By Jugjet Singh
jugjet@nst.com.my
KUALA LUMPUR: Skuad hoki wanita negara tewas 3-1 kepada Korea Selatan pada perlawanan pertama Trofi Juara-Juara Asia di Donghae, Korea Selatan (Ahad).
Jaringan pertama skuad negara disumbangkan oleh Nurul Nabihah Mansur minit ke-32, namun Korea Selatan berjaya menyamakan kedudukan dua minit kemudian.
Korea terus mengukuhkan kedudukan dengan menambah dua gol lagi menerusi Kim Hyunji minit ke-43 dan Kim Bomi (m-55).
Esok, skuad negara akan bertemu China.
"Kami mendahului 1-0 pada suku ketiga tetapi Korea Selatan menjadikan kedudukan 2-1 selepas menyempurnakan dua pukulan sudut penalti.
"Pada suku keempat kami berjaya meraih pukulan sudut penalti tetapi terkena tiang gol. Korea berjaya menambah gol ketiga selepas itu.
"Pemain beraksi dengan baik sepanjang perlawanan. Bagi saya yang penting ialah mereka dapat memberikan saingan," kata ketua jurulatih, Muhammad Dhaarma Raj Abdullah.
Mengenai perlawanan dengan China, Dhaarma berkata: "China sangat kuat seperti pasukan lain yang membariskan pemain terbaik untuk ke Piala Dunia.
"China tidak beraksi hari ini, jadi adalah sangat baik sekiranya pemain saya dapat mempamerkan aksi yang sama seperti ketika bertemu Korea," katanya.
Satu lagi perlawanan menyaksikan India menewaskan Jepun 4-1.
Monday, May 14, 2018
Monday, May 7, 2018
JHL: The Good, Bad and UGLY...
By Jugjet Singh
jugjet@nst.com.my
COMMENT
KUALA LUMPUR: The Junior Hockey League (JHL) ended with a bang on Sunday, but together with the good there were also the bad and the very ugly on display.
Lets start with the ugly.
A team official picked a fight with a Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) technical official, who was on duty, and then went on to make a police report accusing the MHC official of many silly things.
The team official was let off with a warning, but he ruined the good name of his team.
Then the bad.
Some teams have been competing in the JHL for decades, but still could not get it right but keep on harping on their past records while doing nothing to improve the current situation.
Owners of these kind of clubs need to break free from these officials, and hire new blood if they want to become present champions or play in the knock-out stage more consistently.
If not, they can forever bask in their past glory, while other teams leave them miles behind.
Thankfully, good was plenty.
Tunku Mahkota Ismail Sports School (SSTMI) Thunderbolts, Anderson Thunderbolts, Pahang Sports School (AHP-SSP) Thunderbolts and SMK Datuk Bentara Luar-UniKL (SMKDBL-UNIKL-PHJ) -- to name a few.
SSTMI lifted their seventh Overall JHL title, Anderson finished second in the League for the first time, Pahang made back-to-back TNB Cup finals and Datuk Bentara Luar became the team to watch next season.
Datuk Bentara Luar, from Batu Pahat, beat Bukit Jalil Sports School (BJSS) Thunderbolts 2-1 in the quarter-finals -- to deny a Thunderbolts monopoly in the semifinals.
Datuk Bentara started as a Division Two outfit in 2013, and gained promotion to Division One in 2016 when they finished second behind Nur Insafi.
With funding from Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) Datuk Bentara ended eighth in 2016, sixth in 2017 but were knocked out of the quarter-finals by SSTMI Thunderbolts with a 5-0 hammering.
And with solid financial and coaching backing from UniKL, Datuk Bentara Luar will again be expected to break Thunderbolts' monopoly in the JHL next season.
The best news this season was undoubtedly SSTMI's backbone Akhimullah Anuar Esook's consistency.
He top-scored with 18 goals, last year it was 17, while in 2016 when he was only 16 he scored 11 goals. And in the recent Asian Youth Olympics Qualifier in Bangkok he scored 16 goals to become tournament top-scorer.
And Akhimullah can still play for SSTMI next year.
Teams which want to excel in the near future, take the good and sack the bad and ugly from their management team. Or, forever live in the past.
Sunday, May 6, 2018
TNB CUP: SSTMI and Penang champions
KUALA LUMPUR: Tunku Mahkota Ismail Sports School (SSTMI) Thunderbolts beat Pahang Sports School (AHP-SSP) Thunderbolts 4-0 to lift the men's Junior Hockey League (JHL) TNB Cup Sunday.
