LEAGUE Champions Ernst & Young got off to a rousing start in
deffence their title when they hammered Penang-Nur Insafi 10-0 in
Division One of the Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) yesterday. The match, played at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit
Jalil, was a one-sided affair from the first whistle, and Ernst &
Young, with 12 national players in their fold, scored at will. Nur Insafi had nine import players, seven from India and two
from Bangladesh, but the foreign legion were a lost lot. The
Penang team were forced to defend for the majority of the match,
and are expected to face another torrid time against Tenaga
Nasional tomorrow. Ismail Abu opened the floodgates in the second minute and went
on to nothch his hat-trick with goals in the 30th and 47th
minutes, while the other scorers for Ernst & Young were Chua Boon
Huat (fourth, 35th), Baljit Singh (12th), Azlan Misron (15th),
Craig Joseph Fernandez (36th), Azli Misron (62nd) and Nabil Fiqri
(65th). At the Kuala Lumpur HA Stadium, TNB-Cup champions Tenaga
Nasional beat National Juniors 3-1 in an entertaining match. The Juniors, preparing for the Junior World Cup next year, will
next face Maybank, where they look good for three points. Tenaga got their goals off Fitri Abu Bakar (second),
Sallehuddin Ghani (55th) and Mahinder Singh (63rd). Marhan Jalil
scored for National Juniors in the 64th minute. "There were some close moments, and we had the chances but blew
them. However, I am not disappointed with their effort, and the
score indicates that they will improve as the league progresses,"
said Juniors coach K. Rajan. In another Division One match, Sapura survived by the
skin-of-their teeth when they edged Maybank 2-1. Maybank took the lead in the 18th minute off a Suhaimi Ibrahim
field goal, but South Korean import Song Seung Tae delivered for
Sapura with a 25th minute field goal. The winner was delivered by Redza Maadun in the 32nd minute. RESULTS -- Division One: Tenaga Nasional 3 National Juniors 1,
Ernst and Young 10 Nur Insafi 1, Maybank 1 Sapura 2. Division Two: Dolphins 3 UiTM 3, JLJ 3 Bandar Penawar SS 1,
Royal Malay Regiment x Bukit Jalil SS x. TODAY -- Division Two: Border Forces Club v Sultan Alam Shah
School (Terengganu, 5pm), Bandar Penawar SS v UNIMAP (National
Stadium, 5pm). TOMORROW -- Division One: Tenaga Nasional v Nur Insafi (KLHA
Stadium, 5pm), National Juniors v Maybank (National Stadium,
Pitch II, 5pm), Ernst & Young v Sapura (National Stadium, Pitch
I, 5pm). Division Two: Bandar Penawar SS v UNIMAP (Bandar Penawar, 5pm),
Dolphins v Bukit Jalil SS (Lumut, 5pm), JLJD v Sultan Alam Shah
School (Tun Razak Stadium, 5pm), Border Forces Club v Malay Regiment (Terengganu, 5pm).
Friday, October 17, 2008
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Race to the wire for Malaysian Hopeless Federation (MHF)
COMMENT
By Jugjet Singh
ONE understands the intense interest in the UMNO President and deputy president’s race, but on a micro scale, it is mind boggling why anyone would be interested to become Malaysian Hockey Federation (MHF) office-bearers.
UMNO paves the way for the next Malaysian Prime Minister and deputy Prime Minister, while those who are elected to become the president, deputy president and vice-presidents of the MHF will inherit empty coffers and a team which is ranked 15th in the world.
The elected president and his men will have to slog and sweat more than their team on the pitch to fill the coffers, and revive the sport in the country.
The ‘old players’ in MHF are president Tan Sri (rtd) Anwar Mohd Nor and his deputy Tunku Majid Sultan Iskandar, but if the grapevine is spot-on, then massive changers are in store after Saturday.
That is when Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad will meet MHF incumbents and delegates from states, after which he is expected to decide whether he wants to become the next president of the MHF.
Tengku Abdullah is highly tipped to say ‘yes’ and then name his ‘cabinet’ line-up for states which back him, to nom inate.
