Let Coaches Breathe

Pic: Stick2hockey.com

Junior Asia Cup Semi-finals: India 3 Pakistan 1, South Korea 4 Japan 2. Classification: Malaysia 5 Oman 1, Singapore 0 Bangladesh 0 (Bangladesh win 4-1 on penalties).

By Ajitpal Singh

COACHES should be given a free hand in preparing athletes or teams for competitions. National Sports Council (NSC) director general Datuk Zolkples Embong, in making this call, also advised national sports associations (NSAs) to stop meddling in the duties entrusted to coaches. "The NSAs should stop this practice. It's not healthy as it gives the impression that they don't trust their coaches.

"Why hire them in the first place then?," said Zolkples yesterday.

He was commenting in response to national junior hockey coach V.Muraleedharan's claim on Wednesday that he was not the decision-maker in preparing his charges for next year's Junior World Cup.

The coach attributed his team's current poor results in tournaments to the Malaysian Hockey Federation (MHF), who often make decisions on the team without consulting him.

Zolkples is also unhappy with the series of failures by the national senior and junior hockey teams.

"I need to hold a meeting with them as what's happening now is unacceptable. Problems after problems are arising in hockey and they must be resolved soon. The MHF will have to table their report to me and from there, I will see what can be done to improve the current situation."

Meanwhile, Malaysia notched their first win in the Junior Asia Cup, by defeating minnows Oman 5-1 in the fifth to eight classification match in Hyderabad, India, yesterday. Malaysia scored through Ahmad Kazamirul Nasruddin in the sixth and 32nd minutes, Azreen Rizal Nasir (24th), Muhammad Azammi Adabi (64th) and Mohd Noor Khairul Azrain Adnan (69th). Oman replied in the 39th minute.

Malaysia will face Bangladesh in the fifth placing classification match.

Muralee wants to call shots

PIC: Stick2hockey.com.

By Ajitpal Singh
THE Malaysian Hockey Federation (MHF) calls the shots when it comes to the release of Junior World Cup-bound players for local tournaments and coach V. Muraleedharan (pic) wants to change this.

Muraleedharan, who has lost patience after a series of failures, wants his players to be barred from all local tournaments in preparation for the world meet, which Malaysia will be co-hosting with Singapore on July 7-21 next year in order to ensure a respectful showing.

He has warned that if the trend continues, his team will face heavy weather at the world meet.He attributed the poor performance in all tournaments for lack of training time to rectify the team's weaknesses.Since taking charge of the squad in December last year, the players were released twice for local meets, namely the National Junior Hockey League (NJHL) in March and the Terengganu Malaysia Games in June.
And if MHF does not chance its stand, the players will be released for the National Hockey League in December and the next year's NJHL, prior to the World Cup.

"I'm confident of transforming the team provided I am able to hold on to them for the next 11 months," said Muraleedharan, when contacted in Hyderabad where the junior team is taking part in the Junior Asia Cup, yesterday.

"I have good players but currently they suffer from lack of physical strength and fitness. They just can't sustain the 70 minutes.

"I wanted to work with them between March and June for the Tour of Europe and the Junior Asia Cup, but training was halted for two months because of local events (NJHL and Malaysia Games)," he said.

He also hopes that his team will be able to withdraw from the Razak Cup on Aug 2-10.

"The players need a break. They have been competing non-stop since the Malaysia Games." he added.Since last year, Muraleedharan has achieved nothing but failures in preparation for the world meet.

In his first tournament as coach at the Eight-Nation in Kuala Lumpur in January, the team finished last.

In the tour of Europe, the squad played nine matches and won only two. They suffered embarrassing defeats to minnows like Austria and Poland.

At the ongoing Junior Asia Cup, the team struggled to a 2-2 draw against Singapore before losing to India (3-1) and Japan (3-1).

They play Oman in the fifth-to-eight classification match.

Malaysia A Total Flop

TENSED MALAYSIANS: (From Left) goalkeepers coach Shahid Ali Khan, juniors coach V. Muraleedharan and Malaysian Hockey Federation assistant secretary N. Krishnan in Hyderabad, India. -- Pic: Stick2Hockey.com

JAPAN comfortably beat Malaysia 3-1 to reach the semi-finals of the Junior Asia Cup in Hyderabad, India yesterday.

