To a better hockey year for Malaysia...

Shamala: Lets re-organise development..

MALAYSIA have been relying on a 'rojak' system to develop hockey for the last three decades, but things are about to change after the third week of January.
  Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) development chairman S. Shamala (pic) will hold a workshop themed 'National Hockey Development Plan' which will finally encompass all the share holders to work towards one system with fixed goals.
  Shamala said the objective of the workshop is: "We have many development programs in the country which are being run independently with some success, however there needs to be more coordination between all these programs to ensure that we maximize our respective efforts as opposed to having many overlapping programs."
  She mentioned clubs like UniKL, Kelab Aman's Happy Hockey and development by Ipoh Lads which are now independent, and need to be coachd as well as strengthened to bring our better results.
  "Right now clubs, schools, 1Mas, sports schools and Thunderbolts programmes are being run around the country and many of them overlap each other and there need to be a more concerted effort to stream-line them.
  "There must be one system, one goal and no overlapping of development programmes," said Shamala.
  And with the National Sports Institute (NSI), National Sports Council (NSC), Education Ministry and MHC speaking at the workshop, Shamala's committee will compile the data and feedback to formulate a National Hockey Development Plan.
  "After each agency (stakeholder) present their complete structure, we will analyse them to derive a complete documentation on a development program. Upon the completion of these two steps, we will derive the National Hockey Development Plan."
  The Development at All Tiers will be presented by Technical Director Terry Walsh.
  The now defunct Malaysian Hockey Federation (MHF) had held a similar workshop and came out with many plans after the 1998 Commonwealth Games, but there was no implementation and monitoring done and it remained as paperwork collecting dust in somebody's cabinet.
  But Shamala is re-igniting the fire, and hopefully there will be follow ups and the National Hockey Development Plan will see Malaysia in a better position a decade from today.

Sabah make JHL return

THIRTY teams registered for the Junior Hockey League, with Sabah making a come-back, when entries closed yesterday.
  last season also saw 30 teams in two divisions, with SSTMI Thunderbolts nailing their fourth straight double and are expected to be the dominating team in Division One again.
  The JHL is expected to start on Jan 15, and it will remain as an under-19 affair even though calls were made to turn it into an under-21 league.
  "We received 30 entries and its a positive sign which shows there is still massive interest among schools and clubs for the 21st edition," said Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) CEO K. Logan Raj.
  But there were no foreign entries even though Asian and Asean countries were invited.
  "No, we did not receive any foreign entries and only Sabah are from across the ocean," said Logan.
  On the proposed girls JHL: "We are in the midst of preparing for that and most likely we will be calling for entries before the end of January," said Logan.
  Women's hockey is set to receive a big boost next year as the Competitions Committee are looking to revive the RNA Cup and introduce two more for the ladies.
  "We plan to hold the RNA Cup next year (same as the men's Razak Cup) and also invite states to organise two more women's tournaments on the same line as the men's Azlan Shah Cup and the boys' Sultan of Johor Cup," said competitions committee chairman George Koshy.
  Koshy also plans to re-introduce the Tun Hussein Onn Cup, last held in 1986, with foreign clubs invited. The Trophy is believed to be in a cabinet in New Delhi.

Magnificent 7 can't handle clubs

On the recently named coaching set-up, MHC clarified that only the top coaches can't handle clubs from next year onwards, while the other coaches named by the MHC on Saturday can still coach in the JHL and MHL.
  To avoid conflict of interest, the MHC have barred seven coaches who have been appointed for top level coaching to handle clubs while the rest can still be hired by JHL and MHL clubs.
  The seven are Tai Beng Hai, Stephen van Huizen, Lim Chiow Chuan, Wallace Tan, K. Dharmaraj, K. Gobinathan, Lailin Abu Hassan.