And if the grapevine telegraph, which swears it is clicking the gospel truth, has not got its facts twisted in a vile vine, then the race for the deputy president’s post will be a handful.
Kuala Lumpur HA have named their deputy hopeful as Ken Pereira, the former chief operating officer of Sapura, Malac ca will soon be naming Nur Azmi Ahmad and three-term vice-president Dr S.S. Cheema is also tipped to upgrade himself.
And there are many more hopefuls for the No 2 post, with many having personally met Tengku Abdullah with resumes to campaign for their cause.
But the many deputy hopefuls might also silently drop out from the race on Saturday as Tengku Abdullah is expected to name his choice and then it will be plain sailing for the chosen one.
As for the six vice-president’s posts, Sabah and Sarawak name their men as stipulated in the MHF constitution, while four more seats will be up for elections. Here, more than 10 names are expected to be thrown into the frying pan, with only four emerging unburnt.
Then there is the secretary’s post, with the incumbent Sgt Hashim Yusoff also having to work hard to defend his seat. KLHA have named Malay Mail copy editor Johnson Fer nandez as their man, and former MHF secretary T. Para malingam is also said to be interested in making a come- back.
Treasurer S. Sanjilatheeban, with the least exciting port folio as there is not much money to count, but lots of expenditures to account for, surprisingly, is also expected to be challenged.
There are 10 incumbent, and 30 state, Armed Forces and Police votes which will be highly sought after until nom inations close on Oct 25, and the ‘X’ is marked on the ballot papers on Nov 1.
The campaign period is short and sweet, but the cam paigning is already hard, bitter and sometimes below the belt as camps have already sprouted to woo for votes.
Whatever the outcome on Nov 1, new regime sweeps in or the wily old hands are voted in again, two factors are a reality. The elected representatives will have to re-brand the MHF from the hopeless federation it is today, and set a new benchmark on the pitch so that hockey lovers can finally stop referring to the year 1975.
By Jugjet Singh
ONE understands the intense interest in the UMNO President and deputy president’s race, but on a micro scale, it is mind boggling why anyone would be interested to become Malaysian Hockey Federation (MHF) office-bearers.
UMNO paves the way for the next Malaysian Prime Minister and deputy Prime Minister, while those who are elected to become the president, deputy president and vice-presidents of the MHF will inherit empty coffers and a team which is ranked 15th in the world.
The elected president and his men will have to slog and sweat more than their team on the pitch to fill the coffers, and revive the sport in the country.
The ‘old players’ in MHF are president Tan Sri (rtd) Anwar Mohd Nor and his deputy Tunku Majid Sultan Iskandar, but if the grapevine is spot-on, then massive changers are in store after Saturday.
That is when Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad will meet MHF incumbents and delegates from states, after which he is expected to decide whether he wants to become the next president of the MHF.
Tengku Abdullah is highly tipped to say ‘yes’ and then name his ‘cabinet’ line-up for states which back him, to nom inate.
And if the grapevine telegraph, which swears it is clicking the gospel truth, has not got its facts twisted in a vile vine, then the race for the deputy president’s post will be a handful.
Kuala Lumpur HA have named their deputy hopeful as Ken Pereira, the former chief operating officer of Sapura, Malac ca will soon be naming Nur Azmi Ahmad and three-term vice-president Dr S.S. Cheema is also tipped to upgrade himself.
And there are many more hopefuls for the No 2 post, with many having personally met Tengku Abdullah with resumes to campaign for their cause.
But the many deputy hopefuls might also silently drop out from the race on Saturday as Tengku Abdullah is expected to name his choice and then it will be plain sailing for the chosen one.
As for the six vice-president’s posts, Sabah and Sarawak name their men as stipulated in the MHF constitution, while four more seats will be up for elections. Here, more than 10 names are expected to be thrown into the frying pan, with only four emerging unburnt.
Then there is the secretary’s post, with the incumbent Sgt Hashim Yusoff also having to work hard to defend his seat. KLHA have named Malay Mail copy editor Johnson Fer nandez as their man, and former MHF secretary T. Para malingam is also said to be interested in making a come- back.
Treasurer S. Sanjilatheeban, with the least exciting port folio as there is not much money to count, but lots of expenditures to account for, surprisingly, is also expected to be challenged.
