockey Team v Maybank (Bukit Jalil Pitch II, 6pm); Sapura v Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (Bukit Jalil Pitch II, 8pm).
  THURSDAY: Semi-finals (Second Leg): Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club v Sapura (Bukit Jalil Pitch II, 6pm), Maybank v Terengganu Hockey Team (Bukit Jalil Pitch II, 8pm).

Maybank, Sapura in semis

SAPURA goalkeeper Hairi Rahman played the game of his life to deny Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) an upset in the Second Leg Quarter-finals of the TNB Cup at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil yesterday.
  UniKL had made a super comeback, after losing 3-0 in the First Leg, to lead 3-2 going into the last quarter of the match, but five super saves from Hairi denied UniKL of a dream shoot-out.
  Sapura won 5-3 on aggregate, and will play Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club in the two-leg semi-finals on Tuesday and Thursday.
  The other semi-finals will be between Terengganu Hockey Team and Maybank, after the Tigers beat Tenaga Nasional 3-2 to advance on 5-3 aggregate.
  Pakistan import Muhammad Imran scored for Sapura in the third, but Azwar Rahman equalsied for UniKL. Sapura again took the lead off Faridzul Afiq in the 14th minute.
  However, Richard Sykes (43rd) and Haziq Samsul (45th) made it 3-2 for UniKL, only to see goalkeeper Hairi standing in their path to an upset in the final 15 minutes.
  As for Maybank, Ahmad Kazamirul (14th, 50th) and Hafifi Hafiz (42nd) sounded the board, while Shahril Saabah (27th) and Ramadan Rosli (52nd) scored for Tenaga.
  Sapura coach Tai Beng Hai said they eased off to early: "After scoring an early goal we became too comfortable and made the match difficult, this was not part of the plan, as we have only one day to rest before taking on KLHC in the semi-finals."
  As for UniKL coach Arul Selvaraj, he was glad they finally won a match this season.
  "We only had a draw to show in the League and this win is crucial for the club as we progress slowly on the development of youth.
  "Hats off to Sapura goalkeeper (Hairi) who denied us five shots at goal in the last quarter," said Arul.
  Meanwhile in the women's Junior Asia Cup final in Changzhou, China beat Japan 3-1 in a penalty shoot-out after 2-2 on regulation time. For the bronze, South Korea beat India 3-2. The top-three teams advance to the Junior World Cup.
  Malaysia finished fifth after beating Thailand 3-1 on Saturday.


   RESULTS: Quarter-finals Second Leg:
   Universiti Kuala Lumpur 3 Sapura 2.
   (Sapura win 5-3 on aggregate)
   Maybank 3 Tenaga Nasional 2.
   (Maybank win 5-3 on aggregate)

   TUESDAY --Semi-finals (First Leg): Terengganu Hockey Team v Maybank (Bukit Jalil Pitch II, 6pm); Sapura v Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (Bukit Jalil Pitch II, 8pm).
   THURSDAY: Semi-finals (Second Leg): Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club v Sapura (Bukit Jalil Pitch II, 6pm), Maybank v Terengganu Hockey Team (Bukit Jalil Pitch II, 8pm).

North Korea beat Singapore...

Malaysian women fifth in Junior Asia Cup

Two goals from Hanis Onn and one from Fatin Sukri saw Malaysia beat Thailand 3-1 to finish fifth in the Junior Asia Cup in Changzhou, China Saturday.

UniKL just can't get it together...