And as promised on the eve of the final, Akhimullah Anuar Esook scored in his third consecutive finals for SSTMI. Akhimullah delivered in the 25th and 34th minutes, after Izham Azhar opened scoring in the 23rd minute. The other goal was scored by Amirul Hamizan Azahar in the 52nd minute.
Wearing jersey No 10, the lanky Akhimullah has also scored in the 2016 and 2017 finals, and became the JHL top-scorer with 18 goals for the second consecutive year.
Last year, he top-scored with 17 goals.
And in the recent Bangkok Asian Youth Olympics Qualifier, a five-a-side tournament, Akhimullah scored 16 goals to hand Malaysia the silver and a ticket to the Buenos Aires, Argentina, Youth Olympics on Oct 6-18.
In the women's TNB Cup final, a solitary goal from Nurmaizatul Hanim Syafi in the 23rd minute was enough for Penang side MSSPP-PSHA to beat Kuala Lumpur's WIPERS-KLSS.
Penang women's coach Leo Vincey, when asked what's the magic, said: "No magic, just hard work and unity which saw my players win the TNB Cup."
Except for one girl, the rest of the players are all from Mutiara Impian School in Penang.
"This is a long term effort from the school, as well as the management of the team. Three of my girls were also good enough to be selected for the Bangkok Asian Youth Olympics Qualifier (where Malaysian women finished third) and the good news is that all my players are also eligible to play in next year's JHL, as they are 18 and below right now," said seasoned coach Leo Vincey.
RESULTS -- TNB CUP Final: Men -- Tunku Mahkota Ismail Sports School (SSTMI) Thunderbolts 4 Pahang Sports School (AHP-SSP) Thunderbolts 0.
Women -- Penang (MSSPP-PSHA) 1 Kuala Lumpur (WIPERS-KLSS) 0.
And as promised on the eve of the final, Akhimullah Anuar Esook scored in his third consecutive finals for SSTMI. Akhimullah delivered in the 25th and 34th minutes, after Izham Azhar opened scoring in the 23rd minute. The other goal was scored by Amirul Hamizan Azahar in the 52nd minute.
Wearing jersey No 10, the lanky Akhimullah has also scored in the 2016 and 2017 finals, and became the JHL top-scorer with 18 goals for the second consecutive year.
Last year, he top-scored with 17 goals.
And in the recent Bangkok Asian Youth Olympics Qualifier, a five-a-side tournament, Akhimullah scored 16 goals to hand Malaysia the silver and a ticket to the Buenos Aires, Argentina, Youth Olympics on Oct 6-18.
In the women's TNB Cup final, a solitary goal from Nurmaizatul Hanim Syafi in the 23rd minute was enough for Penang side MSSPP-PSHA to beat Kuala Lumpur's WIPERS-KLSS.
Penang women's coach Leo Vincey, when asked what's the magic, said: "No magic, just hard work and unity which saw my players win the TNB Cup."
Except for one girl, the rest of the players are all from Mutiara Impian School in Penang.
"This is a long term effort from the school, as well as the management of the team. Three of my girls were also good enough to be selected for the Bangkok Asian Youth Olympics Qualifier (where Malaysian women finished third) and the good news is that all my players are also eligible to play in next year's JHL, as they are 18 and below right now," said seasoned coach Leo Vincey.
RESULTS -- TNB CUP Final: Men -- Tunku Mahkota Ismail Sports School (SSTMI) Thunderbolts 4 Pahang Sports School (AHP-SSP) Thunderbolts 0.
Women -- Penang (MSSPP-PSHA) 1 Kuala Lumpur (WIPERS-KLSS) 0.
Saturday, May 5, 2018
JHL: SSTMI can bet on Akhimullah
KUALA LUMPUR: Akhimullah Anuar Esook will be playing in his third consecutive TNB Cup final Sunday, and Tunku Mahkota Ismail Sports School (SSTMI) Thunderbolts can bet on him to score.
For, the 18-year-old lanky lad scored in the final for SSTMI in 2016 as well as in 2017 and this season, he is the top-scorer with 16 goals.
STMI will be in battle with Pahang Sports School (AHP-SSP) Thunderbolts in a repeat final, with the odds heavily favouring Akhimullah and his mates.
In 2017, SSTMI beat AHP-SSP 4-3 on shoot-out after a 2-2 draw during regulation time, while in the 2016 final, Bukit Jalil Sports School beat SSTMI 4-3.
"I will be playing in my third consecutive final with SSTMI and I believe I will not disappoint my school. I scored in both the previous finals, and is experienced enough to handle the final pressure," said Akhimullah.
