Thursday, June 25, 2015
Beat Ireland or start packing...
THREE-TIME Olympian Nor Saiful Zaini was shivering on the stands while watching Britain and Ireland play in the World League Semifinals in Antwerp, Belgium.
The match ended in a 2-2 draw, and Nor Saiful made a chilling observation: "It not going to be easy against Ireland, they have a hard-running side which attacks from every part of the field and they just keep coming at you, no matter what."
And his assessment: "Don't get into the trap of playing their style of hockey, its the only way for Malaysia to beat the Irish."
In layman's term, Malaysia must play their own style -- which is attacking without fear like they did in the World League Round Two in Singapore where they grabbed the gold by beating Poland 8-0 in the final.
Today is reckoning day for Malaysia as a win against Ireland will place them in good footing to challenge for an Olympics spot, but if they lose, the door will be half shut.
Rest assured, as an experienced player and now assistant coach to Tai Beng Hai, Nor Saiful would have parted his observation to the Malaysian players.
Malaysia, who beat China 31st ranked China 3-2, were guilty of defending after taking a 2-0 lead and that was exactly what Britain did wrong against Ireland.
After grabbing an easy looking 2-0 lead the British slowed down, and in came a charging Irish squad to level the score and steal a point even though they are ranked 14th and Britain fifth.
Beng Hai was more prepared as he knows the Irish style well: "That's what they are good at. They just keep coming and coming in waves no matter what. Its a very stubborn team and we can't take it easy even for a minute until the final hooter is blown."
Ireland goalkeeper David Harte 6' 5", and a giant added by padding, played in the last match against Malaysia -- where they lost 2-4.
"I was there in Kuantan (Champions Challege) and it was 2-2 until the last 10 minutes and a Malaysian blitz saw us loose the bronze.
"This is an experienced Malaysian side, but now, both teams are fighting for an Olympic berth, and it not going to be east for both sides."
The giant Harte, covering half the goalmouth when arms a stretched, will be tough to beat with direct penalty corner flicks. And this is where Beng Hai must use the many set-pieces to get the goals.
Harte knows our No 1 flicker Razie Rahim very well , as he was also there to deny Malaysia a berth in the final of the Dublin Olympic Qualifier. Then, Malaysia drew 1-1 with Ireland in the semi-finals, and the Irish in turn were beaten by a nine-second from regulation goal by South Korea in the final for the sole London Olympic ticket.
The French connection
By Jugjet Singh
COLUMN
THE French women's hockey team are not Olympic contenders in Belgium, but their determination to play hockey is a story by itself.
They were one of the teams, including Malaysia, who received an invitation to replace Azerbaijan who disappeared in transit in Turkey.
And while Malaysia, Belarus and Chile turned it down due to distance and logistics -- the French women packed their bags in haste, put on a thin layer of make-up and dashed from their base in Lille to arrive in Antwerp still looking fresh and pretty in one hour and 30 minutes.
That was the easiest part of their journey to play the game they love most, but have yet to master.
Upon arrival, the French were mauled 11-0 by the Netherlands, and the very next day, they were hit 6-1 by Japan.
This scribe then met their coach Steven Colledge, an Australian, by chance and after a few drinks he opened up.
Colledge then told of how much they had to sacrifice when the International Hockey Federation (FIH) offered them the Azerbaijan slot.
First, they were lucky because three quarter of the team are based in Lille, which is just a short drive from Antwerp, and all the coach needed to do was make a few calls and the ladies were at his doorstep.
But they were not ready to face the Netherlands and went crashing. And after the Dutch match, six of the French ladies packed a smaller bag and rushed back to Lille, to sit for examinations, and go to work.
They six rushed back just in time for the the Japan match, after which it was off to Lille again for school and work.
They had a two day break where only about 10 players stayed back to train, while the rest did their schools and work run commute.
Colledge lamented that while women's hockey is not big in France, his ladies have a big heart and took the missing Azerbaijan opportunity without hesitating because opportunities to play against the higher ranked teams are rare for them.