UNIVERSITI Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) have had a bad season, as after 11 matches, they only have one draw to show in the Premier Division of the Malaysia Hockey League.
  And in the TNB cup, they trail Sapura 0-3 going into the return leg quarter-finals today.
  The other quarter-finals is still alive as Maybank hold a slim 2-1 edge over Tenaga Nasional.
  League champions Terengganu Hockey Team (THT) and runners-up Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club are seeded into the semi-finals in this six-team league.
  THT await the winners of Tenaga-Maybank quarters, while KLHC will play the winners of the Sapura-UniKL match.
  "I'm disappointed with the way my team played in the first quarter of as they let in two penalty corner goals and we had to keep chasing for goals but missed sitters instead," said UniKL coach Arul Selvaraj who served a three-match suspension for abusing umpires, but will be back for the return leg.
  "We have a steep hill to climb, but we're not throwing in the towel as it is still possible to turn the tables in the next 60 minutes," said Arul.
  UniKL have let in 34 goals and only scored 17 in 11 matches, and they would need a herculean effort to stop Sapura from playing KLHC in the semi-finals.
  The other quarters is expected to go to the wire again as 2-1 seems to be their favourite score.
  Tenaga beat Maybank 2-1 in both the home-and-away league, while Maybank returned the 2-1 favour in the quarters.
  Maybank coach S. Velappan said: "After a poor outing in the league (one win one draw) we set ourselves to play in the semi-finals of the TNB Cup, and are 50 per cent assured. I predict another close game, but we should make the grade."
  And if Maybank achieve their target, they will play THT and it looks like their campaign will end there.
  KLHC and THT are strongly tipped to meet in the TNB Cup final on Sept 20.
  TODAY: Quarter-finals Second Leg -- Universiti Kuala Lumpur (0) v Sapura (3) (Bukit Jalil Pitch II, 6pm); Maybank (2) v Tenaga Nasional (1) (Bukit Jalil Pitch II, 8pm).
  Note: First Leg scores in parenthesis.

Sapura, Maybank lead...

TENAGA Nasional threw away the lead to go down 2-1 to Maybank in the TNB Cup First Leg quarter-finals at a haze enveloped National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil yesterday.
  In the other quarters, Sapura beat Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) 3-0 -- and it looks like the second leg is also going to be uphill for the University side.
  The API reading for Bukit Jalil was 276, when Azril Misron gave Tenaga a fifth minute lead off a field attempt.
  But inexperience was Tenaga's downfall, as they allowed Maybank into the match and goals from Hafifi Hafiz in the 46th, and India import B. Deepanshu in the 59th gave Maybank a slight edge going into the return leg.
  For the record, it was Deepanshu's first goal of the season.
  As for Sapura, Pakistan's Mumammad Imran starred in their show with fifth and seventh minute penalty corner goals, while the other goal was scored by Norsyafiq Sumantri (25th).
  Maybank coach S. Vellapan was elated with the knock-out win, after losing 2-1 twice to Tenaga in the League.
  "We went down twice in the League to Tenaga, and so I see this win as a good improvement and goin into the return leg, I believe my players will again perform and take us into the semis," said Vellapan.
  League champions Terengganu Hockey Team and runners-up Kuala Lumpur Hockey Team are seeded into the semi-finals in this six-team tournament.
  Tenaga coach Nor Saiful Zaini was peeved with his charges, as he felt that eventhough they are young, they should have improved after playing 10 matches in the MHL Premier Division.
  "First of all, I am not looking for excuses in this defeat. I'm simply not happy with the way my charges played, as after 10 matches in the League, the eight Project 2016 players should have showed improvement in the knock-out, but they were a let-down.
  "There Project boys were also not available to train with us as they had their own training programme leading to the Junior Asia Cup, and this, to a certain aspect, disrupted my preparations of the team.
  "They commuted between Tenaga and Project training and looked a little jaded and tired. However, having said that, Tenaga fully support the system, and understand that the Project boys had to attend training with their coach (Arul Selvaraj)," said Nor Saiful.
   RESULTS: Quarter-finals First Leg: Tenaga Nasional 1 Maybank 2; Sapura 3 Universiti Kuala Lumpur 0.
  TOMORROW: Quarter-finals Second Leg -- Universiti Kuala Lumpur v Sapura (Bukit Jalil Pitch II, 6pm); Maybank v Tenaga Nasional (Bukit Jalil Pitch II, 8pm).

