TERENGGANU Hockey Team (THT) spent millions to buy the best local talent, as well as five South Koreans, to land their first Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) Premier Division League title after two seasons.
And Kuala Lumpur HC, the other rich kid on the block, were denied their ninth League title, as well as their four-cosecutive double streak was finally broken.
There are only six teams in the Premier Division, but one could safely say that at least a total of eight million could have been spent this season.
THT coach Sarjit Singh said even though they finished fifth in their debut season, the plan was to win a double this year.
"We have achieved one goal, and now we are looking to nail the double as well. THT has spent much to form this side, and we need to deliver the silverware now.
"My contract is for two years with THT, with an option to renew. And I can safely say that we will be much better next season as we have many plans, including developing local juniors for the long run," said Sarjit.
The Giant-Killers of this season title went to UniKL when they hammered KLHC 5-1 on Sunday.
UniKL deserve the accolades, as they almost lost their best penalty corner flicker Nor Aqmal who suffered a deep gash near his left eye which needed 10 stitchers and spend the night at the hospital.
UniKL had lost 4-0 to KLHC in Round One, so the reverse was not expected from them.
However, KLHC coach K. Dharmaraj doused some of their fire when he said that he had given more time to his reserves to prepare for the knock-out.
"Once we lost to THT (5-1) in Kuala Terengganu and had to chase nine goals, I decided that it would be useless to make a dash for goals against UniKL so in went the reserve goalkeeper (Hakim Adnan) for his first match of the season.
"I also gave more time to all my bench warmers as for me. For me its simple, if I can't win the title, it is useless to push the players to the limit as we will finish second anyway.
"This way, the team avoided unnecessary cards and injuries, and I tested some fringe players and one can see from the result how they played," said Dharmaraj.
THT and KLHC are now the seeded teams, and a draw will be held today to pair the other four teams. The top-two teams receive a bye and about 10 days of rest, while the other four teams play to decide who moves into the semi-finals.
FINAL STANDINGS
P W D L F A Pts
TERENGGANU 10 9 0 1 51 18 27
KLHC 10 8 0 2 31 18 24
TENAGA 10 4 1 5 18 20 13
UNIKL 10 2 3 5 14 26 9
SAPURA 10 1 3 6 17 35 6
MAYBANK 10 0 5 5 16 30 5
Monday, December 1, 2014
First title for THT
TERENGGANU Hockey Team (THT) lifted the Malaysia
Hockey League (MHL) Premier Division League title in
style when they hammered Sapura 9-2 in Kuala
Terengganu yesterday.
The THT goals were scored by Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin
(eighth), Fitri Saari (ninth), Faizal Saari (14th),
Firhan Ashaari (15th, 49th), Ismail Abu (15th), Seo
Jong Ho (16th), Sobirin Lias (30th), Firhan Ashaari
(49th), and Seo Jong Ho (52nd).
The Sapura goals were scored by Faridzul Afiq
(third), Khasif Ali (38th).
"Even though we are only two years old in the MHL, a
solid team display has landed us our first League
title and I am very proud of my players.
"Now, we will go for the Overall title as well in
the knock-out stage," said THT coach Sarjit Singh.
Both THT and KLHC are the seeded teams, while the
other four teams will play among each other and the
two winners will enter the semi-finals as well.
Razie Rahim of KLHC and Faizal Saari of THT ended
joint-top scorers in the League with 11 goals each.
P W D L F A Pts
TERENGGANU 10 9 0 1 51 18 27
KLHC 10 8 0 2 31 18 24
TENAGA 10 4 1 5 18 20 13
UNIKL 10 2 3 5 14 26 9
SAPURA 10 1 3 6 17 35 6
MAYBANK 10 0 5 5 16 30 5
RESULTS: Terengganu 9 Sapura 2; UniKL 5 KLHC 1; Tenaga
3 Maybank 3.
Hockey League (MHL) Premier Division League title in
style when they hammered Sapura 9-2 in Kuala
Terengganu yesterday.
The THT goals were scored by Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin
(eighth), Fitri Saari (ninth), Faizal Saari (14th),
Firhan Ashaari (15th, 49th), Ismail Abu (15th), Seo
Jong Ho (16th), Sobirin Lias (30th), Firhan Ashaari
(49th), and Seo Jong Ho (52nd).
The Sapura goals were scored by Faridzul Afiq
(third), Khasif Ali (38th).
"Even though we are only two years old in the MHL, a
solid team display has landed us our first League
title and I am very proud of my players.
"Now, we will go for the Overall title as well in
the knock-out stage," said THT coach Sarjit Singh.
Both THT and KLHC are the seeded teams, while the
other four teams will play among each other and the
two winners will enter the semi-finals as well.
Razie Rahim of KLHC and Faizal Saari of THT ended
joint-top scorers in the League with 11 goals each.
