UniKL: Giant-killers or bust...

PIC: Arul Selvaraj

UNIVERSITI Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) have a chance to turn giant-killers, provided they upset Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) Premier Division leaders Friday.
  Riding on two wins from last weekend, UniKL are hoping for another positive show against KLHC at the Kuala Lumpur Hockey Stadium.
  UniKL edged Tenaga Nasional 1-0 in the League Sunday and on Tuesday beat Maybank, also 1-0, in the Tan Sri P. Alagendra knockout tournament.
  Their only blemish so far is a 3-0 opening defeat to Sapura.
  KLHC, on the other hand, got off to a rousing start by defeating double champions Terengganu Hockey Team 2-1 in their opening match before trashing Sapura 5-2.
  Therefore UniKL are  bracing themselves for all possibilities, asKLHC look much stronger this year despite not having Razie Rahim and Nabil Fiqri.
  "There is no doubt that KLHC are the favourites to win this match and getting even a point off them can be considered a victory of sorts," said UniKL coach Arul Selvaraj.
  "We need to be tight at the back and pack the midfield as they have quality players that can capitalise on half a chance.
  " And then there is also the penalty corners that we need to avoid conceding as KLHC are deadly in this area."
  UniKL have been relying on good tactical play to overcome their more fancied opponents thus far.
  "We need to focus on our game and not pay to much attention to any particular player in KLHC as realistically we have nothing to lose but everything to gain from this match."
  FRIDAY: Premier Division -- Maybank v Sapura (Malacca, 6pm), UniKL v KLHC (KLHA, 6pm), Tenaga v Terengganu HT (KLHA, 8pm).
  ALAGENDRA CUP -- Quarter-finals (Aug 30): Terengganu Hockey Team v Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (Batu Buruk, 5.30pm)); Politeknik Malaysia v SSTMI (Taman Daya, 5.00pm)); Sapura Hockey Club v ATM Airod (KLHA, 8.00pm); Universiti Kuala Lumpur v Tenaga Nasional Berhad (KLHA Stadium, 6.00pm).

PREMIER DIVISION

        P  W  D  L  F  A  Pts
KLHC 2  2  0  0  7  3  6
THT 2  1  0  1  6  3  3
SAPURA 2  1  0  1  5  5  3
UNIKL 2  1  0  1  1  3  3
MAYBANK 2  1  0  1  5  8  3
TENAGA 2  0  0  2  3  5  0

Knock-out Alagendera Cup

THE knock-out Tan Sri P. Alagendra Cup will be held Tuesday, with Premier Division sides Universiti Kuala Lumpur and Maybank involved a do-or-die battle at the Kuala Lumpur HA Stadium.

  Double champions Terengganu Hockey Team and Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) will await the outcome of Tuesday's matches before joining the other six in the quarter-finals, where another fresh draw would be held.

  The Round of 16, however, is expected to see Premier Division sides Sapura and Tenaga breeze past their Division One opponents.

  UniKL coach Arul Selvaraj said his team will give equal weightage to the newly introduced Alagendra Cup.

  Fresh from the 1-0 win over Tenaga Nasional in the Premier Division, UniKL will be hoping for the same result against Maybank.

  "We are taking both the league and knockout seriously and there is no question on that," said Arul.

   " It will be a tough match as Maybank are a good side and have an all-round strength.

  " We need to be both tactically and physically ready for this match as playing another match barely 48 hours after the last match can be taxing.

  "I will field the same side as I did against TNB as really there is no necessity to invoke any changes,"

  UniKL were a class act against Tenaga, with Baljit Singh and Mohamad Tousiq leading the way with outstanding displays.

  And the younger players gained in confidence as the match progressed, resulting in the win.

  "We may lack experience but the players make it up with fighting qualities and in a knock-out match it's important to make chances count as there is no second chance."

  TUESDAY: Sapura v Nur Insafi (Tun Razak, 6pm), Tenaga v UiTM-KPT (KLHA, 6pm), Ipoh City Council v ATM Airod (Azlan Shah, 6pm), BJSS V SSTMI (Ministry of Education, 6pm), Politeknik v TNB Thunderbolts (Taman Daya, 5pm), Maybank v UniKL (KLHA, 8pm).

Mirnawan: Don't cheat yourself...

THREE-TIME Olympian Mirnawan Nawawi bathed in sweat and blood before achieving the highest glory as skipper and Flag Bearer for the nation.

  And yesterday, when this interview was being held, he again gave blood for the nation.

  This time it was during a Blood Donation drive.

  "I have tears on my limbs, tears and broken teeth to show over the years of representing the country in hockey... but all of it has turned into sweet memories today," said Mirnawan.

  Starting with the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, he went on to play in the 1996 Atlanta and Sydney 2000. His last show was at the 2002 Kuala Lumpur World Cup, where he broke a few front teeth.

  "Arriving at the Olympics as an athlete is the grandest feeling one can ever achieve and the memories will never go away. 