Malaysia: 3-1 to 9-1 in 35 minutes

THE Malaysian women's junior team failed to qualify for the semi-finals of the Junior Asia Cup, but there was good news for their senior counterparts yesterday.
  On a day when the juniors fell 9-1 to India at the Wujin Stadium in Changzhou, China, the International Hockey Federation (FIH) awarded the Women's World League Round Two to Malaysia.
  The tournament will be held in 2017, and will serve as a qualifier for the 2018 World Cup.
  However, hosts Malaysia have yet to qualify for the World Cup, and the World League Round Two will be a difficult tournament.
  Yesterday, India were leading 3-0 but Malaysia's Wan Norfaiezah scored at the brink of half-time to inject some hope of an upset.
  But three quick goals from India upon restart killed any hope of playing in their first ever Junior Asia Cup semi-finals.
  Only three teams qualify for the Junior World Cup, and Malaysia will now play in the fifth-eight classification matches.

No clear favourites Friday

THE Malaysia Hockey League TNB Cup quarter-finals will start without favourites Friday, as all four teams are of the same standard.
  Premier Division League champions Terengganu Hockey Team and runners-up Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club are seeded into the semi-finals, leaving the other four to battle for two remaining slots.
  The first quarters will be between Tenaga Nasional and Maybank, followed by Sapura and Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL).
  In the two round league, Tenaga won both with 2-1 scores, while Sapura edged UniKL 2-1 and 3-2.
  Tenaga, title sponsors, are the only team to have field an all-local outfit.
   “We lost to TNB 2-1 in both home-and-away matches and on paper they certainly have the psychological edge over us,” said Maybank coach S. Vellapan.
   “But it only gives us additional strength to get over this and stake a claim in the quarterfinals. There are certain areas we are working on building especially our penalty corners strike rates,” he added.
  For the record, Tenaga beat Maybank 5-2 in last year’s TNB Cup third-placing play-off after both teams were tied 2-2 in regulation time.
  For Tenaga, who are bent on developing local talent, their goalmouth will be guarded by Malaysia's No 1 goalkeeper S. Kumar while the forward line will depend on national striker Shahril Saabah to deliver the goals.
  However, Shahril has only scored four goals in 10 matches, while Tenaga's penalty corner battery has been blunt.
  The six Project 2016 palyers who helped Tenaga finish fourth in the League are expected to play the leading role again.
  The six are Aminudin Zain, Amirol Aideed, Nik Aiman, Najib Abu Hassan, Firdaus Omar and Syed Syafiq.
  FRIDAY: Quarter-finals First Leg: Tenaga Nasional v Maybank (Bukit Jalil Pitch II, 6pm); Sapura v Universiti Kuala Lumpur (Bukit Jalil Pitch II, 8pm).
  SUNDAY: Quarter-finals Second Leg -- Universiti Kuala Lumpur v Sapura (Bukit Jalil Pitch II, 6pm); Maybank v Tenaga Nasional (Bukit Jalil Pitch II, 8pm).

China in semis, india vs malaysia decide nxt...

Malaysia beat North Korea 3-2

THE Malaysian women's hockey team beat North Korea 3-2 in the Junior Asia Cup at the Wujin Sadium in Changzhou, China, yesterday.
  The half time score stood at 1-1, with Nuraslinda Said scoring a field goal in the 29th minute. Fatin Shafika (59th) and another goal from Nuraslinda in the 65th minute sealed the three points.
  Malaysia now have six points, as they had beaten Singapore 2-0 earlier, but their hopes of playing in the semifinals are slim as their last opponents are India today.
   India had beaten Singapore 12-0 and North Korea 13-0.

Junior Asia Cup: China 4 Malaysia 0

THE Malaysian women's team went down 4-0 to China in the Junior Asia Cup at the Wujin National Hockey Stadium in Changzhou Monday.
  Playing in Group A, Malaysia's next opponents are North Korea on Wednesday, followed by India the next day. Three points are possible from North Korea, as China had beaten them 11-0.
  Malaysia had beaten Singapore 2-0 in their opening match.

