(From left) Ng Ping Loong (sports sponsorship manager Nestle Malaysia), Nur Azmi Ahmad (MHF deputy president), Abdul Jalil Abdullah (NSC sports management director) and Johari Aziz (KLHA deputy director) at the launch of the National Under-16 Championship at the KLHA Stadium in Kuala Lumpur yesterday. — Picture by Fariz Iswadi Ismail.
By Ajitpal Singh
NATIONAL Under-16 coach Lim Chiow Chuan will pick 50 of the best players from the National Under-16 Hockey Championship, which starts on Friday, for training to prepare for the Razak Cup and the Four-Nation Invitational in Germany.
Chiow Chuan, a former international, said those selected will be called up for training just before the first leg qualifying round of the Razak Cup in April.
"My immediate task is to select at least 50 players from the Under-16 competition. These players will be groomed accordingly," said Chiow Chuan after the launch of the National Under-16 Championships at the KLHA Stadium in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.
For the Razak Cup, the national Under-16 team have been placed in the North Zone where they will face Penang, Kedah and Perlis in a home-and-away (April and May) qualifying round format before the tournament proper in July.
"The Razak Cup will give me the opportunity to select the best for the Four-Nation Invitational in Manheim, Germany," Chiow Chuan added.
Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium are the other teams competing in the Four-Nation on June 10-13.
Meanwhile, a total of 15 teams, including Singapore and debutants Police, will battle it out in the National Under-16 Championship at the KLHA Stadium.
Defending champions Kuala Lumpur have been drawn in Group A with Selangor, Johor, Malacca, Pahang, Police and Sabah while Group B comprises Perak, Negri Sembilan, Kedah, Kelantan, Perlis, Penang, Terengganu and Singapore.
One significant factor in this year's event is that the two coaches of the teams that contest in the final will be given the opportunity to join the National Under-16 team as attachment coaches.