Malaysia took a 14th minute lead when Marhan Jalil scored a field goal, but allowed Japan to equalise in the 28th minute, and then take the lead a minute from the half-time hooter.

And Japan sealed their semis ticket in the 60th minute, after Malaysia went for broke in the second half, as they needed an outright win to shut Japan out of the semis.

“We had the match in our hands, but lost out in the last 15 minutes on physical and fitness. The team played to instructions and waited patiently for counters and that gave us an early lead.

“But two mistakes, the first on marking and the second by our penalty corner runner gave Japan a life-line.

“And in the second half, we went forward looking for goals, but Japan increased the lead instead,” said national juniors coach V. Muraleedharan.

The Junior Asia Cup offers three tickets to the 2009 Junior World Cup, where Malaysia and Singapore have qualified by virtue of being co-hosts.

Japan will play South Korea, while India meet Pakistan in the semi-finals tomorrow (Wednesday).

STANDINGS
GROUP A

P W D L F A Pts

India 3 3 0 0 11 1 9

Japan 3 2 0 1 12 4 6

Malaysia 3 0 1 2 4 8 1

Singapore 3 0 1 2 3 17 1

GROUP B
P W D L F A Pts

S Korea 3 2 1 0 22 3 7

Pakistan 3 2 1 0 16 6 7

Bangladesh 3 1 0 2 9 17 3

Oman 3 0 0 3 2 23 0

RESULTS: Group A -- Japan 3 Malaysia 1, India 6 Singapore 0; Group B: Pakistan 8 Bangladesh 2, South Korea 11 Oman 0.

7th Royal Selangor Club Nines

THE Seventh Royal Selangor Club Hockey Nines will be held on July 18-20 at the RSC Bukit Kiara Grounds in Kuala Lumpur.
The first day will see Under-12 action, where 16 boys’ and eight girls’ teams have registered. The weekend action will be among 24 men’s and six women’s teams.
“We have received tremendous response in the Under-12 category, and this augurs well for future development of the sport.
“And with the RSC celebrating its 125th anniversary next year, the next edition will be held in an even grander scale,” said tournament organising chairman Oommen Koshy.
Foreign teams from Hong Kong, India, Singapore and Indonesia have also registered for the event. On the local front, former internationals will represent the RSC while a number of current internationals will turn out with their clubs Ernst & Young and Sapura.

A mountain to climb

INDIA have qualified fo the Junior Asia Cup semis from Group A. Pic: Stick2hockey

JAPAN are physically stronger, but national juniors coach V. Muraleedharan is not throwing down the gauntlet, and promised that his charges will battle till the end in the Junior Asia Cup in Hyderabad today (Monday).

Malaysia will be playing with a handicap, as Noor Khairul Azrain was suspended two matches after picking up a red card in the first match against Singapore, and so Malaysia can only register 15 players against Japan.
Japan have three points from their 9-1 drubbing of Sin gapore, and need only a draw to advance to the semi-finals, while Malaysia need an outright win to advance.
"The stakes are very high and I expect Japan to come charging at us from the whistle. So, we will hold back a little, and have to make sure all our counter attacks count," said Muraleedharan.
After watching video replays of the match against Sin gapore and India, Muraleedharan yesterday worked on some of the silly mistakes which led to goals.
"Both the Singapore goals, and the first India goal was a lapse in defense, and we had a work-out today (yesterday) and will be better prepared against Japan.
"Although the match will be 60-40 in favour of Japan, I still believe patience will take us through to the semi-finals," said Muraleedharan.
From Group A, India have snatched one slot, while the remaining will be a toss between Malaysia and Japan. And in Group A, Pakistan and South Korea look like the best bets to advance.

STANDINGS
GROUP A
P W D L F A Pts
India 2 2 0 0 5 1 6
Japan 2 1 0 1 9 3 3
Malaysia 2 0 1 1 3 5 1
Singapore 2 0 1 1 3 11 1

GROUP B
P W D L F A Pts
S Korea 2 1 1 0 11 3 4
Pakistan 2 1 1 0 8 4 4

Bangladesh 2 1 0 1 7 9 3
Oman 2 0 0 2 2 12 0

RESULTS: GROUP B -- Bangladesh 7 Oman 1; Pakistan 3 South Korea 3.
TODAY (Monday): Group A -- Japan v Malaysia, India v Singapore; Group B: Pakistan v Bangladesh, South Korea v Oman.