Good rest for THT and KLHC

THE Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) TNB Cup quarter-finals balloting was done yesterday, with Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) and Terengganu Hockey Team (THT) receiving a 10-day rest.
  League champions THT and runners-up KLHC received a bye into the semi-finals, while third-paced Sapura drew UniKL in the last eight.
  The other quarter-finals will be between Tenaga Nasional and Maybank.
  The two-leg quarter-finals will be held on Sept 11 and 13, while the semi-finals, also two-legs, will be on Sept 15 and 17.
  All the matches will be held at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil, and telecast live.
  THT will either play Tenaga or Maybank in the semis, while KLHC await the winners of the Sapura-UniKL match.
  Sarjit Singh, who coached THT to their first double last season and is heading for another this season, said the standard of teams is almost the same and he has no preference in the semis.
  "Tenaga and Maybank gave us tough times in the League and so I have no preffered side to play against in the semis. Our mission is to win the double again, and that means beating any team that comes our way," said Sarjit.
  Going by form-book, it looks like THT and KLHC will meet again in the TNB Cup final. In the League encounters, KLHC won 6-2 but were beaten 5-4 in the return leg.
  THT are already big winners, over the RM70,000 which came with the title, the players and and officials also received a bonus of RM10,000 from the state government.
  And and Menteri Besar Datuk Ahmad Razif has already pledged to refurbish the Batu Buruk as well as the Gong Badak artificial pitches and spruce up the stadiums.
  There is more, THT will fly off to London then Amsterdam to play two friendly matches against club sides on Sept 29 -- a reward for becoming double champions last season.

Van Huizen the chosen one...

STEPHEN van Huizen was the chosen one when the Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) named the senior men's coach for the next two years.
  Assisted by Lim Chiow Chuan, both of them are tasked with whipping up a team which would hopefully take the country back into its glory days by qualifying for the 2018 India World Cup, and then the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
  Hand-picked by Technical director Terry Walsh and the MHC Coaching Committee chaired by Datuk Ow Soon Kooi, among the challenges the duo would face are changing the players mindset.
  "First of all I would like to thank the MHC (Malaysian Hockey Confederation) for selecting me as chief coach. I take the challenge, and among the areas that need to be improved to get back into the World Cup and Olympics is to change their mindset into winners," said Van Huizen who assisted Tai Beng Hai in the failed attempt to qualify for the Rio de Janeiro Olympics.
   Then, playing in Belgium, Malaysia had two chances to qualify for the Olympics but an inferior attitude saw them lose to India in the quarter-finals and then to Ireland in the fifth-sixth classification.
  For the juniors, Arul Selvaraj has been retained and he will be assisted by Amin Rahim and Jivan Mohan.
  The MHC will also include a clause in the coaches contract, which will no longer allow them to coach club sides in the Malaysia Hockey League as well as Junior Hockey League. Currently, Arul Selvaraj is coaching Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) in the MHL.
  Walsh, optimistic about his new appointments, said: "Don't expect overnight changes but gradually we will work towards qualifying for the World Cup and Olympics. It might take 12 to 19 months, and there might be changes in the player line-up as many from the present batch would not be able to sustain the pace until 2020."
  Coaching committee chairman Soon Kooi said Van Huizen was selected as he is the most successful coach to date.
  "Van Huizen took us to the last Olympics through the Osaka Olympic qualifier (sixth in 2000) and also he is the only coach who has won a silver medal for Malaysia in the Asian Games (2010 Guangzhou)," said Soon Kooi, who was a former Malaysian skipper.
  COACHING set-up: Men's senior: Coach -- Stephen van Huizen, Assistant: Lim Chiow Chuan; Juniors: Coach -- Arul Selvaraj, Assistants: Amin Rahim and Jiwa Mohan.
  Women's senior: Nasihin Nubli; Juniors: Lailin Abu Hassan.
  Development Director: Tai Beng Hai.

Junior Asia Cup: Avoid China drubbing...

