KLHC poised to snatch mid-way lead

KUALA Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) are poised to take the half-way lead in the Premier Division of the Malaysia Hockey League when they play the rain-interrupted match against UiTM today.
The match was scheduled to be held on Friday, but was called off after 20 minutes of play because of torrential rain.
KLHC should get the better of the University side, as they have a star-studded national line-up.
“We will be looking to top the table tomorrow (today) to be in a good position at the half-way mark, to keep the League title in sight,” said KLHC coach K. Dharmaraj.
KLHC signed the lion’s share of national players, while Tenaga Nasional took another big bite out of the national talent pool -- leaving the rest to make do with retired and foreign players.
This is a cause for concern, as the lack of talent forced Yayasan Negri Sembilan to hire 11 foreigners, while Nur Insafi have seven and UniKL four.
National assistant coach Tai Beng Hai, who recently be came an International Hockey Federation High Performance Coach as well as a Development Coach, lamented the fact that there is not enough talent to go around.
“This league is a good avenue for players to show their skills, but sadly, there are not enough good local players for clubs to hire, so they have to sign foreigners.
“In fact, even in the national outfit, we lack back-up players who can challenge the positions of established players,” said Beng Hai.
However, he sees a brighter future as many projects are being implemented right now to fill the void.
“The 1Mas and Project 2013 will chart our future, and hopefully it produces many talent to select from, so that those who are in the national team can’t take their positions for granted, and will continue to keep ahead of the competition,” said Beng Hai.
The national team came within a whisker of glory, but lost in two crucial finals, the World Cup Qualifiers and the Asian Games, and will now have to go through an Olympic Qualifier next year.
PREMIER DIVISION: Tuesday -- UiTm v Kuala Lumpur HC (Pantai Stadium, 7.30pm).

STANDINGS
PREMIER DIVISION

P W D L F A Pt
TNB 7 5 1 1 16 7 16
KLHC 6 5 0 1 26 10 15
UNIKL-TRC 6 4 1 1 9 9 13
YNS 6 4 0 2 24 14 12
NUR INSAFI 6 3 0 3 12 17 9
SAPURA 6 2 0 4 16 16 6
MAYBANK 6 1 2 3 4 9 5
ATM-AIROD 6 1 0 5 8 23 3
UITM 5 0 0 5 8 18 0