Malaysia were just too far away to take up the FIH offer, but if they had scrambled the Sea Games team and asked the FIH to push back some of their matches, the experience would have been invaluable as Malaysia did play in the World League Round Two -- to try and enter the WL Semifinals but failed.
The French boys were not as fortunate though.
France beat Malaysia on penalty strokes in the semi-finals of the Junior World Cup in New Delhi, but the silver medallists will not be in next year's edition in New Delhi again.
The reason -- they were relegated to the second rung of the European Championships and will not get a chance to compete in the Junior World Cup qualifier which is only for teams in the first rung of the European Championships.
For Malaysian Juniors, four slots will be made available for New Delhi in the Junior Asia Cup in Kuantan in November -- and for sure coach Arul Selvaraj's boys will be among the semi-finalists together with India, Pakistan and South Korea/Japan.
A missed opportunity for the Malaysian women, but invaluable experience for the French ladies.
COLUMN
THE French women's hockey team are not Olympic contenders in Belgium, but their determination to play hockey is a story by itself.
They were one of the teams, including Malaysia, who received an invitation to replace Azerbaijan who disappeared in transit in Turkey.
And while Malaysia, Belarus and Chile turned it down due to distance and logistics -- the French women packed their bags in haste, put on a thin layer of make-up and dashed from their base in Lille to arrive in Antwerp still looking fresh and pretty in one hour and 30 minutes.
That was the easiest part of their journey to play the game they love most, but have yet to master.
Upon arrival, the French were mauled 11-0 by the Netherlands, and the very next day, they were hit 6-1 by Japan.
This scribe then met their coach Steven Colledge, an Australian, by chance and after a few drinks he opened up.
Colledge then told of how much they had to sacrifice when the International Hockey Federation (FIH) offered them the Azerbaijan slot.
First, they were lucky because three quarter of the team are based in Lille, which is just a short drive from Antwerp, and all the coach needed to do was make a few calls and the ladies were at his doorstep.
But they were not ready to face the Netherlands and went crashing. And after the Dutch match, six of the French ladies packed a smaller bag and rushed back to Lille, to sit for examinations, and go to work.
They six rushed back just in time for the the Japan match, after which it was off to Lille again for school and work.
They had a two day break where only about 10 players stayed back to train, while the rest did their schools and work run commute.
Colledge lamented that while women's hockey is not big in France, his ladies have a big heart and took the missing Azerbaijan opportunity without hesitating because opportunities to play against the higher ranked teams are rare for them.
Malaysia were just too far away to take up the FIH offer, but if they had scrambled the Sea Games team and asked the FIH to push back some of their matches, the experience would have been invaluable as Malaysia did play in the World League Round Two -- to try and enter the WL Semifinals but failed.
The French boys were not as fortunate though.
France beat Malaysia on penalty strokes in the semi-finals of the Junior World Cup in New Delhi, but the silver medallists will not be in next year's edition in New Delhi again.
The reason -- they were relegated to the second rung of the European Championships and will not get a chance to compete in the Junior World Cup qualifier which is only for teams in the first rung of the European Championships.
For Malaysian Juniors, four slots will be made available for New Delhi in the Junior Asia Cup in Kuantan in November -- and for sure coach Arul Selvaraj's boys will be among the semi-finalists together with India, Pakistan and South Korea/Japan.
A missed opportunity for the Malaysian women, but invaluable experience for the French ladies.
Wednesday, June 24, 2015
Ireland get the better of Ye Ol England..
IRELAND tore the formbook apart when they held world no 5 Britain to a 2-2 draw in Group B of the World League Semi-finals in Antwerp, Belgium yesterday.
The Green Machine, ranked 14th, came back from two goals down to hold Britain. It was the first match of the tournament for Ireland, while Britain were also held to a 2-2 draw by Belgium in an earlier match.
Malaysia play Ireland next on Thursday (25th), and it looks like touch-and-go game, as the Irish have a mix of young and experience on their side.
Ireland coach Craig Fulton was glad with the draw, but is looking forward to a better outing in the next match against Malaysia.