THE MALAYSIAN women's team must brace themselves from a double digit humiliation when they face China in the Junior Asia Cup at the Wujin National Hockey Stadium in Changzhou Monday.
  China and India are the early favourites to qualify for the Junior World Cup as, three spots are on on offer in this tournament.
  And unfortunately, both the giants are in Group A with Malaysia. India opened their campaign by whipping North Korea 13-0, and Singapore 12-0 Sunday.
  Coach Lailin Abu Hassan is well aware that China would be an uphill battle.
  "The 2-0 win against Singapore (on Saturday), despite providing us valuable three points, left us in an extremely undesirable position as our captain, (Surizan Awang Noh) picked up an injury on her left knee.
  "There is a high chance that the skipper, along with Nurain Hidayah who pulled a hamstring muscle in the same match, will not be fielded for our match against China", said Lailin.
  Surizan was injured after she collided with a Singapore player whilst jostling for a loose ball.
  Against Singapore, Malaysia had 10 penalty corners but only managed to only convert two off direct hits.
   "We lacked ideas against a team that practically camped in their own semi-cirle. Our penalty corner conversion rate need to be much better against China, because we might not win as many as we did in the first game.
  "Also, there is an imperative need for midfield creativity. We will analyse our game, as well as the opponents and strive for a better performance against one of the region's hockey powerhouse," Lailin added.
  Group A: China, India, Malaysia, Singapore, North Korea.
  Group B: South Korea, Japan, Thailand, Taiwan.
  MONDAY: Malaysia v China; Wednesday: Malaysia v North Korea; Thursday: Malaysia v India.
  MALAYSIA HOCKEY LEAGUE -- RESULTS: Division One Group A: TNB Thunderbolts 4 MSN-THT 0, MSSP-YP-SSP 3 Masum-USM 5.
  Group B: Politeknik x UniKL Young Guns x, SSTMI 2 UiTM 3, Nur Insafi 1 ATM Airod 3.
  Women's Group A: The Cops x ATM Pernama x.

Junior Asia Cup: Malaysia beat Singapore 2-0

THE Malaysian women's hockey team got off to a good start in the Junior Asia Cup when they beat Singapore 2-0 in Changzhou, China, yesterday.
  Two goals in each half from Hanis Onn and Nurul Safiqah Isa, was enough for three points. The women next play China, and it will be uphill all the way.
  Yesterday India, who are also in Malaysia's group, hammered North Korea 13-0.
  Three teams from Changzhou qualify for the Junior World Cup.
  Group A: China, India, Malaysia, Singapore, North Korea.
  Group B: South Korea, Japan, Thailand, Taiwan.
  MONDAY: Malaysia v China; Wednesday: Malaysia v North Korea; Thursday: Malaysia v India.

Tenaga the Premier Division spark...

Faizal Saari top of the world after helping THT win the Premier Division title.

THE Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) Premier Division was again a two-horse race, as four other teams were left in the shadows early in the season.
  From the start till the end, 10 home-and-away matches each, Terengganu Hockey Team (THT) and Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) were the sprinters, while Sapura, Tenaga Nasional, Maybank and UniKL were left gasping for breath.
  The fact that third-placed Sapura were 10 points off champions THT paints the picture of the MHL.
  THT, with four Argentines and a Pakistani, outplayed KLHC 5-4 at their home turf at Batu Buruk -- witnessed by about 3,500 fans in a stadium which can only seat 2,000.
  KLHC, with six Pakistan players, were actually undone by Sapura, whom then drew 4-4 and 3-3 earlier.
  However, even in the shadows, there is a story to be told by title sponsors Tenaga Nasional.
  Tenaga were the only team who opted out of buying foreign players, not because they can't afford it, because they believed in developing youth.
  Six Project 2016 players powered Tenaga to finish fourth, with five wins and five narrow defeats.
  Comparatively, the bottom two teams Maybank and UniKL had foreign signings. UniKL also had 10 Project 2016 players, but they did not shine as bright as Tenaga's six Project boys.
  The Premier Division enters its knock-out stage, with THT and KLHC seeded and await the bottom four teams play in a home-and-away 'quarter-finals' on Sept 11 and 13.
  But its predictable that the TNB Cup will again be a toss between KLHC and THT.

