Negri Under-16 on fire

NEGRI Sembilan were in super form to hammer
Penang 7-2 in Group B of the National Under-16
tournament in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.
This was their second high-scoring win, as they
beat Singapore 5-1 on Friday and are now among
the favourites to progress to the knock-our stage.
Negri have deadly goal-scorer in Ikhwan Ishak to
thank, as he scored a hattrick against Penang, to
add to his four goals against Singapore.
Negri opened accounts in the third minute off
Ikwan but two strikes in the fifth and 10th minutes
by Izaidi Ismail and Faridzul Izwan respectively gave
Penang a 2-1 lead.
However, Negri levelled the score when Norhafizi
Aris struck in the 15th minute.
Penang keeper Rafiuddin Dahari kept the Negri
forwards at bay with a string of saves, but he was
soundly beaten when Shabariq Shamsuri scored in
the 48th minute.
And Negri scored at will in the last ten minutes,
off Fakhrul Razi Kunyapu (60th), Ikwan (62nd, 64th)
and Norhafizi (69th).
Kelantan were also impressive in their 4-0
demolition of Terengganu in Group B with skipper
Aminuddin Zain scoring a brace in the 35th and 59th
minutes.
Safami Sayuti (46th) and Zikrillah Alias (55th)
were also on target as Kelantan also notched up
their second successive win, having beaten Perlis
3-1 on Friday.

STANDINGS
GROUP A
P W D L F A Pts
SELANGOR 2 2 0 0 7 2 6
K LUMPUR 1 1 0 0 5 0 3
MALACCA 1 1 0 0 4 1 3
JOHOR 2 0 2 0 3 3 2
PAHANG 2 0 1 1 3 6 1
POLICE 2 0 1 1 2 6 1
SABAH 2 0 0 2 1 7 0


GROUP B
P W D L F A Pts
N SEMBILAN 2 2 0 0 12 3 6
PERAK 2 2 0 0 12 3 6
KELANTAN 2 2 0 0 7 1 6
KEDAH 2 1 1 0 6 2 4
PENANG 2 0 1 1 4 9 1
TERENGGANU 2 0 0 2 3 9 0
PERLIS 2 0 0 2 1 7 0
SINGAPORE 2 0 0 2 1 12 0

RESULTS: Group A -- Selangor 5 Police 1, Johor 2
Pahang 2, Kuala Lumpur 5 Sabah 0.
Group B -- Negri Sembilan 7 Penang 2, Kedah 4
Perlis 0, Kelantan 4 Terengganu 0, Perak 7
Singapore 0.
TODAY: Group A: Selangor v Pahang (7.30am),
Johor v Malacca (Ministry of Education, 8.30pm),
Kuala Lumpur v Police (9am).
Group B: Singapore v Terengganu (15.30pm), Perak
v Penang (5pm), Negri Sembilan v Perlis (6.30pm),
Kedah v Kelantan (8pm).

