KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian veterans' 55+ team finally hit a brick wall when they were beaten 6-2 by the Netherlands in the quarter-finals of the Masters Hockey World Cup in Terrassa, Spain.
Netherlands took a 5-0 lead by the 36th minute before Raymond Tio scored off a penalty corner. But the Dutch scored their sixth, before Raymond made it 6-2.
In the other quarter-finals, England beat the United States 7-0, Germany and Australia drew 1-1 but Germany won 3-2 on shoot-out, Spain and Italy drew 1-1 but Italy won 2-0 on shoot-out.
Malaysian skipper Sarjit Singh said: "Even though we lost in the knock-out, it was still a wonderful tournament for us because we did target to at least make the quarters in this edition."
Friday, August 3, 2018
Dharmaraj dares to dream..
August 3, 2018 @ 7:53pm
KUALA LUMPUR: National women's hockey coach K. Dharmaraj has taken up the Malaysian Hockey Confederation's (MHC) challenge for a podium finish at the Jakarta Asian Games.
"If I had been asked to deliver a medal in the last Asian Games, I would have said its not possible because we were not ready yet back in 2014.
"But after three years with the team, and watching them grow in confidence during the five friendlies in Australia, I can now say that we are ready to take up the challenge of a podium finish," said Dharmaraj.
In Brisbane, Dharmaraj's girls started with 1-1 and 2-2 draws before winning 3-1, 2-1 and 3-2.
"In all my years with the girls' team, they have no been consistent, meaning there was never a time that they did not have one or two bad days in a tournament or friendlies.
"But in Brisbane, where we played with the Australian League champions minus five of their national players who are competing in the London World Cup, my players grew in confidence after each match.
"Now I can say they are ready for the Games, and we will go for a podium finish.
"I will now adapt the same policy with these girls which I held when coaching the men's national juniors team.
"People never gave us a chance at the beginning but we won gold at the Sultan of Johor Cup and Junior Asia Cup and then fourth in the Junior World Cup.
The women will be travelling to Jakarta on Category B, where they must win a medal to be reimbursed.
In the last Games, Malaysia ended fifth.
For the record, the only medal ever won by Malaysian women at the Asian Games was a bronze in New Delhi 1982 when there were no playoffs as it was a round-robin tournament.
It's not a holiday, warns Selvaraju...
By Naqib Nor Said
naqib@nstp.com.my
KUALA LUMPUR: Former national player S. Selvaraju warned the four women's hockey players heading to play in Germany and Italy not to take it as a holiday, but pave the way for others to follow suit.
Selvaraju was the middleman who secured playing contracts for
Nuraini Rashid and Fatin Syafika Sukri with Butterfly Roma in Italy while Hanis Nadiah Onn and Wan Norfaiezah Saiuti will play with German club Wespen Zehlendorfer.
For the first time, Malaysian women will not be going overseas on National Sports Council paid-attachments, but fully paid by clubs for their services.
Selvaraju, who has played with 13 overseas clubs to date, said: "Malaysia has many talented players in the men's and women's teams but they find it difficult to play overseas because of language, food and different playing styles becoming main barriers.
"But these clubs were are to give our women a chance, and take my word, because I have successfully done the same with our men before.
Three more coach K. Dharmaraj's players -- Raja Norsharina Shabuddin, Surizan Awang Noh and Nuraslinda Said -- are on the waiting list because the Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) is still in discussion with Uddingston HC in Glasgow, Scotland.
Meanwhile, Wespen Zehlendorfer's team manager said: "We are newcomers in Division One and so, I believe it was a smart move by us to have two of Malaysia's top players with us for two months.
"It will also have a good impact on our relationship with the Malaysian HC as earlier we have fielded men's national palayers in our club (Baljit Singh Charun, Harvinder Singh, S. Selvaraju and Shazrul Imran Nazli).
Butterfly Roma are also newcomers in Italy's Division One and will be coached by Argentine Sergio Herrera this season.
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