Kuala Lumpur the team to watch

KUALA Lumpur will be the team to watch again in the National Under-16 hockey tournament which begins tomorrow (15/03/09)at the Seremban Stadium in Negri Sembilan.

KL are the defending champions, but their coach I. Vickneswaran feels history does not matter in junior tournaments.
"In junior tournaments, it is easier to win a title than to defend one, so we will be going in with full concentration," said Vickneswaran, a former national player.
KL will open accounts against Selangor tomorrow.
The top two teams from both groups will advance to the semi-finals.
"I have a well-balanced team and they look good in training, but since we will be playing in Seremban, the boys must get adapted to the pitch as soon as possible.
"And we also have some good flickers for penalty corners, but again, it all depends on how fast they adapt to the pitch," said Vickneswaran.
Eleven state teams and Singapore have registered for the tournament, with Sabah, Sarawak and Johor the absentees.
KL Squad: Fitri Jasni (Gk), Shahfiqzan Suhaimi (Gk), Ahmad Shahzuan, Fitri Hidayat, Hamad Ashraf, Ahmad Amirol, Mohamed Nor, Aslam Hamafiah, Taufik Hamid, Ahmed Iqwan, Shahril Saabah, Fahed Saifullah, Syawal Zakaria, Zizi Azwan, A. Kaarthiek, Khairol Shafik, Nor Aqmal.
Group A: Kuala Lumpur, Kelantan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis, Selangor.
Group B: Johor, Kedah, Negri Sembilan, Penang, Singapore, Terengganu.
Tomorrow -- Group A: Kelantan v Perlis, Pahang v Perak, KL v Selangor; Group B: Johor v Terengganu, Kedah v Singapore, Negri Sembilan v Penang.