KLHC sweat for slim advantage

LEAGUE champions Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) almost paid the price for a scrappy start when they could only beat Yayasan Negri Sembilan (YNS) 2-1 in the first leg semi-final of the TNB Cup at the Tun Razak Stadium yesterday.
In the other semi-finals, Charity Shield holders Tenaga Nasional drew 2-2 with Sapura in a highly charged match.
KLHC, who had beaten YNS 6-3 and 7-2 in the League, were a jaded side in the semi-finals, and only started playing after Waqas Sharif, a Pakistan import, scored in the 14th minute.
YNS could have increased the lead a few minutes later when Deepak Thakur and Waqas had only KLHC goalkeeper Khairulnizam Ibrahim to beat, but they failed to click and the ball rolled out tamely.
Former national player Ismail Abu saved the blushes for KLHC when he levelled the score off a field attempt in the 27th minute, and then scored the winner in the 43rd minute.
However, a one-goal cushion is no advantage to KLHC, when both the teams square off again in the return leg on Sunday.
YNS played without former India international Prabhjot Singh, who returned home as his wife is due to deliver a baby, and he is not expected to return for the second leg as well.
"I won't call it a slow start, just that we made too many mistakes in midfield and almost paid the price.
"YNS have shown that they are capable of raising their game, and a one-goal cushion is not enough, but still, we are in the lead," said KLHC coach K. Dharmaraj.
YNS coach Hasnizam Ah Sim said they are still in the running, but should have sealed the match yesterday.
"It was a good start, but a bad finish as my players were eager to score the equaliser in the last 10 minutes of the match and almost let in the third goal.
"However, we still have a fighting chance to play in the final," said Hasnizam.
Meanwhile, Tenaga took their chances well, while Sapura missed numerous sitters in a highly entertaining match.
Faizal Saari got his chance, after national No 1 penalty corner flicker Amin Rahim was sidelined by injury, to hand Tenaga a well deserved lead off a penalty corner attempt in the 13th minute.
Sapura practically camped in Tenaga's circle after that, but brilliant saves from goalkeeper S. Kumar denied them the equaliser.
And in the 54th minute, Faiz Helmi nailed the second goal for Tenaga, but Azreen Rizal pulled one back in the 64th minute for Sapura.
And in the 67th minute, Rodhanizam Radzi scored off a penalty corner rebound to level the score at 2-2, and Tenaga will have to bring out another super show to deny Sapura a spot in the final in the return leg tomorrow.
RESULTS -- Semi-finals (first leg): Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club 2 Yayasan Negri Sembilan 1, Sapura 2 Tenaga Nasional 2.
TOMORROW: Tenaga Nasional v Sapura (Tun Razak Stadium, 6pm), Yayasan Negri Sembilan v Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (Tun Razak Stadium, 8pm).

Selangor edge Sabah 2-1

SELANGOR fought back from a goal down to beat
Sabah 2-1 in the curtain raiser of the National Under
16 Championship at the Kuala Lumpur Hockey
Stadium yesterday.
Sabah shocked Selangor with a goal in the 5th
minute off Muhammad Harditireio, who converted a
penalty corner, to take the lead.
But Selangor stayed focussed and drew level in
the 19th minute through Jazli Haziq Jamalul. And
seven minutes later Selangor sealed the match
when Jazli slammed in his second goal.
Malacca also got off to a winning start when they
beat Pahang 4-1 in an exciting encounter.
Malacca took the lead in the 16th minute when
Luqman Nurhakim Saiful converted a penalty
corner. But Pahang drew level in the 31st minute
through Aidel Syaffiq Abdul Azam.
Malacca took their chances well at penalty
corners to go 2-1 up in the 55th minute when
Aizuddin Roslan scored. They went 3-1 ahead in the
61st minute when Abdul Aziz Aris converted another
penalty corner.
And Firdaus Omar sealed the match by converting
another penalty corner in the 70th minute.
RESULTS: Group A -- Johor 1 Police 1, Selangor 2
Sabah 1, Pahang 1 Malacca 4.
Group B: Perak 5 Terengganu 3, Negri Sembilan 5
Singapore 1, Kedah 2 Penang 2, Kelantan 3 Perlis 1.
TODAY: Group A -- Selangor v Police (5pm), Johor
v Pahang (6.30pm), Kuala Lumpur v Sabah (8pm).
Group B -- Negri Sembilan v Penang (8.30am),
Kedah v Perlis (Ministry of Education, 10am),
Kelantan v Terengganu (9am), Perak v Singapore
(3.30pm).

Malaysia vs Mercenaries

KUALA Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) will battle three continents when they face Yayasan Negri Sembilan (YNS) in the first leg semi-final of the TNB Cup at the Tun Razak Stadium today.

The other semi-final will see ‘diesel engine’ Sapura take on and TNB Cup holders Tenaga Nasional.

KLHC, with seven national players, former internationals and national juniors, will face three Pakistanis and five Indian players as well as one a Bangladeshi.

“It does feel like Malaysia playing against a combination of India and Pakistan, but I am confident that we will win and enter the final,” said KLHC skipper Azlan Misron.

Azlan, who had skippered the national team before, was among the those who helped Malaysian finish second in the Asian Games.

His confidence stems from the fact that KLHC beat YNS with comfortable 6-3 and 7-2 scores margins in the League.