PREMIER DIVISION
FINAL STANDINGS

                P       W       D       L       F       A       Pts

TERENGGANU HT 10 9 0 1 35 17 27
KLHC                        10 7 2 1 32 19 23
SAPURA               10 5 2 3 22 22 17
TENAGA              10 5 0 5 17 22 15
MAYBANK             10 1 1 8 17 28 4
UNIKL                     10 0 1 9 17 31 1


  RESULTS: Division One: Group A -- MBI x BJSS x; Women's Group B: MSN Kedah x KL Sukma x.
  TODAY: Division One Group A: TNB Thunderbolts v MSN-THT (SSTMI, 5pm), MSSP-YP-SSP v Masum-USM (Kuantan, 5pm).
  Group B: Politeknik v UniKL Young Guns (Taman Daya, 5pm), SSTMI v UiTM (SSTMI, 7pm), Nur Insafi v ATM Airod (Sungai Petani, 5pm).
  Women's Group A: The Cops v ATM Pernama (Pitch I, 7pm).

A great tribute to Satwant Singh...

THT keep title with 5-4 win

TERENGGANU Hockey Team (THT) had to bring out their best to defend their League title, when they edged Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) 5-4 at the Batu Buruk Stadium in Kuala Terengganu yesterday.
  THT lifted the title on 27 points, for a purse of RM70,000 while KLHC received RM50,000 and completed the League on 23 points.
  The THT star yesterday was national player Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin, who opened scoring in the fourth minute, and delivered the winner in the 60th minute.
  The other THT goals were scored by Fitri Saari (13th), Firhan Ashaari (32nd) and Faizal Saari (49th).
  KLHC took the lead off Nabil Fiqri in the fourth, and Razie Rahim (34th, 47th) and Noor Faeez Ibrahim (50th) made it 4-4 and even though a draw was enough for them to lift the litle, Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin made sure with a 60th minute goal.
  The stadium, with a capacity of 2,000, was packed to the brim with an estimated 3,500 fans who went wild with celebrations after their team defended their title.
  Coach Sarjit Singh was elated with the commitment of their players: "I was a super display from my players as they never gave up and took the fight to KLHC. The crowd also played a big part in our win, and I would like to thank them for their undying support."
  Menwhile Sapura finished third and pocketed RM40,000 when they edged Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) 3-2.
  Sapura ended with only a distant 17 points, but still managed to finish fifth in this two-horse league.
  For Sapura, Dangerous Lee (40th), Marhan Jalil (58th) and Muhammad Imran (60th) delivered the goals.
  Muhammad Sufi Ismat (11th) and Najmi Farizal (33rd) scored for UniKL.
  RESULTS: Premier Division (Round Two): UniKL 2 Sapura 3, Terengganu Hockey Team 5 Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club 4, Maybank 1 Tenaga 2.
  Division One: Group A -- MBI 2 TNB Thunderbolts 2, Masum-USM 3 MSN-THT 1.
  Group B: SSTMI 1 UniKL Young Guns 2, Nur Insafi 2 PKS-KPM 2.
  Women: Group A -- The Cops 0 Politeknik 1.
  SATURDAY: Division One: Group A -- MBI v BJSS (Azlan Shah, 5pm); Women's Group B: MSN Kedah v KL Sukma (Padang Serai, 5pm).
  SUNDAY: Division One Group A: TNB Thunderbolts v MSN-THT (SSTMI, 5pm), MSSP-YP-SSP v Masum-USM (Kuantan, 5pm).
  Group B: Politeknik v UniKL Young Guns (Taman Daya, 5pm), SSTMI v UiTM (SSTMI, 7pm), Nur Insafi v ATM Airod (Sungai Petani, 5pm).
  Women's Group A: The Cops v ATM Pernama (Pitch I, 7pm).
  NOTE: National Hockey Stadium Bukit Jalil, unless stated.

Women start Junior Asia Cup Saturday...