JHL 2016 : Foreign entries and girls tournament

THE Junior Hockey League (JHL) entries close Monday, and the Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) are keeping their fingers crossed for foreign entries to make their debut.
  MHC sent out JHL invitations to Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Japan and South Korea to make the league much more competitive and a bigger crowd puller.
  Even if one country takes up the offer, it would be a new milestone for the JHL which was incepted in 1995.
  And while the Under-19 boys have been enjoying their moment under the spotlight for 20 years, the girls will finally get a chance to compete in their own JHL.
  MHC are ready to host the girls JHL next year.
  "We have invited neighbouring countries to play in the JHL and hopefully some of them reply in the positive. This move is to make the junior tournament more competitive and also bring back the crowd to stadiums," said MHC competitions committee chairman George Koshy.
  Koshy, who is also the MHC deputy president, said after the boys entries close they they will call for the girls entries.
  "We will call for the girls JHL entry soon, and even though we do not expect many teams to compete in the first season, its a start in the right direction to develop women," said Koshy.
  The men are ranked 13th in the world while women are a close 20th.
  "we have yet to decide on the JHL format because we need to wait for entries to close and see if any foreign teams register. If there are foreign teams, we need to have a different format so that it is not too long and taxing," said George.

MHC prepare to bounce back...

THE Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) are on full throttle to make amends on two major disappointments, by formulating a comprehensive programme to take Malaysia back into the international arena.
  Missing out on the Olympics and Junior World Cup by a hair's margin, the MHC is ready to rise from ashes by naming a flurry of coaches to helm the men's and women's as well as development coaches.
  "We have placed the disappointments of sitting out of the Rio de Janeiro Olympics and the Junior World Cup at the back of our minds and will be looking forward positively to make sure we are not in the same boat again," said MHC president Datuk Seri Subahan Kamal.
  The list of coaches were drawn out by the Coaching Committee chaired by Datuk Ow Soon Kooi, and endorsed by the MHC Executive Board yesterday.
  The senior team will be helmed by Stephen van Huizen, while the notable changes were K. Dharmaraj named as women's coach while Arul Selvaraj will assist Wallace Tan in the development side.
  "Financially we have almost met our target of erasing our RM2.9 million debt (from eight months ago) to RM500,000 and hopefully in the next few months we will settle that amount as well.
  "And with our new development blueprint, I am confident that Malaysia will be back in the world cups (junior and senior) and 2020 Olympics.
  "I had said that I will resign as MHC president if Malaysia does not qualify for the 2020 Olympics, but after looking at the development print, I am confident I will not have to call it a day," said Subahan.
  The 'easiest' path to the Olympics would be to win gold at the Asian Games: "That would be our target from today, as even Technical Director Terry Walsh is confident we have the players to play in the Asian Games final, and hopefully lay our hands on the gold."
  Former national goalkeepers Nasihin Nubli, Roslan Jamaluddin and M. Nadarajan also have specific duties lined up.
  "The goalkeeping department was one of the reasons we failed at the World League Semi-finals and Junior Asia Cup and I believe with a concerted effort from our goalkeeping staff, we will be able to have a bigger pool soon to rectify that department," said Subahan.
  Malaysia lost 3-2 to India after leading 2-1 in the World League quarter-finals and missed out on the Olympics, while in the Junior Asia Cup quarter-finals, Malaysia were leading South Korea 3-1 but lost wind in the last three minutes to be held 3-3 and then lose 4-1 in the shoot-out.
  Coaching chairman Soon Kooi said coaches reports on both the tournaments attributed the defeats to players not being of sound tactical minds to hold the ball and play in a wider area of the field after taking a lead. This area will, again, be emphasised by the present batch of coaches.
  COACHING STAFF: Men -- Senior: Chief Coach: Stephen van Huizen; Assistant: Lim Chiow Chuan; Goalkeeper Coach Overall: Nasihin Nubli; Attachment: Madzli Ikmar.
  Development Squad: Chief Coach: Wallace Tan; Assistant: Arul Selvaraj; Attachment: Amin Rahim.
  Project 2020: Manager: Nor Saiful Zaini; Attachment: Mohamed Sufian.
  1Mas: Chief Coach: S. Velappan; Assistants: Nor Harmezi Omar, Shahzan Amir.
  Junior Goalkeeper Development Coach: M. Nadarajan.
  Women: Chief Coach: K. Dharmaraj; Assistants: Lailin Abu Hassan, A. Kannagi; Goalkeepers Coach: Roslan Jamaluddin.
  Development Squad: Chief Coach: K. Gobinathan; Assistant: Leo Vincey; Attachment: Nor Saliza Ahmad.
  Project 2020: Manager: Lailin Abu Hassan; Attachment: Catherine Lambok.
  1Mas: Chief Coach: Yahya Atan; Assistant: Nuriza Sulaiman.