There are 10 incumbent, and 30 state, Armed Forces and Police votes which will be highly sought after until nom inations close on Oct 25, and the ‘X’ is marked on the ballot papers on Nov 1.
The campaign period is short and sweet, but the cam paigning is already hard, bitter and sometimes below the belt as camps have already sprouted to woo for votes.
Whatever the outcome on Nov 1, new regime sweeps in or the wily old hands are voted in again, two factors are a reality. The elected representatives will have to re-brand the MHF from the hopeless federation it is today, and set a new benchmark on the pitch so that hockey lovers can finally stop referring to the year 1975.
Lame duck league hobbles on
THE TNB-Malaysian Hockey League (MHL) will hobble off today with League champions Ernst And Young squaring off against last season’s Division Two champions Penang-Nur Insafi at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil.
But if one compares the standard of the MHL with that of leagues run in Australia, New Zealand and Europe -- Malaysia will be akin a donkey running among race horses.
With only six teams in Division One, and nine in Division Two, it looks like either clubs are no longer interested in hockey or there is a lack of quality players to form more teams.
The National Juniors, preparing for the Junior World Cup which Malaysia and Singapore will co-host in June 7-21 next year, will also undergo a baptism of fire as they will face a torrid time against TNB-Cup champions Tenaga Nasional.
Ernst and Young, with 12 national players, are the front- runners for both the titles, while their strongest opposition is expected to come from Tenaga, who have six national players including No 1 goalkeeper S. Kumar.
The dark horses in the MHL are Nur Insafi, who have hired two Bangladeshis and seven India players to strengthen their cause. Last season, they had three India players and won the Division Two title.
In Division Two, Bukit Jalil and Bandar Penawar Sports Schools will have their work cut out, as they will be playing against teams which have many seasoned MHL players.
TODAY: Division One -- Tenaga Nasional v National Juniors (KLHA Stadium, 7pm), Ernst and Young v Nur Insafi (National Stadium, 7pm), Maybank v Sapura (Seremban II Stadium, 5pm).
Division Two: Dolphins v UiTM (Lumut, 5pm), JLJ v Bandar Penawar SS (Tun Razak Stadium, 7pm), Royal Malay Reg iment v Bukit Jalil SS (Tun Razak Stadium, 9pm), Border Forces Club v Sultan Alam Shah School (Terengganu, 5pm).
But if one compares the standard of the MHL with that of leagues run in Australia, New Zealand and Europe -- Malaysia will be akin a donkey running among race horses.
With only six teams in Division One, and nine in Division Two, it looks like either clubs are no longer interested in hockey or there is a lack of quality players to form more teams.
The National Juniors, preparing for the Junior World Cup which Malaysia and Singapore will co-host in June 7-21 next year, will also undergo a baptism of fire as they will face a torrid time against TNB-Cup champions Tenaga Nasional.
Ernst and Young, with 12 national players, are the front- runners for both the titles, while their strongest opposition is expected to come from Tenaga, who have six national players including No 1 goalkeeper S. Kumar.
The dark horses in the MHL are Nur Insafi, who have hired two Bangladeshis and seven India players to strengthen their cause. Last season, they had three India players and won the Division Two title.
In Division Two, Bukit Jalil and Bandar Penawar Sports Schools will have their work cut out, as they will be playing against teams which have many seasoned MHL players.
TODAY: Division One -- Tenaga Nasional v National Juniors (KLHA Stadium, 7pm), Ernst and Young v Nur Insafi (National Stadium, 7pm), Maybank v Sapura (Seremban II Stadium, 5pm).
Division Two: Dolphins v UiTM (Lumut, 5pm), JLJ v Bandar Penawar SS (Tun Razak Stadium, 7pm), Royal Malay Reg iment v Bukit Jalil SS (Tun Razak Stadium, 9pm), Border Forces Club v Sultan Alam Shah School (Terengganu, 5pm).
Monday, October 13, 2008
First Asia Indoor Hockey Tournament
THE first Asia Indoor Hockey Tournament will be held at the Indra Mulia Stadium in Ipoh on Dec 10-15.