He is a budding player for the nation as well, as he scored 16 goals in the recent Asian Youth Olympics Qualifier in Bangkok to become tournament top-scorer.
He is no stranger to goals, as three years ago as a 16-year-old, he scored 11 goals in the JHL, and last year was the top-scorer on 17 goals.
"I always give my best in any match, and with help from my team-mates, I have been able to deliver the goals," said Akhimullah.
AHP-SSP coach Sufian Mohamad played down his team's chances.
"We lost to SSTMI 5-0 in the League (Akhimullah scored two goals), and I believe it will be uphill again in the final. We will go in as the underdogs," said Sufian.
SUNDAY: TNB CUP FINAL -- Men: AHP-SSP-Thunderbolts v SSTMI Thunderbolts (National Stadium II, 6.30pm).
Women: MSSPP-PSHA v WIPERS-KLSS (National Stadium II, 4.00pm).
Friday, May 4, 2018
JHL: SSTMI v Pahang SS repeat final
KUALA LUMPUR: Tunku Mahkota Ismail Sports School (SSTMI) Thunderbolts will play in a repeat final against AHP-SSP-Thunderbolts for the TNB Cup in the Junior Hokey League tomorrow (Sunday).
SSTMI beat SMK Datuk Bentara Luar-UniKL 3-1, while Pahang Sports School (AHP-SSP) Thunderbolts beat Anderson Thunderbolts 4-1 in the other semi-finals yesterday.
And last season, the final went to shoot-out after both teams were tied 2-2, with SSTMI winning 4-3.
Pahang SS coach Sufian Mohamad said Bangkok Asian Olympic Qualifier hero Noor Firdaus Rosdi was the toast of the match.
"Firdaus, who was named as the Best Player in the Bangkok qualifier, delivered for us with a hat-trick, and that gave us some breathing space," said Sufian.
Firdaus scored in the 27th, 55th and 59th minutes, while Syawal Abd Razak delivered the other Pahang goal in the 39th minute.
Syazwan Syafiq Basir scored for Anderson in the 51st minute.
SSTMI got their goals off Izzuan Ismail (11th), Arif Syafie Ishak (37th) and Fitri Khairul Ariffin (52nd). The Datuk Bentara consolation was delivered by Faiq Nazwan Azhar (55th).
Anderson team manager M. Kaliswaran said: "We let in two early goals and had no choice but to chase back by opening up the match, but we kept missing sitters while Pahang punished us further in counter-attacks."
However, Kaliswaran praised his charges who finished second in the League and managed to reach the semi-finals as well.
"We had a very good team and I expected them to reach the final, but they panicked after letting in two goals. But the end result is still good, as we finsihed second in the League as well."
RESULTS -- TNB Cup Semi-finals: AHP-SSP-Thunderbolts 4 Anderson Thunderbolts 1, SSTMI Thunderbolts 3 SMKDBL-UNIKL-PHJ 1.
SSTMI beat SMK Datuk Bentara Luar-UniKL 3-1, while Pahang Sports School (AHP-SSP) Thunderbolts beat Anderson Thunderbolts 4-1 in the other semi-finals yesterday.
And last season, the final went to shoot-out after both teams were tied 2-2, with SSTMI winning 4-3.
Pahang SS coach Sufian Mohamad said Bangkok Asian Olympic Qualifier hero Noor Firdaus Rosdi was the toast of the match.
"Firdaus, who was named as the Best Player in the Bangkok qualifier, delivered for us with a hat-trick, and that gave us some breathing space," said Sufian.
Firdaus scored in the 27th, 55th and 59th minutes, while Syawal Abd Razak delivered the other Pahang goal in the 39th minute.
Syazwan Syafiq Basir scored for Anderson in the 51st minute.
SSTMI got their goals off Izzuan Ismail (11th), Arif Syafie Ishak (37th) and Fitri Khairul Ariffin (52nd). The Datuk Bentara consolation was delivered by Faiq Nazwan Azhar (55th).
Anderson team manager M. Kaliswaran said: "We let in two early goals and had no choice but to chase back by opening up the match, but we kept missing sitters while Pahang punished us further in counter-attacks."
However, Kaliswaran praised his charges who finished second in the League and managed to reach the semi-finals as well.
"We had a very good team and I expected them to reach the final, but they panicked after letting in two goals. But the end result is still good, as we finsihed second in the League as well."
RESULTS -- TNB Cup Semi-finals: AHP-SSP-Thunderbolts 4 Anderson Thunderbolts 1, SSTMI Thunderbolts 3 SMKDBL-UNIKL-PHJ 1.
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