"Yes, we did have a good game today (yesterday) and could have pulled off a win if not for hitting the post three times. However, we are now looking forward to our next match against Malaysia and its not about the opponents, but how well we imporve ourselves and cut down the mistakes," said Fulton.
Fultom was also the coach when Malaysia beat Ireland 4-2 for the Champions Challenge bronze in Kuantan last year.
"The score was 2-2 and the last 10 minutes we lost the script and crashed. But that was a different tournament, and even though Malaysia have an experienced team which has consistently played in many tournaments, we need to play our game and winning every match here is what we need to do after this draw," said Fulton.
Britain coach Bobby Crutchley was naturally disappointed: "Ireland did not play to their ranking (14th) and with two draws in this tournament, we need to play much better from now on."
The Green Machine, ranked 14th, came back from two goals down to hold Britain. It was the first match of the tournament for Ireland, while Britain were also held to a 2-2 draw by Belgium in an earlier match.
Malaysia play Ireland next on Thursday (25th), and it looks like touch-and-go game, as the Irish have a mix of young and experience on their side.
Ireland coach Craig Fulton was glad with the draw, but is looking forward to a better outing in the next match against Malaysia.
"Yes, we did have a good game today (yesterday) and could have pulled off a win if not for hitting the post three times. However, we are now looking forward to our next match against Malaysia and its not about the opponents, but how well we imporve ourselves and cut down the mistakes," said Fulton.
Fultom was also the coach when Malaysia beat Ireland 4-2 for the Champions Challenge bronze in Kuantan last year.
"The score was 2-2 and the last 10 minutes we lost the script and crashed. But that was a different tournament, and even though Malaysia have an experienced team which has consistently played in many tournaments, we need to play our game and winning every match here is what we need to do after this draw," said Fulton.
Britain coach Bobby Crutchley was naturally disappointed: "Ireland did not play to their ranking (14th) and with two draws in this tournament, we need to play much better from now on."
Looking for an Irish cheer!
MALAYSIA last played Ireland in the Champions Challenge in Kuantan last year, and the hosts snapped up the bronze medal with a convincing 4-2 score.
But the Irish did deny Malaysia a spot in the London Olympics, when they held us to a 1-1 draw at the Dublin Qualifier on St Patrick's day.
This scribe was there to watch both the matches, one played during a massive parade in chilly Dublin, the other played under sunny conditions and sea breeze in Kuantan.
In Dublin, Ireland went on to play in the final against South Korea, and the Asian giants beat them to the Olympics.
Malaysia play Ireland on the 25th, 8pm, and the only route for coach Tai Beng Hai and his men is a win or it will be bust all the way in the next two matches.
Ireland, ranked 14th, are two rungs below Malaysia: "Rankings do not matter in this tournament as every team is chasing for a spot in the Olympics and playing on a different level than what they are capable of normally," said Malaysian coach Beng Hai.
China were a classic example, as even though ranked 31st and 19 below Malaysia they played gallantly and only lost 2-3.
The matches here have been close, as even Pakistan could only beat Poland 2-1, while India scraped past France 3-2.
Belgium and Britain played to a 2-2 draw, while the only match that went to rankings was when Australia thrashed France 10-0.
On Monday, the Malaysian team were given a free day, and they went around in groups sightseeing and shopping in Antwerp to rest their edge nerves, as their next match was only three days away.
Yesterday, there was some light training and tomorrow will be another rest day for Malaysia before the Ireland do-or-die.
But the Irish did deny Malaysia a spot in the London Olympics, when they held us to a 1-1 draw at the Dublin Qualifier on St Patrick's day.
This scribe was there to watch both the matches, one played during a massive parade in chilly Dublin, the other played under sunny conditions and sea breeze in Kuantan.
In Dublin, Ireland went on to play in the final against South Korea, and the Asian giants beat them to the Olympics.
Malaysia play Ireland on the 25th, 8pm, and the only route for coach Tai Beng Hai and his men is a win or it will be bust all the way in the next two matches.
Ireland, ranked 14th, are two rungs below Malaysia: "Rankings do not matter in this tournament as every team is chasing for a spot in the Olympics and playing on a different level than what they are capable of normally," said Malaysian coach Beng Hai.