And the tournament will be named the Azlan Shah Cup, as agreed by the Sultan of Perak in a meeting held on Sept 26.
“We have sent out invitations to a host of countries, and are expecting a good response before the closing date which is at the end of the month,” said Malaysian Hockey Federation (MHF) secretary Sgt Hashim Yusoff.
MHF will be working with the Asian Hockey Federation (AFH), with the tournament being run by the Perak HA.
And some of the countries which have been invited are Japan, Pakistan, South Korea, Singapore, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Kazakhstan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Hong Kong, Iran and many others.
Meanwhile, the seven-team 18th Azlan Shah Cup will be held from April 23 to May 2 next year at the Azlan Shah stadium in Ipoh.
“The FIH (International Hockey Federation) has agreed to the date, and the Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHF) will be sending out invitations soon,” said Hashim.
Malaysia will invite defending champions Argentina, Pak istan, India, Canada, Belgium and England. The reserves will be New Zealand, South Korea, China and South Africa.
And the tournament will be named the Azlan Shah Cup, as agreed by the Sultan of Perak in a meeting held on Sept 26.
“We have sent out invitations to a host of countries, and are expecting a good response before the closing date which is at the end of the month,” said Malaysian Hockey Federation (MHF) secretary Sgt Hashim Yusoff.
MHF will be working with the Asian Hockey Federation (AFH), with the tournament being run by the Perak HA.
And some of the countries which have been invited are Japan, Pakistan, South Korea, Singapore, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Kazakhstan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Hong Kong, Iran and many others.
Meanwhile, the seven-team 18th Azlan Shah Cup will be held from April 23 to May 2 next year at the Azlan Shah stadium in Ipoh.
“The FIH (International Hockey Federation) has agreed to the date, and the Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHF) will be sending out invitations soon,” said Hashim.
Malaysia will invite defending champions Argentina, Pak istan, India, Canada, Belgium and England. The reserves will be New Zealand, South Korea, China and South Africa.
FIH happy with Junior World Cup venue
INTERNATIONAL Hockey Federation’s (FIH) competitions manager Dennis Meredith gave the thumbs up after in specting Johor’s Junior World Cup venue on Oct 8.
Johor and Singapore will co-host the Junior World Cup on June 7-21 next year and the Lion city’s stadium was also inspected.
“Dennis made some minor recommendations like the need for four changing rooms from the present two, and doping sites.
“It should not be a problem, as we can use tents for the two additional changing rooms like how it was done during the Doha Asian Games,” said Malaysian Hockey Federation secretary Sgt Hashim Yusoff.
The venue, which is expected to be completed by March, is 90 per cent complete, with the artificial pitches yet to be laid.
“The turf has yet to be laid, but it is already at the stadium, and Dennis approved it after inspecting its quality,” said Hashim.
Hashim said FIH are also happy with the progress in Singapore. Johor will host 10 teams while Singapore another 10, with the opening ceremony in Singapore and final being played in Johor.
The facilities will be further put to test when completed in March with a four-nation junior invitational. The dry run will also test immigration, transportation and other logistics to avoid hiccups on the big day.
And an estimated RM1.5 million is needed to make the tournament a successful business venture.
Johor and Singapore will co-host the Junior World Cup on June 7-21 next year and the Lion city’s stadium was also inspected.
“Dennis made some minor recommendations like the need for four changing rooms from the present two, and doping sites.
“It should not be a problem, as we can use tents for the two additional changing rooms like how it was done during the Doha Asian Games,” said Malaysian Hockey Federation secretary Sgt Hashim Yusoff.
The venue, which is expected to be completed by March, is 90 per cent complete, with the artificial pitches yet to be laid.
“The turf has yet to be laid, but it is already at the stadium, and Dennis approved it after inspecting its quality,” said Hashim.
Hashim said FIH are also happy with the progress in Singapore. Johor will host 10 teams while Singapore another 10, with the opening ceremony in Singapore and final being played in Johor.
The facilities will be further put to test when completed in March with a four-nation junior invitational. The dry run will also test immigration, transportation and other logistics to avoid hiccups on the big day.
And an estimated RM1.5 million is needed to make the tournament a successful business venture.
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