P W D L F A Pts
TERENGGANU 10 9 0 1 51 18 27
KLHC 10 8 0 2 31 18 24
TENAGA 10 4 1 5 18 20 13
UNIKL 10 2 3 5 14 26 9
SAPURA 10 1 3 6 17 35 6
MAYBANK 10 0 5 5 16 30 5
RESULTS: Terengganu 9 Sapura 2; UniKL 5 KLHC 1; Tenaga
3 Maybank 3.
Saturday, November 29, 2014
Joseph de Silva's moment...
Old La Sallians Association of Klang team manager and driving force Joseph de Silva, who has produced a handful of national players over the years, received recognition at a recent dinner hosted by his club.
He was awarded the Hockey For Life Dedication Award.
Joe is among a handful of Malaysian's who gave his life for the sport he loves....
League title slants towards THT
TWO-SEASON side Terengganu Hockey Team (THT) has poured in millions into their outfit, and are finally staring at their first silverware in the Premier Division of the Malaysia Hockey League.
THT slaughtered double champions Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club 5-1 on Friday to finally arrive after finishing fifth in their debut season.
And with a nine-goal advantage, THT only need to beat Sapura to claim their title. For the record, THT beat Sapura 8-4 in Round One.
KLHC play UniKL for three points, while keeping their fingers crossed that THT crumble, or draw against Sapura.
UniKL have shown progress in Round Two by beating Tenaga and then holding Maybank to a draw, however, they were soundly beaten 0-4 by KLHC in Round One.
"UniKL will continue with their league progress and improvement as a team and will not focusing too much on the league position. What is important tomorrow (today) is for the team to continue to play better and reverse the 0-4 loss to KLHC in order to face the knock-out challenge on high spirits," said UniKL Hockey Club president Amir Azhar Ibrahim.
"Our only blemish was a 2-1 defeat to KLHC in Round One, and when we went back to our home turf in Kuala Terengganu, the target was to win maximum 15 points.
"We have overcome the biggest challenge by beating KLHC, and will play a simple game to win three points off Sapura and claim the League title," said THT coach Sarjit Singh.
THT's No 1 fan Terengganu Menteri Besar Datuk Ahmad Razif turned up for the KLHC clash in Kuala Lumpur, where his side were edged 2-1.
"We have a solid backing from the state government as well as the fans in Kuala Terengganu who have turned up at the stadium by the thousands even in pouring rain.
"The team will give its best against Sapura, as we are just a step away from rewarding our loyal fans," said Sarjit.
While acknowledging that they will face an uphill task to beat KLHC, Sapura assistant manager S. Kuhan said: "We will be entering the pitch, like always, looking for a win and will not throw in the towel until the four quarters are over. There is nothing to lose for us, while if we win, we will be assured of finishing fourth in the League."
P W D L F A Pts
TERENGGANU 9 8 0 1 42 16 24
KLHC 9 8 0 1 30 13 24
TENAGA 9 4 0 5 15 17 12
SAPURA 9 1 3 5 15 26 6
UNIKL 9 1 3 5 9 25 6
MAYBANK 9 0 4 5 13 27 4
SUNDAY: KLHC v UniKL (6pm, Pitch I); Maybank v Tenaga (6pm, Pitch II); Terengganu v Sapura (5pm, Kuala Terengganu).
THT slaughtered double champions Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club 5-1 on Friday to finally arrive after finishing fifth in their debut season.
And with a nine-goal advantage, THT only need to beat Sapura to claim their title. For the record, THT beat Sapura 8-4 in Round One.
KLHC play UniKL for three points, while keeping their fingers crossed that THT crumble, or draw against Sapura.
UniKL have shown progress in Round Two by beating Tenaga and then holding Maybank to a draw, however, they were soundly beaten 0-4 by KLHC in Round One.
"UniKL will continue with their league progress and improvement as a team and will not focusing too much on the league position. What is important tomorrow (today) is for the team to continue to play better and reverse the 0-4 loss to KLHC in order to face the knock-out challenge on high spirits," said UniKL Hockey Club president Amir Azhar Ibrahim.
"Our only blemish was a 2-1 defeat to KLHC in Round One, and when we went back to our home turf in Kuala Terengganu, the target was to win maximum 15 points.
"We have overcome the biggest challenge by beating KLHC, and will play a simple game to win three points off Sapura and claim the League title," said THT coach Sarjit Singh.
THT's No 1 fan Terengganu Menteri Besar Datuk Ahmad Razif turned up for the KLHC clash in Kuala Lumpur, where his side were edged 2-1.
"We have a solid backing from the state government as well as the fans in Kuala Terengganu who have turned up at the stadium by the thousands even in pouring rain.
"The team will give its best against Sapura, as we are just a step away from rewarding our loyal fans," said Sarjit.
While acknowledging that they will face an uphill task to beat KLHC, Sapura assistant manager S. Kuhan said: "We will be entering the pitch, like always, looking for a win and will not throw in the towel until the four quarters are over. There is nothing to lose for us, while if we win, we will be assured of finishing fourth in the League."
