Razak Cup: Pahang looking for maiden title..

DEFENDING champions Perak edged hosts Pahang 2-1 at the group stage, so coach K. Yogeswaran is expecting a tough time when both the teams meet in the Razak Cup Division One final in Kuantan today.
   But the Division Two final between Terengganu and Armed Forces is almost a foregone conclusion, as the score was a 7-1 win for Terengganu in the pool match.
   “We won narrowly in the earlier encounter, and with home ground advantage, I believe Pahang will be the better prepared side in the final,” concluded Perak coach Yogeswaran.
   Pahang will be out to create history, as they have never won the Razak Cup Division One title even though the tournament is into its 52nd Edition.
   “It would be a great achievement for us to win the title and I believe my players have progressed well after playing a couple of tough matches,” said Pahang coach Izwan Suhardi.
   Pahang will bank on former national player Ismail Abu, who played in the World Cup in June to deliver, as he is currently the Division One top-scorer with six goals.
   As for Terengganu, another former player Faizal Saari has delivered seven goals, but even if he fails to fins the target today, coach Sarjit Singh has many other capable strikers to win promotion into Division One next season.
  TODAY: Division One: Third-Fourth -- Malacca v Kuala Lumpur (4pm, Pitch 1); Final: Perak v Pahang (8pm, Pitch 1).
   Division Two: Final: Terengganu v Armed Forces (6pm, Pitch 1).

Tengku Abdullah is now AHF president

TENGKU Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah will helm the Asian  Hockey Federation (AHF) after he was unopposed when  nominations closed.
   The incumbent treasurer Fumio Ogura of Japan was also  returned unopposed, but the five vice-president’s posts will  see 12 hopefuls battling it out on Aug 31.
   And elections for council members, 10 in total, will see a  circus of 18 individuals ving for positions.
   The AHF president’s seat was held by the late Sultan Azlan  Shah who had served from 1990, and Tengku Abdullah will  continue the tradition of trying to revive Asian hockey.
   Four other Malaysian’s will also stand for posts and they  are MHC senior vice president’s Nur Azmi Ahmad and S.  Shamala who have been nominated for the veeps posts.
   Nur Azmi and Shamala have also been nominated for the  council, where she is an incumbent, together with another  incumbent Datuk Rahim Ariff.
   The newcomer from Malaysia for the council post is MHC  vice president Manjit Majid Abdullah.
   “I can safely presume, from experience. that some of those  who have been nominated for vice-presdients as well as  council members will pick one post to stand,” said acting AHF  president Tan Sri P. Alagendra.
   Alagendra, who has been secretary general of the AHF for  the past 18 years, will be honoured at the AHF Congress on  Aug 31.
    “The rules have changed, and those above 70 are not  eligible to stand for elections, and also, the AHF will no longer  have a secretary general which will be replaced by a CEO,”  said Alagendra.
   The CEO is Tayyab Ikram of Macau.
   AHF have 30 affiliates, out of which Indonesia, North  Korea and Mongolia have said they will not be attending the  Congress.
   “That leaves 27 countries with two votes each. The pres ident, secretary general as well as treasurer does not have  voting rights.”
   In pasing the baton, Alagendra said: “Asian hockey is  facing a challenging time as European, South American as  well as Oceania countries have left us far behind.
   “The incoming ofice bearers will have their hands full  tryng to revive their members fortunes,” said Alagendra.
    Tengku Abdullah is also an International Hockey Fed eration (FIH) Executive Board member as well as president of  the Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHF).
   But he has made a stand not to defend his president’s post  in the MHC during the last council meeting where he said:  “I’m moving to a bigger ship (AHF) and not abandoning ship  (MHC) as I try and help hockey at a larger scale.”
   

Div One: Perak-Pahang final..

