Kumar back on Monday...

By Jugjet Singh

April 21, 2018 @ 7:44pm

(HARIAN METRO)

BERITA gembira buat skuad hoki kebangsaan apabila penjaga gol, S Kumar sudah boleh beraksi mulai Isnin ini selepas ‘menjalani hukuman’ susulan gagal ujian doping, Oktober lalu.
  Konfederasi Hoki Malaysia (MHC) akan mengadakan sidang media, Isnin bagi mengumumkan keputusan Persekutuan Hoki Antarabangsa (FIH) yang tidak menghukum Kumar lebih lanjut selepas enam bulan tersisih sejak keputusan ujian itu diumumkan.
  Khabar gembira itu disahkan sumber yang boleh dipercayai kepada Sukan NSTP.
  Kumar gagal ujian doping ketika saingan Piala Asia di Dhaka, Bangladesh, Oktober lalu apabila sampel air kencingnya didapati mengandungi sibutramine, salah satu bahan larangan Agensi Anti Doping Dunia (WADA).
  Malaysia tewas 1-2 di tangan India pada final Piala Asia dan itu adalah persembahan terbaik skuad negara sebelum Kumar digantung.
  Malaysia menamatkan saingan di tempat keempat dan kelima ketika pertandingan Piala Sultan Azlan Shah dan Sukan Komanwel baru-baru ini.
  Bagaimanapun perkembangan terbaru itu menyaksikan Kumar bakal diturunkan untuk menghadapi Sukan Asia Indonesia dari 18 Ogos hingga 2 September nanti.
  Sumber itu berkata, Kumar tidak perlu menghadiri sesi pendengaran FIH kerana rekod bersihnya dalam hoki selain tidak menunjukkan penggunaan bahan terlarang berkenaan adalah untuk meningkatkan prestasinya.
  Kebiasaannya, sibutramine digunakan untuk menguruskan badan.
  Kumar mewakili Malaysia sebanyak 295 kali di pentas antarabangsa selain menjalani 10 ujian doping sepanjang kariernya dengan semuanya adalah negatif.
  Dia tidak menjalani latihan bersama skuad negara selepas ujiannya didapati positif namun tempoh enam bulan tidak akan menjadi masalah kepada Kumar untuk kembali berada pada tahap terbaik menjelang Sukan Asia.
  Malaysia berharap untuk memenangi emas pertama hoki Sukan Asia dan layak ke Olimpik Tokyo 2020 dengan kehadiran penjaga gol berpengalaman itu pasti mengukuhkan lagi benteng negara.

Kumar: Back in action Monday..

By Jugjet Singh

April 21, 2018 @ 7:44pm

(BERITA HARIAN)

KUALA LUMPUR: Berita gembira buat skuad hoki kebangsaan apabila penjaga gol, S Kumar sudah boleh beraksi mulai Isnin ini selepas 'menjalani hukuman' susulan gagal ujian doping, Oktober lalu.

Konfederasi Hoki Malaysia (MHC) akan mengadakan sidang media, Isnin bagi mengumumkan keputusan Persekutuan Hoki Antarabangsa (FIH) yang tidak menghukum Kumar lebih lanjut selepas enam bulan tersisih sejak keputusan ujian itu diumumkan.

Khabar gembira itu disahkan sumber yang boleh dipercayai kepada Sukan NSTP.

Kumar gagal ujian doping ketika saingan Piala Asia di Dhaka, Bangladesh, Oktober lalu apabila sampel air kencingnya didapati mengandungi sibutramine, salah satu bahan larangan Agensi Anti Doping Dunia (WADA).

Malaysia tewas 1-2 di tangan India pada final Piala Asia dan itu adalah persembahan terbaik skuad negara sebelum Kumar digantung.

Malaysia menamatkan saingan di tempat keempat dan kelima ketika pertandingan Piala Sultan Azlan Shah dan Sukan Komanwel baru-baru ini.

Bagaimanapun perkembangan terbaru itu menyaksikan Kumar bakal diturunkan untuk menghadapi Sukan Asia Indonesia dari 18 Ogos hingga 2 September nanti.

Sumber itu berkata, Kumar tidak perlu menghadiri sesi pendengaran FIH kerana rekod bersihnya dalam hoki selain tidak menunjukkan penggunaan bahan terlarang berkenaan adalah untuk meningkatkan prestasinya.

Kebiasaannya, sibutramine digunakan untuk menguruskan badan.

Kumar mewakili Malaysia sebanyak 295 kali di pentas antarabangsa selain menjalani 10 ujian doping sepanjang kariernya dengan semuanya adalah negatif.

Dia tidak menjalani latihan bersama skuad negara selepas ujiannya didapati positif namun tempoh enam bulan tidak akan menjadi masalah kepada Kumar untuk kembali berada pada tahap terbaik menjelang Sukan Asia.

Malaysia berharap untuk memenangi emas pertama hoki Sukan Asia dan layak ke Olimpik Tokyo 2020 dengan kehadiran penjaga gol berpengalaman itu pasti mengukuhkan lagi benteng negara.

Kumar back in action...

By Jugjet Singh

April 21, 2018 @ 7:44pm

KUALA LUMPUR: Great news for the Malaysian hockey team. Goalkeeper S. Kumar, who failed a doping test in October, will be back in action on Monday after serving his “suspension”.

   The Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) will hold a press conference on Monday to announce the International Hockey Federation's (FIH) decision not to penalise Kumar any further than the six months that he has been out in the cold.

   NSTP Sport came to know about this latest development from a reliable source.

  Kumar failed a doping test during the Asia Cup in Dhaka, Bangladesh in October when a small amount of sibutramine, prohibited by the World Anti Doping Agency (Wada), was found in his urine sample.