“We know their style of play, and it should not be a problem for us to start with a win in the first leg, and then consolidate our position in the return leg,” said Azlan.

However, the match is not expected to be as lopsided as in the League, as YNS have all but one of their foreign players for the semis.

“We did not have a full side in the League as many of our foreign signings went back to play in their domestic tournaments regularly, and as we suffered as a consequence.

“However, with the exception of Prabhjot (Singh), we will have the full squad and if India and Pakistan can click like they did in the quarter-finals, we have a 50-50 chance,” said YNS coach Hasnizam Ah Sim.

The Pakistanis are penalty corner specialist Mohamed Imran, Shakeel Abbasi and Mohamed Waqas Sharif. The five Indian players in YNS are Deepak Thakur, Probhjot Singh, Vivek Gupta, S. Aravind and goalkeeper Tarun Thammanah. The Bangladeshi is Mosuir Rahman Biplop.

As for Sapura, TNB coach Nor Saiful Zaini said: “They are like a diesel engine, as they struggled at the start, but are in full steam right now. They are a dangerous side, and we will have to give our best to deny them a spot in the final.”

Sapura skipper S. Kuhan said their main concern will would be Tenaga goalkeeper S. Kumar.

“For me, Kumar is the best goalkeeper in the world and TNB are built around him and his stout defenders Amin (Rahim), Baljit Singh and Madzli Ikmar.

“I expect Kumar to make our life difficult in both legs, but we have our own plans on how to overcome that because we have three penalty corner flickers who have been scoring regularly in the League,” said Kuhan.

A thin line separates teams in the semi-finals, and the first leg results might not be enough to claim a ticket to the final.

Trouble or smoke screen?

(From left) TNB’s Mohd Sallehin Abd Ghani, KLHC’s Azlan Misron, YNS’s Mohd Harfizi Baharom and Sapura’s S. Kuhan will will play key roles for their respective teams in tomorrow’s first leg semi-finals . — Picture by Fariz Iswadi Ismail

By Ajitpal Singh

YAYASAN Negri Sembilan (YNS) and Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) will both miss key players for tomorrow's first leg semi-finals of the Malaysian Hockey League (MHL).
Prabjoth Singh may not be available for YNS' crucial first leg match against Premier Division champions Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) as the former international has returned to India.
As for TNB, last year's champions may have to do without penalty corner specialist Amin Rahim and former international Tajol Rosli, as both are nursing knee injuries.
It could be a huge blow to TNB as they will be facing a motivated Sapura side, led by Pakistan's Rehan Butt.
YNS manager-cum-coach Hasnizam Ah Sim, who confirmed that Prabjoth is in India, said the striker will likely arrive in time for tomorrow's semi-final.
"We need our best players for the semi-finals as our opponents, KLHC, are the team to beat in the competition," said Hasnizam at TNB headquarters in Bangsar yesterday.
"Our players have blended well together as an effective unit. We intend to give KLHC a tough time."
KLHC coach K. Dharmaraj said his charges need to be cautious as YNS have depth and experience in their side.
"They rely on individual talent to win matches while we count on team work to get results.
"YNS have experienced players as their foreign signings have played in the World Cup and Olympic Games," he said.
Dharmaraj pointed at Shakeel Abbasi, Mohamed Imran, Muhammad Waqas Sharif, Dheepak Thakur and Prabjoth as the most dangerous players in the YNS side.
"We noticed that YNS' play is built around these five players. They are the core players who we must keep an eye on," he added.
Meanwhile, TNB coach Nor Saiful Zaini said Amin and Tajol were both doubtful for tomorrow's first leg match.
"Sapura have been making good progress since the start of the competition and it will be tough for us without our two key players," said Nor Saiful.
Sapura captain S. Kuhan said he and his teammates are focused on getting a good result today.
"The probable absence of Amin and Tajol will not make a big difference as TNB have other good players like goalkeeper S. Kumar, who is difficult to beat on his day.
"Besides Kumar, they have Faizal Saari and M. Kaliswaran, who both are very sharp up front," said Kuhan.