New MHC Coaching Set-up

  MHC COACHING STAFF: Men -- Senior: Chief Coach: Stephen van Huizen; Assistant: Lim Chiow Chuan; Goalkeeper Coach Overall: Nasihin Nubli; Attachment: Madzli Ikmar.
  Development Squad: Chief Coach: Wallace Tan; Ass: Arul Selvaraj; Attachment: Amin Rahim.
  Project 2020: Manager: Nor Saiful Zaini; Attachment: Mohamed Sufian.
  1Mas: Chief Coach: S. Velappan; Assistants: Nor Harmezi Omar, Shahzan Amir.
  Junior Goalkeeper Development Coach: M. Nadarajan.
  Women: Chief Coach: K. Dharmaraj; Assistants: Lailin Abu Hassan, A. Kannagi; Goalkeepers Coach: Roslan Jamaluddin.
  Development Squad: Chief Coach: K. Gobinathan; Assistant: Leo Vincey; Attachment: Nor Saliza Ahmad.
  Project 2020: Manager: Lailin Abu Hassab; Attachment: Catherine Lambok.
  1Mas: Chief Coach: Yahya Atan; Assistant: Nuriza Sulaiman.

Faizal and Syamim banned six months

PIC: Faizal (right) and Syamim.

THE Disciplinary Board only gave a stern warning to Faizal Shaari and Syamim Yusof for not attending national training with valid reasons, but the Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) Executive board were hell-bent on sending out a message to laggards.
  The MHC EB, which met yesterday, immediately endorsed a code of conduct which bars players referred to the DB for six months from national training.
  "I was taken aback by the DB's decision to only hand a stern warning to Faizal and Syamin for skipping national training since October. The EB was of the same opinion and endorsed a proposal to ban players who are referred to the DB for six months.
  "With this, the players code of conduct will see both the players out of national training for six months. We also took into consideration feed back from coaches Stephen van Huizen and Technical Director Terry Walsh that both the players will not be able to come back into the training squad at this juncture, because the other trainees are far ahead in their fitness training," said MHC president Datuk Seri Subahan Kamal.
  Faizal and Syamin failed to answer national training call-up and will not be considered for the Azlan Shah Cup in April, but can still play with their clubs.
  The MHC DB is chaired by Assistant Commissioner Datuk Adnan Abdullah, and its members are Datuk Arthur Edmonds, Datuk G. Vijayanathan and former national players Awtar Singh Grewal and R. Shanker.
  Even though the senior and junior national teams do not have any major FIH international assignments next year, they will be playing in the Azlan Shah Cup, the Sultan of Johor Cup and the Asian Champions Trophy which Malaysia have placed a bid to host at the end of 2016.

