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.