FORMER national player Ismail Abu scored a hat-trick as hosts Pahang beat Kuala Lumpur 3-2 in the Division One semi-finals of the 52nd Razak Cup in Kuantan yesterday.
   Pahang will meet defending champions Perak in the final on Sunday, after the Silver State beat Malacca 4-2 in the other semi-finals.
   Ismail’s goals came in the 42nd, 46th and 64th, while the KL goals were scored by Zulhairi Hashim in the 49th and 52nd minutes.
   RESULTS: Division One Semi-finals: Perak 4 Malacca 2; Pahang 3 Kuala Lumpur 2.
   TOMORROW: Division One: Third-Fourth -- Malacca v Kuala Lumpur (4pm, Pitch 1); Final: Perak v Pahang (8pm, Pitch 1).
   Division Two: Final: Terengganu v Armed Forces (6pm, Pitch 1).

Good Asian Games draw for Malaysia

NATIONAL chief coach Arul Selvaraj was all smiles yes terday as Malaysia received a favourable draw for the Asian  Games hockey in Incheon, South Korea, on Sept 19-Oct 4.
  Silver medallists Malaysia are drawn in Group A with South  Korea, Japan, Bangladesh and Singapore.
   Pakistan, the defending champions, are with arch-rivals  India, Sri Lanka, China and Oman in Group B.
    As for the women, Malaysia are in Group A with India,  China and Thailand. South Korea, Japan, Kazakhstan and  Hong Kong are in Group B.
   The Asian Games could be a turning point in Malaysian  hockey as not only will the gold medal take them into the  2016 Rio de Janeiro, but could also change Malaysian Hockey  Confederation (MHC) president’s mind from quitting the  body.
   Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah had announced  recently that he will quit the MHC after their Annual General  Meeting in November, unless the team wins gold in Korea.
   “I am happy with the grouping, and the team will take it as  a challenge to give their best and hopefully change Tengku  Abdullah’s decision to quit,” said Arul Selvaraj.
   And to do that, the team must trade in their 2010  Guangzhou Asiad silver to gold.
   The first step would be to finish top-two in Group A, and  that means Japan, Bangladesh and Singapore must be  beaten at all costs to enter the semis.
   And waiting for them in the cross-over would be either  India or Pakistan.
    But Arul and his men can’t take any team lightly: “We last  played Japan in the World League Semi-finals and it ended in  a draw and we needed to beat them in the penalty shoot-out  to finish fifth.
   “Paul Revington and I were the coaches then, and it is still  fresh in in mind. So we will not take any team lightly,  including Bangladesh and Singapore.”
   After finishing last in the World Cup without a single win or  draw, Malaysia went on to lose to Trinidad and Tobago 4-2 in  the Commonwealth Games.
   “I’m happy with the team’s progress (as he took over from  K. Dharmaraj recently) and the good news is that forward  Firhan Ashaari has recovered from an ankle injury and  everybody is giving their best in training.
   “As part of the build-up we will head to South Korea on Aug  27 for training as well as playing matches. I will name the  final squad of 16 after returning from the trip next month,”  said Arul Selvaraj.

Alagendra makes five Malaysian's wait..

FIVE Malaysian’s vying for positions in the Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) will have to wait for another day, as acting president Tan Sri P. Alagendra refused to hand the nominations list even though entries closed on Wednesday.
   When contacted yesterday, Alagendra said there is no hurry to release the nominations: “Why should I release the nomination list today?
   “I will do it in the next few days,” was his curt reply.
   When pushed further, as five Malaysian’s were eagerly awaiting he said: “Ok, I will release it tomorrow (today).”
   Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) president Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah has been nominated for the president’s post but even after nominations closed, he is in the dark if there is a challenger or he has won unopposed.
   With the demise of AHF president Sultan Azlan Shah who had served from 1990, Tengku Abdullah stood to try and keep the throne in Malaysia.
    MHC senior vice president Nur Azmi Ahmad will stand for the vice-president’s post, while MHC vice presidents Manjit Majid Abdullah and AHF incumbents S. Shamala and Datuk Rahim Ariff will go for the council members post.
  For the record, Shamala received the second highest vote four years ago, while Rahim will be defending his seat.
   Incumbent secretary general Alagendra will vacate his post as the new AHF constitution only allows for those below the age of 70 to stand for elections.