FIJI DEBACLE: MHF write to FIH for play-off..

THE Fiji men's hockey team have withdrawn for the Oceania Olympic Qualifier, and this has prompted the Malaysian Hockey Federation (MHF) to put forward a playoff proposal to the International Hockey Federation (FIH).
The MHF feel that the current Olympic Qualifier criteria should be reviewed as now only Australia and New Zealand will play in the Oceania Cup, which offers two tickets to the Olympics.
In contrast the Asian Games, which has five of the top-15 teams in the world, offers only one seat to the Olympics and Pakistan won it by beating Malaysia 2-0.
MHF secretary Maninderjit Singh wrote to FIH Competitions Manager Martyn Gallivan: "As part of the FIH CEO Forum Team, I would like to suggest the current Olympic Qualification criteria to be analysed again in order to address Fiji's withdrawl from the Oceania Cup.
"MHF's suggestion is to have a one-off or best of three play-off between the runners-up of the Asian Games and runners-up of the Australia-New Zealand match."
And to justify MHF's request, five points were raised.
1. Only one direct slot was given to Asia via the 2010 Asian Games, while Oceania has two direct slots.
2. Ten teams competed in the 2010 Asian Games, while only three for the Oceania Cup (before Fiji withdrew).
3. Five teams from Asia are ranked in the top-15 bracket in the world (South Korea, India, Pakistan, Malaysia, Japan and China).
4. The Asian Games is high standard tournament as the Asian Hockey Federation organised a qualifying round.
Maninderjit also said: "While I am aware that the decision of the three Qualifiers and the teams (pools) shall be made known on Nov 8, I still feel the above proposal is rationale with valid points to review the Qualifying criteria.
"Malaysia will be ever willing to assist and to host the play-off matches between Malaysia and New Zealand or Australia."
The FIH have yet to release news of Fiji's withdrawl on their website, but Oceania Cup hosts Tasmania has confirmed it with a press statement.
"Hockey Tasmania has expressed its disappointment that Fiji has withdrawn both its national teams from next month's Olympic qualifying tournament in Hobart.
"The announcement, blamed on 'government and corporate financial constraints' in Fiji, means both the Kookaburras (Australian men) and Hockeyroos (Australian women) receive automatic qualification to the 2012 London Games.
"Fiji's women's team had already withdrawn but the addition of the men's team renders the Oceania Cup a two-horse race in both genders."

Fiji withdraws from Olympic Qualifier

Hockey Tasmania has expressed its disappointment that Fiji has withdrawn both its national teams from next month's Olympic qualifying tournament in Hobart.
"The announcement, blamed on 'government and corporate financial constraints' in Fiji, means both the Kookaburras (Australian men) and Hockeyroos (Australian women) receive automatic qualification to the 2012 London Games.
"Fiji's women's team had already withdrawn but the addition of the men's team renders the Oceania Cup a two-horse race in both genders."