Olak-PKT offers complete package

OLD La Sallians Association of Klang (Olak)-PKT Tigers have attracted 10 players from Sabah for their Junior Hockey League selections on Dec 21 in Kuala Kumpur.
  Even though Olak finished eight out of nine teams in in Division One of the JHL last season, their benefits are took good to turn away.
  "We have had many enquiries from around Malaysia to play for Olak, including 10 players who will arrive from Saban for the trials. I have seen five of them before and invited them for the trials, but the other five are footing their own bill to attend trials," said Olak team manager Joseph de Silva.
  Among the benefits of turning up for the club, which has been around since the JHL was incepted in 1995, are allownaces, scholarships and job opportunities.
  "Our sponsors, PKT Logistics have offices located in Klang, Penang, Sungai Petani and Kuantan and can provide employment to players who need it. We also offer scholarships to study as we care for our players future well being," said De Silva.
  Olak were in deep cash problems a few years back, but the club was saved when PKT Logistics chief executive officer (CEO) Datuk Michael Tio came in with the cash.
  The Olak one day trials will be held at the Kuala Lumpur Hockey Stadium on Dec 21 from 5pm-8pm to select players for the Under-19 league.
  The JHL is slated to start at the end of January, with team registrations closing on Monday.
  However, even though the new season is just around the corner, the Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) have yet to give out the RM3,000 subsidy per team promised before the start of last season.
  "Yes, teams have yet to receive the RM3,000 promised subsidy from last season but I was told that we will receive it when we send in our entries on Monday," said De Silva.
  For details, contact Joseph (019-6491927) or D. Pandian (016-9960421).

Razak Cup: Malacca the new champions

MALACCA dethroned Perak 1-0 to become the new Razak Cup Division One champions with a single strike from Dedy Ariyadi at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil yesterday.
  It was only Malacca's third Razak Cup title in 53 Editions, as they last won in 2005 and then 2009. Perak were back-to-back champions in 2013 and 2014.
  "It was a super effort from my players and credit is due to the entire team for playing with sheer determination and grit. This is a historic moment as the Razak Cup has always eluded our grips," said Malacca coach S. Velappan.
  Perak were all over Malacca in the first two quarters but national juniors goalkeeper Ridzwan Azmi kept them in the game with some super saves.
  And on the other half, goalkeeper Roslan Jamaluddin was hardly tested, but a 30th minute deflection from Dedy Ariyadi gave Malacca the much needed lead.
  It was Malacca's first shot at goal in 30 minutes of play.  
  Perak never gave up and kept attacking, and in the 39th minute goalkeeper Ridzwan was yellow carded for a bad tackle and replaced with second goalkeeper Hanafi Hassan.
  Malacca then held onto the one-goal lead with sheer grit, and and walked away as the new champions.
  The Division One bronze medal match went to shoot-out, after Johor and Kuala Lumpur ended 2-2 at regulation time.
   Syamim Yusof (3rd) and Harvinder Singh (58th) scored for KL, while Syafiq Zain (28th) and Faiz Helmi Jali (56th) scored for Johor.
  In the shoot-out KL won 3-2 and pocketed RM7,000 while Johor received RM5,000.
  In Division Two, Police lifted the title when they beat Selangor 6-2. The win came with RM5,000 as well as a first time promotion to Division one next year. From Division One, eighth placed team Penang will be relegated to Division Two.
  Baljit Singh Sarjab almost single handedley won the title for Police as he scored three goals yesterday to being his overall total to 17 goals.
  RESULTS: Division One: Final -- Perak 0 Malacca 1; Third-Fourth: Kuala Lumpur 2 Johor 2 (KL win shoot-out 3-2).
  Division Two: Final: Police 6 Selangor 2.
  ROLL of HONOUR: Division One: Man-of-the-match: B. Namasivayam (Malacca); Best Goalkeeper: Hairi Abdul Rahman (Johor); Best Player: Dedy Ariyadi (Malacca); Top Scorer: Faizal Shaari (Terengganu, 15 goals).
  Division Two: Man-of-the-match: Azreen Rizal (Police); Best Goalkeeper: Zaid Ibrahim (Police); Best Player: Nabil Fitri (Police); Top Scorer: Baljit Singh Sarjab (Police, 17 goals).
  Final placing: Division One: 1 Malacca (RM10,000), 2 Perak (RM7,000), 3 Kuala Lumpur (RM5,000), 4 Johor, 5 Pahang, 6 Negri Sembilan, 7 Terengganu, 8 Penang.
  Division Two: 1 Police (RM5,000), 2 Selangor (RM3,000), 3 Kelantan (RM2,000).

Razak Cup: Perak v Malacca final

PERAK edged Kuala Lumpur 3-2 in the Division One Semi-finals of the 53rd Razak Cup for a shot at their third consecutive title.

