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By By BRENDON EGANSTICK TO IT: The Samoan men's hockey team get some practise in at Turnbull Thomson Park ahead of the Oceania Cup tournament in Invercargill, starting on Tuesday.ROBYN EDIE When New Zealand hockey players turn up for an international match, they usually have four or five sticks in their gear bag.
That luxury does not exist for the Samoan national hockey team, though.
Samoa arrived for their first practice on the Turnbull Thomson Park turf in Invercargill earlier this week with most players not even owning their own stick. They will be all good to go for next week's Oceania Cup tournament in the city, however, with the Oceania Hockey Federation supplying several sticks and some also being donated from the recent Champions Trophy tournament in Australia.
Oceania Hockey development manager Gill Gemming, who is with the team for the tournament, said it was the first time many players in the side had used a stick the correct size.
"It's something New Zealand players take for granted," Gemming said.
"They turned up and were sharing them around ... The sticks they have been using are designed for kids. They were only up to their thighs. It has been an issue. It's probably the first time they've held the right size stick in their hand until now."
The Samoans have also had clothing provided by Hockey New Zealand and Hockey Australia for the tournament.
Samoa will be on a hiding to nothing at next week's tournament. The women's side has not competed in the Oceania Cup for 25 years, while the men have never played in a Pacific Cup, let alone an Oceania Cup.
On Wednesday, the men's and women's sides played Gore High School in their first ever match on a water-based turf at the Turnbull Thomson Park facilities. The enormity of their challenge next week was highlighted with the women losing 4-0 to Gore High and the men drawing their match 2-2.
Some detractors will argue that losing by a cricket score to New Zealand and Australia will not do the Samoans any good, but Gemming disagreed.
"They are aware they are underdogs. They're learning from every match they play here. It is always a difficulty if you get taken to the cleaners, but the support network around them is very good...
"At the last Oceania Cup, PNG (Papua New Guinea) were in a similar position. Samoa has had a few more build games. The Samoan men are fitter and more athletic. They're really looking forward to their first game."
The Samoan sides will be using the Oceania Cup as a leadup to the Pacific Cup tournament in Fiji in December. Gemming said gaining experience against Australia and New Zealand who are both ranked in the top 10 in the world would be invaluable for the Samoan players.
At home, Samoan hockey is taking steps to take hockey into schools and they also plan to possibly field under-19 sides at Pacific tournaments in the future. Gemming believed this would help the game in Samoa.
"Samoa have a very proactive administration. They've done a lot in the last 12 months with getting youth started. It will be a base to build on ... With time they will hopefully build up a base of players, so they have a wider group to call on."
She hoped that Fiji and Papua New Guinea would compete at the next Oceania Cup in 2011 to allow the smaller nations in the Pacific to test themselves against each other and also gain valuable top-level exposure against Australia and New Zealand.
EIGHTEEN-YEAR-OLD Faizal Shaari is a strong bet to don national colours when Malaysia play in the World Cup Qualifiers at the end of the year.
The Junior World Cup player, who scored eight goals in Johor Baru, has proven to be an asset in the senior ranks as well after he scored against Australia and New Zealand in the recent friendlies.
Team manager George Koshy feels he is almost ready to play among the big boys: “Faizal scored a few goals in the Australia and New Zealand series, and now he is in con tention to represent Malaysia in the qualifier.” But first, he will be tested again when Malaysia head to China for friendly against the hosts and Australia A from Sept 28- Aug 8.
“We have arranged for six friendlies against the Australia A and China sides at the end of September, and if Faizal still keeps his form, he will be given a chance in the Qualifier,” said George.
The International Hoc key Federation (FIH) have yet to confirm teams for the three qualifiers which will be held in New Zealand, Argentina and France.
“We will only know who we will be playing against, and the venue after the European championships and also the Oceania Cup.
“As such, we need to prepare by playing various teams and be ready to make an attempt to qualify for the New Delhi World Cup next year.”
Teams who have already qualified for the World Cup are hosts India, Pan American champions Canada, Asia Cup winners South Korea and Africa Cup champions South Africa.
The other qualifiers will come from the winner of the Oceania Cup, and semi-finalists of the EuroHockey Nations Championship.
The final vacancies will be filled up by gold medallists in the three Qualifiers which Malaysia will be playing in.
THE 47th edition of the Razak Cup would have been a total flop, if not for the excitement provided by the Project 2013 boys.
The fact that under-18 boys went all the way to the final in Division One, should be a good indicator for the Malaysian Hockey Federation (MHF) to gauge development among their affiliates.
The Razak Cup is the second oldest hockey tournament, behind the Gurdwara Cup which was held for the 58th uninterrupted time recently, but states showed total dis respect to it by fielding players who were older than the tournament itself.
Kuala Lumpur, the 2008 champions, also relied on many players who should have given way to younger legs, and their folly saw then finishing third.
A check on the team lists showed that there were 41 players who were in the range of 30-40 years old, and three players in the 40-50 age group.
And it is needless to say that states which relied on players who should be playing in veterans’ tournaments found out that former greats are no longer so great.
“When I used to play in the Razak Cup, it was The chance for a player to break into the national team and we had to give our best in every match because selectors were watching.
“Right after the prize presentation, the names of those who have been selected for national training was read out, and that was how important a development ground it was,” said a former national player who declined to be named.