  Malaysia lost to India 2-1 in the final of the Asia Cup, which was their best performance before Kumar was banned.

  Once rated as the No 1 goalkeeper in Asia, Kumar did not play in the recent Azlan Shah Cup and Commonwealth Games, where Malaysia finished fourth and fifth respectively.

  However, Kumar will now be available for the Asian Games in Jakarta on Aug 18-Sept 2.

  The source said Kumar did not even have to attend any FIH hearing because of his good record, as well as his declaration that he did not use any substance to enhance his performance. Sibutramine is normally used for slimming purposes.

  Kumar has amassed 295 caps for the country and undergone about 10 doping tests throughout his career, testing negative in all.

  He did not train with the national players after his urine sample was found to be positive, but six months of being away from the sport should pose no problems for Kumar to get back into shape for the Asian Games. 

  With Malaysia hoping to win their first Asian Games gold medal and qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, an experienced goalkeeper will certainly help their cause.

JHL Div 2 final: Penang the underdogs

KUALA LUMPUR: Penang's MSSP-PSHA feel they will be entering the field as underdogs against Malacca's MBMB Warriors in the Division Two final of the Junior Hockey League (JHL) today.
  Malacca were Group A champions with a clean record in six matches, and they scored a mammoth 47 goals and only let in only three.
  As for Penang, they emerged as Group B champions with five wins and a draw, scoring 39 goals and letting in six.
  "I have watched Malacca play and they are a well rounded team and so I believe we will be the underdogs in the final," said team manager Yap Gark Soo.
  But that does not mean Penang is going to take it lying down.
  "Having reached this far, I know my players will again give their very best to claim the title before playing in the tougher Division One next season," said Gark Soo.
  Malacca and Penang are both worty winners of a promotion next season, while Old La Sallians Association of Klang (Olak) and Perlis Young Lions will be relegated to Division Two.
   RESULTS -- Division One: Pahang Thunderbolts 3 Anderson Thunderbolts 0, Perlis Young Lions 1 SMKDBL-UniKL 3.
  Division Two: Group X: MSSP-PSHA Juniors 0 KL Vipers 3; Group Y: TBSS Tampin 2 Anderson PHA 4.
  SUNDAY -- Division One: SSTMI v Sabah SS Resilient (SSTMI, 5pm).
  Division Two: Final -- MBMB Warriors (Malacca) v MSSPP-PSHA (Penang) (National Stadium Pitch II, 7.15pm); Third-Fourth: KL Vipers v Anderson PHA (National Stadium Pitch II, 5pm).
  TUESDAY: Old La Sallians Association of Klang v Sabah SS Resilient (Pandamaran, 5pm), PJCC Tigers v BJSS Thudnerbolts (PJCC Stadium, 5pm).

JHL Div 2: Penang v Malacca final

KUALA LUMPUR: Malacca's MBMB Warriors and Penang's MSSP-PSHA wil play in the Division Two final of the boys Junior Hockey League (JHL) on Sunday.
  MBMB Warriors, who had beaten TBSS Tampin 4-1 earlier, topped Group Y when they beat Anderson PHA 6-2 at the National Stadium yesterday.
  And MSSP-PSHA edged KL Vipers 1-0 to top Group X, as they had beaten their Juniors 4-3 on Thursday.
  Penang's winner was scored by Haikal Danial in the 35th minute. The goal also will see Penang promoted to Division One next season.
  Malacca's six were scored by Fakhri Zaide (first), Hafizi Zainudin (26th), Amir Saifuddin (29th), Hariz Kamar (33rd), Hafizi Zainudin (41st), Amirul Syukri (46th), 
  And Anderson goals were scored by Amar Mustaqim Che Said (50th) and Rafiqul Husni 60th).
  The win also saw Warriors gain promotion to Division One next season, ironically, they had declined to be promoted to the higher level this season -- 'because they were not ready yet'.
  Malacca, who finished third in Division Two last season, were 'promoted' to Division One when Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) did not put up a team.
  "We declined promotion when UniKL pulled out because we were not ready for the tougher division yet. We wanted to become champions in Division Two, and be promoted on merit.
  "Now that we have earned it, we will play in the higher division next season. We still have one more match to claim the title, and even though some of my players are carrying injuries, I believe we can claim another victory," said MBMB Warriors coach Norikram Sulaiman.
  Division Two, 20 teams divided into three groups, will see the top two teams in each group battle in Group X and Group Y, with the champions playing in the final while the second placed teams play for the bronze.
  The three teams in Group X are KL Vipers, MSSPP-PSHA Jnrs and MSSPP-PSHA while in Group Y are TBSS Tampin, Anderson PHA and MBMB Warriors.
  RESULTS: Division Two -- Group Y: Anderson PHA 2 MBMB Warriors 6; Group X: KL Vipers 0 MSSP-PSHA 1.
  SATURDAY -- Division One: Pahang Thunderbolts v Anderson Thunderbolts (National Stadium Pitch, 5pm), Perlis Young Lions v SMKDBL-UniKL (Kangar, 5pm).
  Division Two: Group X: MSSP-PSHA Juniors v KL Vipers (National Stadium Pitch II, 5pm); Group Y: TBSS Tampin v Anderson PHA (National Stadium Pitch II, 7.15pm).
  SUNDAY -- Division One: SSTMI v Sabah SS Resilient (SSTMI, 5pm).
  Tuesday: Old La Sallians Association of Klang v Sabah SS Resilient (Pandamaran, 5pm), PJCC Tigers v BJSS Thudnerbolts (PJCC Stadium, 5pm).