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By Devinder Singh
INTERIM national hockey coach Arul Selvaraj believes the new
four-quarter format to be used for the Asian Games will play to
Malaysia’s strengths.
The national team are looking to win the men’s hockey gold for the
first time which also brings with it qualification for the 2016 Rio De
Janeiro Olympics.
The new game duration — four quarters of 15 minutes each — compared
to the usual two halves of 35 minutes will place a greater premium on
speed.
Arul said that could work to Malaysia’s advantage as they look to press the opposition for shorter periods.
“It’s a format that is gaining acceptance in Europe though it is
still new to Asia,” he said upon arriving in Incheon yesterday.
“We have tried it out a few times and the game I think will see more attacking play and goals.
“You will certainly see more opportunities and with 15 minutes in
each quarter, you can go all out and send your subs in more often,
unlike the 35-minute halves where the pace can be slower.”
With each team limited to a roster of 16 players, Arul decided to pick just one goalkeeper in S. Kumar.
“I don’t think of ‘ifs’ in making the choice or you will never be
able to make a decision,” he said of the risk in bringing a solitary
goalkeeper.
“The players are aware of their roles and they know they have to
protect the goalkeeper. Hockey goalkeepers are the most protected anyway
with all their padding.
“In this format, I need legs to win matches and the players know what they are capable of doing.”
Malaysia open against Singapore tomorrow before facing Bangladesh, South Korea and Japan in Pool A.
The national team won silver four years ago in Guangzhou, after a
2-0 defeat by Pakistan in the final, in their best finish at the Asian
Games yet.
THE CIMB Classic will also welcome its first Chinese national after 15-year-old Guan Tianlang (pic) accepted a sponsor’s invite to compete at the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club (KLGCC) on Oct 30 to Nov 2.
Malaysia will have two representatives - Danny Chia who won the SapuraKencana National Qualifier, and the other spot going to the highest ranked local golfer in the world rankings as at Oct 20.
Guan Tianlang, China’s golf prodigy, is considered one of the best amateurs in the world and will play at the CIMB Classic under a sponsor’s invite.
Guan made global headlines when he became the youngest ever player to play and make the cut at last year’s Masters Tournament, earning rave reviews along the way.
The other exciting confirmations are from Major champions, the reigning FedExCup champion, Ryder Cup team members, CIMB Classic past champions and fast rising Asian stars.
Leading the early commitments is World No 3 Sergio Garcia of Spain, and he is joined by 2014 FedExCup champion Billy Horschel (US), as well as Asia's leading golfers Hideki Matsuyama and Ryo Ishikawa from Japan.
Defending champion Ryan Moore (US) will return to KLGCC to defend his CIMB Classic title, and also returning to the country is Malaysian Open Champion Lee Westwood (Eng).
Americans Jimmy Walker and Patrick Reed, who will join Garcia and Westwood at the 2014 Ryder Cup in Gleneagles, Scotland -- will also be in the exciting field.
The Classic, now into its fifth year, will feature a 78-player elite field, comprising 60 from the PGA Tour, 10 from the Asian Tour and eight sponsor’s exemptions.
“In just 5 years, the CIMB Classic has taken its place among the largest tournaments in the world and the stage is once again set for some world-class golf,” said Effendy Shahul Hamid, Group Chief Marketing & Communications Officer of CIMB Group.
“If these early commitments are anything to go by, come October, Malaysia will once again showcase a stellar collection of the best players from across the globe."
Garcia had three runner-up finishes on the 2013-14 PGA Tour season including the Open Championship and the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational. Garcia finished tied 11th at the 2013 CIMB Classic and finished the season ranked No 13 on the FedExCup standings.
Also returning to the Classic is Horschel, the newly minted FedExCup champion. Despite missing the cut at The Barclays, Horschel rallied and delivered one of the best closing stretches in PGA TOUR history, finishing tied-second at the Deutsche Bank Championship and winning both the BMW Championship and TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola, becoming the youngest FedExCup champion in history.
Horschel’s win at East Lake moved him into the top-15 of the Official World Golf Rankings.
Hideki Matsuyama and Ryo Ishikawa are two of the PGA Tour’s young and rising international stars and two of Japan's most recognised sportsmen.
THE Maybank Malaysian Open returns to the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club (KLGCC) on Feb 5-8 with a flushed purse of US3million.
The increase, from US$ 2.75 million this season, is the first part of an integrated multi-platform plan to mark Maybank’s 10th anniversary as the title sponsor.
“It fills me with great pride that Maybank has done its part to elevate our National Open to a world class tournament that is respected on both the European and Asian Tours.