That is why it would be worthless to write about the action in Division Two, and Division One would also have been a wasted exercise is not for the five 16-year-olds, seven 17- year-olds and six 18-year-olds in the Project squad.
“Before the tournament started, I thought that even if my boys win two matches it would be an achievement. But they went all the way to the final, and this is a good indication that we have selected promising players to be trained for the 2013 Junior World Cup,” said Project coach K. Dharmaraj.
And the most important lesson for the MHF to learn from mistakes made in the last decade is to discard the full-time training which has failed to produce any results.
Lets learn from the semi-finalists of the recent Junior World Cup Germany, Netherlands, Australia and New Zealand. Their players were nurtured via playing in domestic tournaments rather than keeping them for long periods in national camps.
The Razak Cup failed to unearth any new talent, but it certainly showed that the MHF did at least one thing right -- they allowed the Project to play in Division One.
And it could just be the silver lining for Malaysia to perform better in the next junior world cup.
MALACCA played in patches, but it was good enough to beat Project 2013 2-1 in the Division One final of the 47th Razak Cup.
The title came with a bonus of RM10,000, while the Project boys pocketed RM7,000.
In the bronze play-off, which came with a RM5,000 purse, Kuala Lumpur
beat Johor 6-3.
It was a well balanced first half, as the score stood at 1-1, but a lone strike in the second half by the more experienced Malacca side was
enough to hand the Project boys their first defeat of the tournament.
"My players put up a good show, but the lack of experience clearly showed today, especially when executing penalty corners," said Project
coach K. Dharmaraj.
Malacca shocked the Project boys when Ahmad Anuar Sham was on target off a penalty corner attempt in the sixth minute, but the boys rallied back to level the score.
Faheed Saifullah's 14th minute field held into the half time, but a 47th minute penalty corner attempt by Amirullah Zainal was worth RM10,000.
"We did just enough to keep afloat, and I salute my players for being able to play seven matches in eight days and still manage to keep a blistering pace in the final," said Malacca coach K. Balakrishnan.
On the Project squad: "I see potential in these boys, as even though they are still very young, the maturity level is impressive," said Balakrishnan.
Meanwhile, in the Division Two final, Armed Forces beat Singapore 3-0 to lift the title which came with RM5,000. Zulkifli Abdullah scored in the 23rd minute, Ahmad Riduan made it 2-0 in the 39th minute and Forces
skipper cemented their win with a 69th minute strike.
Singapore collected RM3,000, while bronze mesdallists Selangor received RM2,000.
RESULTS -- Division One: Final -- Project 2013 1 Malacca 2; Third-Fourth: Kuala Lumpur 6 Johor 3.
Division Two: Final -- Armed Forces 3 Singapore 0; Third-Fourth: Selangor 7 Kedah 1.
ROLL-OF-HONOUR: Division One -- Best Player: Noor Faeez Ibrahim (Project); Best Player in the Final: ainal (Mal); Best Goalkeeper: Hanafi Hassan (Mal); Top Scorer: Nor Hafiq Ghaffar (Joh, seven goals); Fairplay: Johor.
Division Two: Best Player: Harjeet Singh (Sing); Best Player in the Final: Azman Hassan (Forces); Best Goalkeeper: Saiful Azhar (Sel); Top Scorer: Noor Mohamed Othman (Forces, 11 goals); Fairplay: Kedah.
MALACCA and Project 2013 played to a 0-0 draw in a full-dress rehearsal
for today's Division One final of the 47th Razak Cup.
Both the teams had already qualified for the final before yesterday's
match, and it was pointless to stress their players as they will be meeting
in the final again today.
"It was academic as both the teams had already qualified for the final. It
would have served no purpose for me to ask my boys to push themselves
as they final is just 24 hours away," said Project 2013 coach K. Dharmaraj.
And after the warm-up, Dharmaraj is optmistic that his charges will
deliver in the final as well.
Both Malacca and Project 2013 has three wins and three draws for 12
points, and only goals separated them. Project scored 19 and let in 10,
while Malacca scored 10 and let in seven.
"Going by their form in this turnament so far, I believe my boys have
what it takes to lift the title," said Dharmaraj.
The project team is made up five 16-year-olds, seven 17-year-olds and
six 18-year-olds. And the even surprised last year's winners Kuala Lumpur
by winning 5-4 in the curtain raiser.
"I was a little afraid that the boys will be overawed when playing against
experienced players, but they have proven me wrong in a nice way, and
now I am looking forward to see them at the top of the podium."
In Division Two, Sinmgapore and Armed Forces will battle for the title,
with the Army men starting as overwhelming favourites after they scored a
total of 27 goals and only let in five in four matches.
RESULTS: Division One -- Malacca 0 Project 2013 0, Johor 6 Penang 1,
Kuala Lumpur 3 Negri Sembilan 2.
TODAY: Division One -- Final: Project 2013 v Malacca (Tun Razak
Stadium, 5pm).
Division Two: Final -- Armed Forces v Singapore (Tun Razak Stadium,
3pm).
DIVISION ONE
P W D L F A Pts
PROJECT 2013 6 3 3 0 19 10 12
MALACCA 6 3 3 0 10 7 12
JOHOR 6 3 1 2 18 9 10
K LUMPUR 6 3 0 3 19 17 9
PERAK 6 2 2 2 16 11 8
PENANG 6 1 1 4 13 23 4
NEGRI 6 1 0 5 10 28 3
By By BRENDON EGAN
