Thursday, September 6, 2018

UniKL-Pistoia HC embrace new collaboration...

KUALA LUMPUR: University Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) reached a milestone with Pistoia Hockey Club of Italy in a simple meeting in Kuala Lumpur Monday.
  Both the clubs will work together in player exchange, recruitment, development and also coaching aspects.
  UniKL President and CEO Datuk Dr Mazliham Su'ud met with Pistoia HC's Technical Director Train Filippo as well as players Giordano Daniele and Masi Alessio to cement the collaboration.
  "Pistoia has agreed to use the UniKL logo on their playing jersies as well as their new stadium, and we will also help each other on many aspects to promote the sport at both countries," said Mazliham.
  This will be the fourth season that UniKL will be collaborating with Pistoia HC, thanks to former national player S. Selvaraju.
  Selvaraju, 33, will return to Pistoia HC for the fourth consecutive year and this time he will have a double role as coach-player.
  "This arrangements is to enhance UniKL's visibility at the international level as well as to provide a platform for aspiring athletes to develop and expose their talent at the highest level without neglecting their studies," said Mazliham.
  UniKL, the only hockey club in the country with their own stadium, plan to do exceptionally well in 2019 after 10 years venturing into hockey.
  "UniKL hockey were inspired and launched by Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah in 2009 and since its establishement we have won many junior level titles as well as provided many players for the junior as well as senior national teams.
  "The copletion of the stadium is a new chapter in our story, as besides using it as our home base for MHL (Malaysia Hockey League), we intend to hold age-group coaching clinics, a structured developemnt programme for our students and also hold leagues for clubs, schools, universities and comunities located around Bangi, Nilai Serdang, Seri Kembangan, Kajang and Putrajaya," said Mazliham.
  Pistoia HC's Technical Director Train Filippo said: "This visit is to strengthen our ties as international clubs which can help each other to become stronger."
  Pistoia play in Division Two and have more than a 100 players of all-levels as their members.

Malaysia to miss six for SOJC

KUALA LUMPUR: The Eight Edition of Sultan of Johor Cup will miss the services of six players who will be in Buenos Aires for the Youth Olympics.
  The SOJC, at the Taman Daya Hockey Stadium on Oct 6-13, clashes with the Youth Olympics which will be held on Oct 6-18.
  Defending champions Great Britain, Australia, India, New Zealand, Japan and Malaysia will battle in the only invitational junior tournament in the world, with the hosts setting a modest fourth target for themselves.
  Coached by Olympian Nor Saiful Zaini, the team will start their final phase of training on Sept 25 and move to train at Taman Daya on Oct 1.
  “We currently have 20 players in training and we have held one-week training camps for a total of six times since June this year,” said Nur Saiful.
  “I expect India, Australia and Great Britain to be the front runners for the title but we intend to make it tough for them event hough we have to make do without six players who will be representing the country at the Youth Olympics."
  Yesterday (Monday) a sponsorship ceremony was held to present a total of RM2.15 million raised for the tournament.
  “We are thankful that sponsors have generously stepped forward to help the organisational cost of this tournament,” said organising secretary Datuk Manjit Majid Abdullah who is also the vice president of Malaysian Hockey Confederation,
  Those who presented their contributions for the SOJC are; Johor State Government (RM500,000),  RITZ Corporation Holding Berhad (RM500,000),  Astaka Padu Sdn Bhd (RM200,000),  WM Era (RM200,000), Johor Corporation (RM100,000), JBB Builders (M) Sdn Bhd (RM100,000), UM Land ( RM100,000), Tenaga Nasional Berhad (RM100,000), 
SAJ Holdings Sdn Bhd (RM50,000), KH Land Sdn Bhd (RM50,000), The Zon (RM50,000), Iskandar Waterfront Holding Berhad (RM50,000),  Genting Berhad (RM50,000) and Berjaya Times Square (RM30,000).
  Sports Depot will provide apparel for match officials as well as special awards for Man-of-the-Match for all 18 matches.