THE Malaysian women will start their Junior Asia Cup in in Changzhou,  China, today against neighbors Singapore.
  The tournament is a Junior World Cup qualifier, and three teams from this tournament will make the grade.
  However, Malaysia only have an outside chance as they are grouped with favourites China and India.
  Malaysia's best record in the Junior Asia Cup is only a fifth, and it will be uphill for coach Lailin Abu Hasan's charges to even make the semi-finals.
  Group A: China, India, Malaysia, Singapore, North Korea.
  Group B: South Korea, Japan, Thailand, Taiwan.
  TODAY: Malaysia v Singapore; Monday: Malaysia v China; Wednesday: 
Malaysia v North Korea; Thursday: Malaysia v India.

Coming together for all-rounder Satwant

PIC: Satwant Singh with former Pakistan team manager KM Junaid.

A GROUP of former hockey players will come together Saturday at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil for a fund-raiser as well as a coaching clinic.
  Coached by 1958 Asian Games and 1964 Tokyo Olympics mastero C. Paramalingam, the group of Asian Games, Olympic and World Cup players will 'take on' KL Under-14 boys at 8.30am.
  The event is to raise funds for former Yayasan Negri Sembilan  manager Satwant Singh, who is under the weather.
  Satwant, from Tampin Negeri Sembilan, was responsible for the glory days of YNS and took them to become Overall champions in 1995 and 1996, and League champions in the 1992-93 season and 1996.
  YNS in those days held the distinction of having the best players from India -- Pargat Singh, Jude Felix, Mukesh Kumar.
  Olympians Minarwan Nawawi and Maninderjit Singh as well as Drs Brian Jayhan Siva and Calvin Fernandez will be among the former stars to play against the Under-14 boys.
  Organising chairman I. Vickneswran said: "Most of the players are from the 1992 Junior Asia Cup squad which won silver and held the record for 20 years before Malaysia finally won gold in 2013 in Malacca.
  "This group then advanced to the 1993 Junior World Cup, and went on to play in the Olympics, World Cups and Asian Games. Satwant was instrumental in helping many of the players in one way or the other and we will be down Saturday in appreciation of his decades of dedication to hockey while holding numerous posts."
  The occasion will also celebrate Paramalingam's 50th wedding anniversary.
  Fans should not miss this opportunity to watch their former stars in action, after conducting a coaching clinic.
  Coach: C. Paramalingam; Assistant coaches: Abdul Malik Khiew and Khairuddin Zainal; Team Doctor: Datuk Dr Ramlan Aziz .
  Players: I. Vikneswaran, Dr Brian Jayhan Siva, M. Jayamaran, Lam Mun Fatt, Eugene Lee, Chairil Anwar, Lailin Abu Hassan, Nasihin Nubli, Sunil Prasad, Mirnawan Nawawi, M. Narayanaviswa, Atul Kumar, Raymond Yap, Jaafar Veloo, Perry Khoo, Maninderjit Singh, Aphthar Singh, Zamzam Ali, K. Dinakaran, Azhari Amir, Tarvinder Singh,  Sivadas Naidu, Suhairi Saidi, Dr Calvin Fernandez, Nasir Maidin,  Khalil Lau Kok Chim, Simon Matthew, Arul Selvaraj, M. Nadarajan, K. Vijayraj Kannaiah, N. Kunaraja Nagalingam, Edward Makender, Ong Toon Leong, Imran Saat, Meor Mahzian Musa, Azroy Majid, Sukhdev Singh, Mohamed Zalizan.

Batu Buruk: KLHC-THT title decider

 THT players and fans celebrate their Overall title last season

KLHC's Ali Shan (middle) on crock list...