RUGBY SEVENS: Malaysia in easy group

MALAYSIA have been drawn in a relatively kind group, and look good to achieve their top-four target in the Borneo Sevens at the Likas Stadium in Kota Kinabalu.
The tournament starts today with the Asia Pacific Women Sevens, where Malaysia is in the same category as China, Papua New Guinea and Tonga.
Malaysian men kick off their campaign against Brunei tomorrow, and the others in their pool are Hong Kong and Taiwan.
The Borneo Sevens is the second round of the HSBC Asian Rugby Sevens Series, one of only two events in the Asian circuit where teams can earn points to qualify for the Hong Kong World Cup Sevens Series.
The other is the Shanghai Sevens which was held in August and Malaysia were placed sixth, behind China.
“It was a good draw and Malaysia will be fighting for the top spot in their pool. We have to beat Brunei and Taiwan to be in the running to advance to the Hong Kong World Cup Sevens”, said Malaysian coach Wan Ibrahim Wan Chik.
Malaysia now need to finish among the top four in Kota Kinabalu to confirm their spot in the Hong Kong World Cup Sevens Series.
Malaysian women's skipper Haslinda Salleh, 27, said: "We are a development side and looking for more exposure in this tournamnent. I believe it will be a tough tournament, but my players are game to give their best."
The women's team is made up of students, housewives and even those who hold professional jobs.
"We finished third in the last tournament, and I believe we are the same standard as Singapore while we have yet to play Tonga and Papua New Guinea.
"China are out of our league, so we will be having a tough and bruising tournament where we will try and keep our third spot," said the Malaysian women's team manager Raimi Yusof.
Organising chairman Velayuthan Tan said: "Rugby Sevens has grown tremendously and is now recognised as an Olympic sport. It will be making its debut in the 2016 Olympics and that is why Malaysia need to prepare early so that we have a better chance in the qualifier."
MEN -- Pool A: South Korea, China, Thailand, Sri Lanka; Pool B: Hong Kong, Malaysia, Taiwan, Brunei; Pool C: Japan, Kazakhstan, Philippines, United Arab Emirates.
WOMEN: Pool A: Singapore, Hong Kong, Cook Islands, Samoa; Pool B: China, Malaysia, Tonga, Papua New Guinea.
TODAY: Women -- Singapore v Cook Islands, Hong Kong v Samoa, China v Tonga, Malaysia v Papua New Guinea, Singapore v Samoa, Hong Kong v Cook Islands, China v Papua New Guinea, Malaysia v Tonga.
Singapore v Hong KOng, Cook Islands v Samoa, China v Malaysia, Tonga v PApua New Guinea.

KLHC and Sapura in control

By Ajitpal Singh

DEFENDING champions KL Hockey Club (KLHC) and Sapura maintained their 100 per cent record in the TNB-MHL Premier Division after both teams recorded their second league victories in Bukit Jalil yesterday.
KLHC cruised to a 7-2 win over minnows UiTM while Sapura edged Maybank 3-2.
KLHC started on a promising note by taking a healthy three-goal lead through Chua Boon Huat (5th minute), Harvinder Singh (26th) and Kevinder Singh (41st).
UiTM, however, fought back with two quick strikes from Tariq Nazir Ahmad (43rd) and Muhd Aslam Hanafiah (46th).
KLHC tightened their game and scored four more times through Ismail Abu (52nd), Boon Huat (56th), Fitri Saari (62nd) and Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin Tengku Jalil (68th) for three points.
"I am happy with the win but unhappy with the performances of my players," said KLHC team manager George Koshy.
"UiTM made it difficult at first as they defended well. We need to work on several areas before we play Maybank (tomorrow)."
Sapura, the former champions, defended frantically in the final minutes of the match against Maybank to claim their second league win.
They took a comfortable 3-0 lead through a brace from Azreen Rizal Nasir (first and 21st) and a penalty corner set-piece from captain S. Kuhan.
Maybank forced themselves back into the match with Zulhairi Hashim's two goals in the 26th and 44th minutes.
Sapura then conceded several penalty corners, which Maybank failed to convert.

YNS to show true colours

YAYASAN Negri Sembilan (YNS) will know if they are championship material when they play Tenaga and Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) back-to-back this weekend.
YNS, who scraped past a fighting Nur Insafi 2-1 on Sunday, should have no problem beating UniKL tomorrow before their big weekend.
"My Pakistan players (six of them) were a little too eager to attack in the first half as they were playing to the style which was taught to them.
"However, I told them to slow down the pace in the second half, and we managed to beat Nur Insafi," said YNS coach K. Rajan.
With the opening weekend out of the way, Rajan is confident his team will be ready for Tenaga and KLHC.
"By then, I would have had enough time to train the foreign players to play as a team with the locals and be ready to give Tenaga and KLHC a tough time as we are looking to upset the form book this season."
Rajan, a former Tenaga and national juniors coach, feels the tournament is still open and the front runners must not take any team lightly.
"Nur Insafi were the whipping boys last season, but I believe they will trouble even KLHC and Tenaga as well as Sapura," said the experienced coach.
YNS were saved the blushes by their Pakistan penalty corner flicker Ihsan Ullah Khan, who scored both their goals off penalty corners.
"Ihsan is a former international and he has the power, and I need to work a little on the direction. I believe he will be an asset. When he was playing for Pakistan, he never got a chance to flick during penalty corners as Sohail (Abbas) was at his best then," said Rajan.