THE Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) has been reduced to a prize presentation ceremony in Malacca this Saturday, but Tenaga Nasional will be on a mission of their own.League champions Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) and Tenaga will square off in a match of little importance as the positions were decided last weekend itself.
But the runners-up want to prove a point by smashing KLHC’s unbeaten run before the quarter-finals start.
“Win, draw or lose will not chance our fortunes, but there is pride to play for. And my team will give their best for the sake of hockey, and we will also be looking to break KLHC’s unbeaten run in Malacca,” said Tenaga coach Manjit Singh.
KLHC could only edge Sapura 1-0 for the title, and in an earlier League encounter, Tenaga only lost 3-2.
“We were narrowly beaten by KLHC, and I see this return leg as a great opportunity to boost the moral of my players before the knock-out stage.
“We lost one title, and will be out for the Overall title, and that is why a winning start in Malacca is important for us,” said Manjit.
Tenaga have been kept alive by national goalkeeper S. Kumar, and his form will play a crucial role in their quest to beat KLHC who have more strikers than defenders in their side.
Meanwhile, Malaysian Hockey Federation (MHF) Umpires board chairman Amarjit Singh has been appointed by the International Hockey Federation to officiate at the New Delhi World Cup next month.
And there is more good news from the umpires section as Eric Khor Kim Lai, 23, from Malacca and K. Illango, 24, from Penang have been promoted to International status by the FIH.
Penang finally can lay claim to an International umpire after a 23-year hiatus, as the last to hold the stature was Yap Guan Keat.
On another note, Petaling Jaya City Council will be holding a two-day trials to select players for the Junior Hockey League.
The trials will be held at the PJMC stadium this weekend from 4pm-7pm. For details, contact coach Paul Raj 017- 3715428.
STANDINGS
P W D L F A Pts
KLHC 9 8 1 0 31 9 25
TENAGA 9 7 0 2 23 8 21
MAYBANK 9 4 3 2 16 11 15
SAPURA 9 3 2 4 16 13 11
NUR INSAFI 9 1 1 7 10 33 4
UNIKL 9 0 1 8 5 26 1
