KUALA Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) edged Tenaga Na sional 3-2 in the Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) Premier Division at the Tun Razak Stadium yesterday (18-12-09).
Both sides parades a healthy dose of national players, and the win has placed KLHC as the ‘team to beat’ in the six-team tournament.
Fairuz Ramli handed Tenaga the lead in the fourth minute, but a minute later Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin dazzled with his skills and nailed the equaliser.
KLHC then took the lead off Megat Azrafiq in the 13th minute, and the score stood until the breather.
Amin Rahim flicked in the equaliser for Tenaga in the 54th minute, only to see Sukri Mutalib deliver the winner for KLHC in the 60th minute.
In another match, Maybank beat UniKL-IBIL 3-0 with goals from Azammi Adabi (26th), Suhaimi Ibrahim (60th) and Norikram Sulaiman (70th).
In the last match of the day, Sapura beat Nur Insafi 4-0 with a hat-trick from Rodhanizam Radzi (2nd, 5th, 41st) and Redza Maadun (68th).
“We have placed ourselves in a good position with two wins, but it is too early in the League to start dreaming big. We must beat Sapura tomorrow (today) and keep up the momentum as the rest of the teams are also improving with every match,” said KLHC coach R. Vivekanandan.
The two-week rest allowed KLHC to bond as a team, but Vivekanandan said his charges can perform much better.
“We will be playing the same teams again, and there must be constant improvement in tactics, if we want to lift the title.
“The penalty corner variations, defending and attacking, is also crucial as all the teams have good flickers. And even though we won against Tenaga today (yesterday), I would say it was a 50-50 match, and we barely collected the three points.”
RESULTS: Maybank 3 UniKL 0, KL Hockey Club 3 TNB 2, Nur Insafi 0 Sapura 4.
TODAY: Maybank v TNB (4.30pm), UniKL v Nur Insafi (6.30pm), KL Hockey Club v Sapura (8.30pm). All matches at the Tun Razak Stadium.
STANDINGS
P W D L F A Pts
MAYBANK 2 2 0 0 8 2 6
KLHC 2 2 0 0 6 2 6
SAPURA 2 1 0 1 5 3 3
TENAGA 2 1 0 1 5 4 3
UNIKL 2 0 0 2 0 6 0
NUR INSAFI 2 0 0 2 2 9 0
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Friday, December 18, 2009
...but the Indians know better
LAHORE: The India Hockey Federation has expressed its inability to the International Hockey Federation (FIH) to organise a four-nation tournament, a dress rehearsal, before hosting the 2010 World Cup, mainly because it was facing problems in making security arrangements due to the participation of the Pakistan team in the quadrangular tournament.
Well informed sources told Dawn that the IHF asked the FIH that though it could make maximum strict security arrangements for the mega event to be held in Feb-March, to organise a four-nation tournament involving Pakistan, needs extraordinary security arrangements and that could not be possible for just a dress-rehearsal competition.
The FIH had asked the IHF to organise the said tournament, with the entry of Pakistan as a must, as it would help to check security arrangements before the World Cup. The tournament was proposed for January.
The strained political relations between India and Pakistan after the Mumbai attack in Nov 2008 had suspended bilateral sports activities between the two countries. Due to it cricket ties as well hockey have been seriously affected.
The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF), which is searching for some international matches desperately, as part of their preparations for the World Cup now is focusing much on the alternate plan to play some matches against European teams at neutral venues in Dubai.
Sources said a development in this regard could be made in the next couple of days.
Dawn
Well informed sources told Dawn that the IHF asked the FIH that though it could make maximum strict security arrangements for the mega event to be held in Feb-March, to organise a four-nation tournament involving Pakistan, needs extraordinary security arrangements and that could not be possible for just a dress-rehearsal competition.
The FIH had asked the IHF to organise the said tournament, with the entry of Pakistan as a must, as it would help to check security arrangements before the World Cup. The tournament was proposed for January.
The strained political relations between India and Pakistan after the Mumbai attack in Nov 2008 had suspended bilateral sports activities between the two countries. Due to it cricket ties as well hockey have been seriously affected.