“Next year marks the 10th year that Maybank will bring the Malaysian Open to its fans. And in highlighting our nations sports tourism destinations, we are thrilled to celebrate this historic milestone” said Tan Sri Megat Zaharuddin Megat Mohd Nor, Chairman of Maybank.
“Over the past nine years we have strived to make it better and stronger. Leading world major championship winners like Rory Mcllroy (Ire), Martin Kaymer (Ger), Louis Oosthuizen (S Africa), Charl Schwartzel (S Africa), and multiple-time winners like Lee Westwood (Eng), Thongchai Jaidee (Thai) and K.J Choi (S Kor) have graced the tournament over the years.
“Next year, with its February schedule, will see the list of golfing luminaries display a similarly exciting performance and the quality of play that will thrill spectators from around Asia,” said Megat Zaharuddin.
The Malaysian Golf Association (MGA), a long time partner to the event is also focused on ensuring that the National Open continues to be a tournament to watch out for.
“The Malaysian Open will celebrate its 54th edition next year, making it the country’s longest standing golf tournament. It’s a reflection of how far golf has developed in Malaysia and how this tournament has played a part in shaping the history of the game locally.
“In addition, the Open’s ability to consistently attract world-class golfers to our shores has deeply inspired our local professionals to raise the level of their game and also inspire a new breed of young talents to learn the finer aspects of competing on the international arena,” said MGA president Admiral (R) Tan Sri Mohd Anwar Mohd Nor.
The KLGCC will host the National Open for the seventh time in its history at the challenging West Course.
“Once again we have been chosen as the venue for our historical National Open. We regard it as an honour and are looking forward to shoulder the responsibility as the venue for the Open's 54th edition,” said KLGCC’s General Manager, Steven Thielke.
Prize money earned at the Maybank Malaysian Open 2015 will go towards the Asian Tour Order of Merit and will also count towards European Tour’s Race to Dubai at the end of 2015.
MALAYSIA Hockey League Premier Division double champions Kuala Lumpur HC has claimed the underdogs tag, as their hunt for quality players has hit a brick wall.
On the other hand, two-season team Terengganu are flushed with local and foreign talent, and look set to be the team to beat when the MHL starts on Oct 29.
KLHC, the four-time back-to-back double champions, will open accounts against Tenaga Nasional in the Charity Shield.
“I believe we will face a trough time this year, and it would be difficult to even make the top four as we have lost many players to other teams, and are also finding it difficult to source for foreign players as the Champions Trophy (13-21 Dec in India) will clash with the MHL.
“Like last year, we are also looking for six foreign players, but have yet to sign any due to the clash of dates,” said KLHC team manager George Koshy.
But KLHC can’t scout for top players from the eight Champions Trophy teams in India, Pakistan, Australia, Netherlands, Belgium, Argentina, England and Germany.
In the Premier Division last season, the seven teams which competed were KL Hockey Club, Tenaga Nasional, Maybank, Sapura, UniKL, Terengganu and MBI-Nur Insafi.
Terengganu, even with top local players, fared badly last season as they ended fifth out of seven teams in the league, and were also demoted to Division Two in the Razak Cup.
However, Terengganu are said to have signed six quality foreign players as well as national players to make them the favourites this season.
“Last year, Terengganu has the best local players but were unlucky they could not gel and play as a team. However, I believe they are ready in their second MHL season, and we can’t hope for them to hit another bad patch and hand us the titles,” said Koshy.
The final is slated on Dec 21 to give the national team time to prepare for the World League Second Round in Singapore on January 17-25.
If Malaysia fail to win gold in the Asian Games, where they will battle South Korea, India and Pakistan, the World League is a second chance to qualify for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
KUALA Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) and Tenaga Nasional will open the Malaysia Hockey League Premier Division curtain with a Charity Shield on Oct 29.
The MHL Premier Division is likely to see 10 teams competing when the entries close on Sept 24.
“We shifted the Charity Shield date to respect Deepavali celebrations on Oct 22. And by the time entries close, I expect at least 10 teams in the Premier Division,” said Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) competitions committee sec retary Hashim Yusoff.
Each team will be allowed to hire a maximum of six foreign players.
“The final is slated on Dec 21, this is to give the national team time to prepare for the World League Second Round in Singapore on January 17-25.
If Malaysia fail to win gold in the Asian Games, where they will battle South Korea, India and Pakistan, the World League is a second chance to qualify for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
In the Premier Division last season, the seven teams which competed were KL Hockey Club, Tenaga Nasional, Maybank, Sapura, UniKL, Terengganu and MBI-Nur Insafi.
And double champions KLHC will be the team to beat again this season.