  Back-to-back winners in 2013 and 2014, Perak will meet Malacca in the final at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil today.

  Malacca beat Johor 4-3 in the other semi-finals with goals from Amirullah Zainol (24th, 38th), Hafoz Selema (32nd), Firdaus Omar (39th). The Johor goals were scored by Zulhamizan Awang in the third minute, Nor Aqmal Gaffar in the 55th and Azammi Adabi (57th).

  Perak took a 3-0 lead off Haziq Samsul (third), Hafifi Hafiz (19th) and Azlan Misron (26th) before Kuala Lumpur woke up from their slumber.

   Syamim Yusof (29th) and  Ramadhan Rosli (54th) tried to claw back for KL, but the clock ran out on them.

  Perak coach K.Yogeswaran is now looking forward to clinching their hat-trick of titles.

  "It could have been an easier game for us after taking a 3-0 lead but we lost our grip in the fourth quarter and made it difficult.

  "Now that we have a chance to win our third consecutive title, I believe my players would not want to throw away this golden opportunity," said Yogeswaran.

  Yogeswaran said his only concern is his charges end game.

  "We can't afford to play like we did in the fourth quarter today (yesterday) and that's the department I will tighten up before we enter the pitch for our final game."

  In Division Two, Police will meet Selangor in the final today and it is expected to go to the wire. Yesterday, Police hammered Sarawak 8-2 to end their campaign on 16 points after five wins and a draw.

  Selangor hammered Perlis 6-1 and finished second in the pool with 15 points from five wins and one defeat.

  Head-to-head in the pool, Police beat Selangor 3-2. The only blemish on the Police record was a 2-2 draw against Armed Forces.

  Policeman Baljit Singh Sarjab, a former national player, top-scored in Division Two with 14 goals to date and will be the man to watch in the finals.

  RESULTS: Division One Semi-finals: Perak 3 Kuala Lumpur 2, Johor 3 Malacca 4.

  Fifth-Sixth: Negri Sembilan 3 Pahang 7; Seventh-Eighth: Terengganu 7 Penang 3.

  Division Two: Kedah 2 Kelantan 5, Perlis 1 Selangor 6, Police 8 Sarawak 2.

  TODAY: Division One: Final -- Perak v Malacca (Pitch II, 8.30pm); Third-Fourth: Kuala Lumpur v Johor (Pitch II, 5.45pm).

  Division Two: Final: Police v Selangor (Pitch I, 5pm).

  Note: All matches at the National Hockey

Ow Soon Kooi: Wait for EB to endorse

THE Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) coaching committee met Saturday, and have decided on the futuree of coaches at all levels to be endorsed by the Executive Board on Dec 19.
  MHC vice-president and coaching chairman Datuk Ow Soon Kooi said they can't reveal the names until the EB endorses their proposals.
  "To be fair to all the coaches that we have named for positions in the men's, women's, boys and girls national team will not be revealed today (yesterday) because its only right that we wait for the EB to endorse first.
  "In case the EB has its own candidate and reject our proposal(s) it would be painful for some," said Soon Kooi, who was a former national skipper.
  Currently, Stephen van Huizen is the national seniors coach, while Arul Selvaraj coached the juniors in the Junior Asia Cup, where the goalkeeping department was a big let-down.
  "Knowing well that we don't have a good pool of goalkeepers, which is a very vital department, we have named three coaches to train them at the senior, women's and development teams," said Soon Kooi.
  The coaching committee also came up with various suggestions to register and train more coaches at all levels, and there will be a systematic approach to develop this section.
  "We are looking for all our suggestions to be in place by Jan 1, so that we can start as early as possible to develop the coaching sector systematically," said Soon Kooi.