China were a classic example, as even though ranked 31st and 19 below Malaysia they played gallantly and only lost 2-3.
The matches here have been close, as even Pakistan could only beat Poland 2-1, while India scraped past France 3-2.
Belgium and Britain played to a 2-2 draw, while the only match that went to rankings was when Australia thrashed France 10-0.
On Monday, the Malaysian team were given a free day, and they went around in groups sightseeing and shopping in Antwerp to rest their edge nerves, as their next match was only three days away.
Yesterday, there was some light training and tomorrow will be another rest day for Malaysia before the Ireland do-or-die.
Sarjit saw the power in Zidane..
TENGKU Ahmad Tajuddin @zidane is a pint sized player who almost did not make the national team because he is also bowlegged.
Back in 2004, a national selector stood by this scribe and said: "Its a pity that Tengku Ahmad will never make the national squad, because not only is he physically small-framed, but also bowlegged. This would be a big disadvantage when he plays bigger European players."
We were then watching Tengku Ahmad running circles around his team-mates in a selection friendly for the 2005 Rotterdam Junior World Cup. His nick-name Zidane was cemented after the friendly, as he showed speed and agility like the Algerian/French soccer star.
Luckily, the coach then, Sarjit Singh, saw differently from the said scout and named Zidane, from Perlis, into the training squad and he not only impressed in Rotterdam, but went on to play for Malaysia consistently and has more than 200 caps.
He has scored many important goals and made many deft passes for Malaysia in the Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, World Cup, and many other tournaments around the globe.
At 29, he is at the threshold of his career and two matches away from playing in the Olympics -- 2016 in Rio de Janeiro.
Playing a feeders role now, Zidane's deft passes helped Malaysia beat China 3-2 and he is now looking forward to the challenge of his life-time -- Ireland.
"It feels like this is the moment that I have been waiting for all my life. When we came here we were drilled that its only three matches to the Olympics, and we have won one.
"Beating Ireland is a must if we want to play in the Olympics and there is no other option. It will not be easy, but we are ready to give our very best.
"Ireland will be the real test on our true strength, before we take on bigger giants Belgium and Britain," said Zidane.
If Malaysia beats Ireland, Britain and Belgium will no longer matter. What will matter is the third match -- in the quarter-finals -- as a win here will cement Malaysia's spot in the Olympics.
Three matches, one down, two more to go.
Back in 2004, a national selector stood by this scribe and said: "Its a pity that Tengku Ahmad will never make the national squad, because not only is he physically small-framed, but also bowlegged. This would be a big disadvantage when he plays bigger European players."
We were then watching Tengku Ahmad running circles around his team-mates in a selection friendly for the 2005 Rotterdam Junior World Cup. His nick-name Zidane was cemented after the friendly, as he showed speed and agility like the Algerian/French soccer star.
Luckily, the coach then, Sarjit Singh, saw differently from the said scout and named Zidane, from Perlis, into the training squad and he not only impressed in Rotterdam, but went on to play for Malaysia consistently and has more than 200 caps.
He has scored many important goals and made many deft passes for Malaysia in the Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, World Cup, and many other tournaments around the globe.
At 29, he is at the threshold of his career and two matches away from playing in the Olympics -- 2016 in Rio de Janeiro.
Playing a feeders role now, Zidane's deft passes helped Malaysia beat China 3-2 and he is now looking forward to the challenge of his life-time -- Ireland.
"It feels like this is the moment that I have been waiting for all my life. When we came here we were drilled that its only three matches to the Olympics, and we have won one.
"Beating Ireland is a must if we want to play in the Olympics and there is no other option. It will not be easy, but we are ready to give our very best.
"Ireland will be the real test on our true strength, before we take on bigger giants Belgium and Britain," said Zidane.
If Malaysia beats Ireland, Britain and Belgium will no longer matter. What will matter is the third match -- in the quarter-finals -- as a win here will cement Malaysia's spot in the Olympics.
Three matches, one down, two more to go.
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