The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF), which is searching for some international matches desperately, as part of their preparations for the World Cup now is focusing much on the alternate plan to play some matches against European teams at neutral venues in Dubai.
Sources said a development in this regard could be made in the next couple of days.
Dawn
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Negre assures Pakistan
ISLAMABAD: International Hockey Federation President Leandro Negre has assured Pakistan that their players would be provided with adequate security when they tour India for next year's World Cup."I believe that the organisers will be providing special security to Pakistan team because there could be some crazy elements who may try to take advantage of presence of Pakistan team in India to create a bad situation,"Negre said.
"Security of Pakistan team is a very important issue in the prevailing situation and FIH will play its due role in this regard,"the FIH chief said.
Asked about the possibility of Pakistani players facing visa problems as was in the case of cricketers wanting to play in Indian Premier League, he said, "FIH is in constant with the Indian authorities and I am confident that there will be no such problem as we look forward to an exciting and successful World Cup in India.
"FIH is monitoring the situation on regular basis and there should be any problem for issuing visas to Pakistan and their safe stay in India,"he said.
Negre also favoured resumption of India-Pakistan hockey ties and suggested neutral venue for such series.
"It's the best way to resume bilateral hockey ties between the two countries,"he said.
The Times of India
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
India, Pakistan in same World Cup group
The International Hockey Federation (FIH) has released the pools for the Hero Honda FIH World Cup, to be played in
Defending World Champion Germany is the top seed in Pool A and will meet
Host
Following the pool phase of the Hero Honda FIH World Cup, the best two ranked teams of each pool will proceed to the semifinals.
The match schedule for the Hero Honda FIH World Cup will be released before the end of December 2009.
Hero Honda FIH World Cup, 28 February-13 March 2010:
Pool A:
Pool B:
Monday, December 14, 2009
MHF still await Oltmans
THE Malaysian Hockey Federation (MHF) are still keen to hire a foreign coach, but have yet to receive a reply from Dutchman Roelant Oltmans.
The MHF held their management committee meeting in Penang on Sunday, in conjunction with the USM Penang- International Sixes and Sevens, but could not reach a concrete decision.
“We only had a brief discussion because National Sports Council (NSC) director general Datuk Zolkeples Embong cold not make it for the meeting.
“The MHF is still keen to hire a foreign coach, but until we do so, Tai Beng Hai remains as the interim coach,” said MHF secretary Hashim Yusoff.
Hashim said the MHF has short-listed three coaches, and the coaching committee has been told to submit their recommendations.
“I know that it has been a year that Beng Hai has been an interim coach, but I believe we should be able to get a reply from the coaches that we have contacted by the end of this year.”
Oltmans has a contract with clubside Larens until 2012, and the MHF will have to pay a bomb to secure his release, and then pay him and his assistant at least Euro 16,000 per- month.
Malaysia will be involved in the Asian Champions Trophy, the Azlan Shah Cup, Asian and Commonwealth Games next year and the MHF are keen to seal a foreign deal as soon as possible.
The MHF held their management committee meeting in Penang on Sunday, in conjunction with the USM Penang- International Sixes and Sevens, but could not reach a concrete decision.
“We only had a brief discussion because National Sports Council (NSC) director general Datuk Zolkeples Embong cold not make it for the meeting.
“The MHF is still keen to hire a foreign coach, but until we do so, Tai Beng Hai remains as the interim coach,” said MHF secretary Hashim Yusoff.
Hashim said the MHF has short-listed three coaches, and the coaching committee has been told to submit their recommendations.
“I know that it has been a year that Beng Hai has been an interim coach, but I believe we should be able to get a reply from the coaches that we have contacted by the end of this year.”
Oltmans has a contract with clubside Larens until 2012, and the MHF will have to pay a bomb to secure his release, and then pay him and his assistant at least Euro 16,000 per- month.
Malaysia will be involved in the Asian Champions Trophy, the Azlan Shah Cup, Asian and Commonwealth Games next year and the MHF are keen to seal a foreign deal as soon as possible.
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