Razak Cup: Malacca youth in smashing form

MALACCA relied on youth power to smash their way into the Razak Cup semi-finals, and coach S. Velappan believes Johor can be tamed in the semi-finals Saturday.
  The other semi-finals will be between defending champions Perak and 19-time champions Kuala Lumpur.
  "We have eight Malaysia Games players in this squad and they played their hearts out to reach the semi-finals against all-odds.
  "I believe my players will not disappoint against Johor as we aim to better our fourth position achieved last year," said Velappan.
  Playing in Group A, Malacca were the surprise package as they hammered Penang 6-3, beat highly touted Terengganu 5-4 and only lost 2-1 to champions Perak.
  "The matches against Perak and Terengganu showed my players fighting spirit and that is what we need to play in the final of the Razak Cup," said Velappan.
  Johor are no pushovers as they held KL 4-4, beat silver medallists Pahang 4-3 and they beat a gritty Negri Sembilan 3-2.
  "It will be a match between youth, as Johor also have many young players who are fast on the attack. This year's Division One Razak Cup matches have been close affairs, and I believe both the semi-finals will also be won by narrow margins," predicted Velappan.
  In Division Two, Polce are assured of a spot in the final, as they play whipping side Sarawak in their last fixtures today. Police lead the standings on 13 points after four wins and a draw. Second placed Selangor, on 12 points, play Perlis today and a win will see them meet Police in the final on Sunday.
  Police player Baljit Singh Sarjab is the top-scorer in Division Two with 10 penalty corner goals.
  RESULTS: Division One: Fifth-Eighth: Terengganu x Negri x, Penang 4 Pahang 5.
  Division Two: Kedah 7 Sarawak 1, Perlis 1 Armed Forces 3, Kelantan 1 Selangor 7.
  SATURDAY: Division One Semi-finals: Perak v Kuala Lumpur (Pitch II, 5.45pm), Johor v Malacca (Pitch II, 8.30pm).
  Division Two: Kedah v Kelantan (Pitch I, 7.30am), Perlis v Selangor (Pitch II, 7.30am), Police v Sarawak (9.30am).
   Note: All matches at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil.

Razak Cup: Perak check into semis

DEFENDING champions Perak checked into the Division One semi-finals of the 53rd Razak Cup when they beat Terengganu 4-2 at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil Thursday.

  Perak will play Kuala Lumpur in the last four, while the other semi-finals will be between Johor and Malacca.

  Malacca ended second in Group A when they hammered Penang 6-3, while Johor topped Group B and KL were second. Both had seven points, but Johor topped with a better goal difference. 

  The Silver State coach K.Yogeswaran was elated with the victory, as now they have a chance of defending their title for the third consecutive year.

  "This was the initial target, to win all Group A matches and enter the semis on a confident note. It was not easy againt Terengganu as they had a pool of quality players but we managed to stop their attacks.

  "We are looking foward to the semis, and hopefully continue our run in the knock-out stage as well," said Yogeswaran.

  Azril Misron was instrumental in beating Terengganu as he scord two goals in the 20th and 36th minutes. The other Perak goals were scored by Fitri Ismail (7th) and Ashran Hamsani (27th).

  Meanwhile, the Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) coaching committee will hold a meeting on Saturday to decide on the future and placements of the seniors and juniors men's and women's coaches.

  And on 12 Dec, the MHC Disciplinary Board will meet to decide on the fate of national player Faizal Shaari who went AWOL from training with no concrete excuse. Faizal is currently playing for Terengganu in the Razak Cup.

  RESULTS: Division One: Group A: Malacca 6 Penang 3, Perak 4 Terengganu 2; Group B: Pahang 3 Kuala Lumpur 4, Negri 2 Johor 3.

  FRIDAY: Division One: Fifth-Eighth: Terengganu v Negri (Pitch I, 6pm), Penang v Pahang (Pitch II, 6pm).

  Division Two: Kedah v Sarawak (Pitch I, 7.30am), Perlis v Armed Forces (Pitch II, 7.30am), Kelantan v Selangor (Pitch I, 9.30am).

  SATURDAY: Division One Semi-finals: Perak v Kuala Lumpur (Pitch II, 5.45pm), Johor v Malacca (Pitch II, 8.30pm).

   Note: All matches at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil.

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