  "That's how special it is," said Mirnawan.

  This coming from an athlete who has played in three Asian Games, one Champions Trophy and two World Cups.

  "My best memory was being the Flag Bearer in Sydney 2000 where I lef the Malaysian contingent into the Olympic Stadium. I still get goosebumps just thinking about that!

  But it was never easy for the Malacca-born athlete, and his advise is to be sincere to oneself and not cheat on training.

  "The most important factor to achieve a ticket to the Olympics and World Cup is to be truthful in training. Don't cheat the coaches by doing one less push-up, or one less lap around the stadium when they are not looking.

  "Run and train harder then the others, and even when one is on break from national camp, keep the same training momentum and don't cheat.

  "Cos in the end, all the cheating and skimming will take you nowhere near the Olympic stadium."

  Now a TV sports commentator, Mirnawan remembers how running the extra mile made him among the reared forwards in the world.

  "All the extra training on my own made me nimble and light footed, and I could almost 'fly' with the ball. Don't cheat, and chase the impossible dream until you land it on your laps."

  Mirnawan is still active as manager of the national juniors as well as with his attachment with Universiti Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club.

  And his next mission: "To see Malaysia qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. That would be my fourth appearance as an official."

Mike: Llive your dream...

MANINDERJIT Singh (left) had a dream of playing in the hockey World Cup and Olympics, and he never regretted giving half his life to the sport.

  The two-time Olympian played for the country in 1996 Atlanta and was among the last hockey players to see action four years later in Sydney.

  Malaysian hockey failed to qualify for the Olympics since, but Maninderjit has a formula.

  "Dream, athletes must dream of playing in the Olympics and World Cups before they can finally claim glory. That was what I did as a youth struggling to play hockey in Klang.

  "I dreamed of representing the country in the Olympics, and with a detailed plan and training hard on my own after official training is over, I achieved my target of playing in two Olympics," said Maninderjit.

  And it was worth the blood and sweat he spilled on the artificial pith over the years.

  "When I reached Atlanta in 1996, I was in tears of joy and the Games Village was awesome as we could mingle freely with the NBA Stars (The Dream team) and sprinters Michael Johnson and Maurice Greene (Sydney 2000).

  "They were icons, and still are. I admired their discipline at the Village, and it stuck with me for the rest of my life," said Maninderjit who last played in the 2002 Kuala Lumpur World Cup.

  A disciplined man himself, Maninderjit never likes to give up in any match -- even a friendly.

  "Play every match like its a final, never take friendlies lightly. If you want to compete as an athlete in the Olympics and World Cup, every time you take to the field, give your very best. Because once over, the moment will never return but remain as good or bad memories," said the Olympian.

  Malaysia finished 11th both times in Atlanta and Sydney, but it made Maninderjit into a complete athlete.

Advise from first hockey Olympian...

Pic: Receiving the Jalur Gemilang from the King as Chef de Mission for Sydney 2000 Olympics.

TAN SRI P.  Alagendra was among the first Malaysian Hockey Olympians to compete in the 1956 Melbourne Games and he still remembers it like it was yesterday.

  "How old do you think I am,? the former Selangor Chief Police Officer questioned before this scribe could even shoot a question.

  About 85?

  "No 87, and I was 27 and at the prime of my life when Malaya sent their first hockey team for the Olympics," said the still sharp Alagendra.

  He went on to hold numerous positions in the then Malaysian Hockey Confederation and Asian Hockey Federation, but as a player he cherished his Olympic moments.

  Alagendra represented the country at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, coached the team to the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, and was the assistant manager at the 1968 Mexico Olympics and 1972 Montreal Games. 

  He capped his Olympic career as Malaysia’s Chef-de-Mission to the 2000 Sydney Games.

  "Everything was different back then. The ball, hockey stick, playing field and rules were as different as the moon and earth," lamented Alagendra.

  Looking forward, Alagendra feels to be and Olympian is the ultimate height an athlete can climb.

  "There is nothing higher than the world cup and Olympics for athletes to cherish, and personally, I believe Olympics is the pinnacle of sports.

  "For, it was here that I learned many things which changed my life for the better as a human and administrator of the sport for decades to come.

  "Firstly, after mingling with the best athletes from around the globe it hit me that self discipline is what one needs to break new barriers.

  "Coaches and officials can train and motivate during official training, but what an athlete does when he is on his own is what matters most in the end.

  "One must be disciplined enough to carry on the routines taught even during off season time, and even when one has many other important things to do.

  "Self training will see the athlete become a house-hold name."

  And his advise to hockey who last saw action in Sydney 2000?

  "It has been 16 years since hockey last made the Olympics, and everybody must work together to make sure in that we qualify for Tokyo 2020. Again, coaches can only impart so much, the hockey players who want to compete in Tokyo four years from now must have the self drive, discipline and motivation to realise their dreams."