DOUBLE champions Terengganu Hockey Team (THT) hold home-ground advantage as they go head-on against Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) to decide the Premier Division League champions Friday.
  The Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) cruncher will be played at the Batu Buruk Stadium in Kuala Terengganu, and the winner will receive RM70,000 while the fallen RM50,000.
  Very little separates both the teams, as THT lead by 24 points after nine matches, while KLHC have 23 points. THT only hold the advantage of having to draw the match to defend their title.
  In Round One, KLHC whipped THT 6-2 for the Charity Shield, but THT went on to win the remaining eight matches, while KLHC were held to two draws -- both times by Sapura (3-3 and 4-4).
  KLHC are happy with the new flood-lights, but keeping their fingers crossed that their Pakistan play-maker Ali Shan will be ready for today's match.
  "Ali Shan has been among our key players this season but he picked up an ankle injury last weekend. It is still painful, and everything is being done to get him match-ready. Hopefully he will be able to play in this title-decider," said KLHC coach K. Dharmaraj.
  Dharmaraj is also happy that the flood-lights have been repaired: "Last season when we played at Batu Buruk, the lighting was bad but it has been repaired and now even if there is a rain-delay, the match can be completed and the title presented to the winner."
  The coach and his players have placed the 6-2 victory on the back-burner.
  "That is history, tomorrow (today) I expect a very tough match, as THT will also have the crowd support to back their quest. if my players can minimise mistakes, I believe the title will tilt our way," said Dharmaraj.
  THT coach Sarjit Singh believed his side will be the under dogs, after being whipped in the Charity Shield.
  "The target in Round Two is to win all our home matches and we have achieved that. So, my players will treat this match as just another home fixture to win, and with less pressure on them, we will try and defend our title.
  The Batu Buruk Stadium has a capacity of 2,000 but Sarjit believes 1,000 more will occupy the standing space to cheer on the home side.
  FRIDAY: Premier Division (Round Two): UniKL v Sapura (6pm, Pitch II), Terengganu Hockey Team v Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (Batu Buruk, 8pm), Maybank v Tenaga (8pm, Pitch II).
  Division One: Group A -- MBI v TNB Thunderbolts (Azlan Shah, 7pm), Masum-USM v MSN-THT (KLHA, 5pm).
  Group B: SSTMI v UniKL Young Guns (SSTMI, 5pm), Nur Insafi v PKS-KPM (Sungai Petani, 5pm), Politeknik v UiTM (Taman Daya, 5pm).
  Women: Group A -- The Cops v Politeknik (5pm, Pitch I); Group B: Manjung v KL Sukma (Azlan Shah, 5pm).
  SATURDAY: Division One: Group A -- MBI v BJSS (Azlan Shah, 5pm); Women's Group B: MSN Kedah v KL Sukma (Padang Serai, 5pm).
  SUNDAY: Division One Group A: TNB Thunderbolts v MSN-THT (SSTMI, 5pm), MSSP-YP-SSP v Masum-USM (Kuantan, 5pm).
  Group B: Politeknik v UniKL Young Guns (Taman Daya, 5pm), SSTMI v UiTM (SSTMI, 7pm), Nur Insafi v ATM Airod (Sungai Petani, 5pm).
  Women's Group A: The Cops v ATM Pernama (Pitch I, 7pm).
  NOTE: National Hockey Stadium Bukit Jalil, unless stated.

Abusing umpires: Arul Selvaraj, Tai Beng Hai suspended...

THE Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) Technical Committee took a stern stand when they suspended two coaches, a team manager and a player for abusing umpires in the Premier Division on Sunday.

  In a meeting chaired by MHL tournament director Datuk G. Vijayanathan, Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) coach Arul Selvaraj received the heaviest punishment, when he was suspended for three matches, while his player S. Selvaraju was suspended for one match.

  Sapura coach Tai Beng Hai and team manager Louis Gregory were suspended for one match each.

  And there is no appealing this decision.

  "We take the matter of abusing umpires as a very serious offense, and all those who have been suspended have no avenue to appeal our decision," said Vijayanathan.

  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.

  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.

  Beng Hai, who lasgt coached the World League Semi-finals team in Belgium, was not available for comment.

  Arul Selvaraj, who is also the Project 2016 coach preparing his side for the Junior Asia Cup in November, was apologetic.

  "I regret my actions, even though it was in the heat of the moment, it should not have happened," said Arul.

  On Monday, the Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) are expected to name coaches for every level, and both Arul and Beng Hai are candidates who are expected to receive offers to coach either juniors, or become development coaches.