P W D L F A Pts
TERENGGANU 9 8 0 1 42 16 24
KLHC 9 8 0 1 30 13 24
TENAGA 9 4 0 5 15 17 12
SAPURA 9 1 3 5 15 26 6
UNIKL 9 1 3 5 9 25 6
MAYBANK 9 0 4 5 13 27 4
SUNDAY: KLHC v UniKL (6pm, Pitch I); Maybank v Tenaga (6pm, Pitch II); Terengganu v Sapura (5pm, Kuala Terengganu).
Friday, November 28, 2014
THT hammer KLHC 5-1
TERENGGANU Hockey Team (THT) demolished Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) 5-1 to re-ignite their chances of winning the first League title in the Malaysia Hockey League Premier Division.
The match was supposed to be a close affair but THT, playing in Kuala Terengganu, now have a nine-goal advantage over the double champions, and their last match against Sapura tomorrow will decide their fate.
KLHC are in a difficult situation to chase the goal-count, as they meet UniKL and need to score double digits if they want to win their ninth League title.
"It was a magical moment for us, as my players went onto the pitch motivated to win at all cost. Credit goes to the players for playing their best hockey ever, and now we will be looking for three more points from Sapura Sunday," said THT coach Sarjit Singh.
There was a heavy downpour before the match, but the pitch dried up fast on one side while remained heavy on the other: "The pitch was a little heavy, but my players mastered it early to score quick goals to douse the fight in KLHC. The crowd was really fantastic as about 4,000 turned up to cheer their team," said Sarjit.
"We need a miracle now to win the title, as it is out of our hands. We have to hope for Sapura to draw or win against THT, while we play out normal game aganst UniKL to wrap-up our fixtures.
"The pitch played a big role in our defeat as it was heavy and a little water-logged on our side in the first half and THT took good advantage of dead balls to score early goals. Anyway, there is still one match to go and anything can happen," said KLHC coach K. Dharmaraj.
THT's Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin started the goalcount in the eight minute, while the other goals were scored by Korean imports Seo Jong Ho (17th, 31st) and Jang Jong Hyun (22nd, 38th).
Syamim Yusof socred the KLHC consolation in the 45th minute.
P W D L F A Pts
TERENGGANU 9 8 0 1 42 16 24
KLHC 9 8 0 1 30 13 24
TENAGA 9 4 0 5 15 17 12
SAPURA 9 1 3 5 15 26 6
UNIKL 9 1 3 5 9 25 6
MAYBANK 9 0 4 5 13 27 4
RESULTS: Terengganu 5 KLHC 1; UniKL 0 Maybank 0; Sapura 0 Tenaga 2.
TOMORROW: KLHC v UniKL (6pm, Pitch I); Maybank v Tenaga (6pm, Pitch II); Terengganu v Sapura (5pm, Kuala Terengganu).
The match was supposed to be a close affair but THT, playing in Kuala Terengganu, now have a nine-goal advantage over the double champions, and their last match against Sapura tomorrow will decide their fate.
KLHC are in a difficult situation to chase the goal-count, as they meet UniKL and need to score double digits if they want to win their ninth League title.
"It was a magical moment for us, as my players went onto the pitch motivated to win at all cost. Credit goes to the players for playing their best hockey ever, and now we will be looking for three more points from Sapura Sunday," said THT coach Sarjit Singh.
There was a heavy downpour before the match, but the pitch dried up fast on one side while remained heavy on the other: "The pitch was a little heavy, but my players mastered it early to score quick goals to douse the fight in KLHC. The crowd was really fantastic as about 4,000 turned up to cheer their team," said Sarjit.
"We need a miracle now to win the title, as it is out of our hands. We have to hope for Sapura to draw or win against THT, while we play out normal game aganst UniKL to wrap-up our fixtures.
"The pitch played a big role in our defeat as it was heavy and a little water-logged on our side in the first half and THT took good advantage of dead balls to score early goals. Anyway, there is still one match to go and anything can happen," said KLHC coach K. Dharmaraj.
THT's Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin started the goalcount in the eight minute, while the other goals were scored by Korean imports Seo Jong Ho (17th, 31st) and Jang Jong Hyun (22nd, 38th).
Syamim Yusof socred the KLHC consolation in the 45th minute.
P W D L F A Pts
TERENGGANU 9 8 0 1 42 16 24
KLHC 9 8 0 1 30 13 24
TENAGA 9 4 0 5 15 17 12
SAPURA 9 1 3 5 15 26 6
UNIKL 9 1 3 5 9 25 6
MAYBANK 9 0 4 5 13 27 4
RESULTS: Terengganu 5 KLHC 1; UniKL 0 Maybank 0; Sapura 0 Tenaga 2.
TOMORROW: KLHC v UniKL (6pm, Pitch I); Maybank v Tenaga (6pm, Pitch II); Terengganu v Sapura (5pm, Kuala Terengganu).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
