Kirandeep, Hasya given golden chance...

By Naqib Nor Said - June 9, 2018 @ 10:34pm

KUALA LUMPUR: National women’s hockey coach K. Dhaarmaraj has made a surprise move by calling up teenagers Kirandeep Kaur and Hasya Syahida Saifuddin to join the national team’s training camp.

Kirandeep and Hasya, who are 16 and 17-years-old respectively, attended training since Monday as part of a group of 26 players, as Dharmaraj has to make do without forward Nurul Nabihah Mansur who is pregnant.

"I have called up more younger players of late, regardless whether the player is as young as 16-years-old because the women’s hockey scene differs from the men’s,” said Dhaarmaraj.

"It is getting difficult nowadays to find young, talented players, so if I come across those with potential, I won’t think long and hard and will call them up to join the national team as trial players.

"In fact, India captain Rani Rampal who is now 23-years-old started representing her country at the 2010 World Cup when she was just 15-years-old. So if she can play on the international stage at such a young age, why can’t our own young players with talent such as Kirandeep and Hasya do the same?”

Such a scenario is nothing new for the national team, because since last year itself Dhaarmaraj has called up seven players under the age of 18 to train with the senior side.

Out of the seven players, three of them, Nurmaizatul Hanim, Syafi Sheikh Fuad and Nuramirah Syakirah Zulkifli have already played in two international championships while Nor Asfarina Isahyifika Issahidun earned her first cap during the Asia Champions Trophy in Donghae, South Korea just last month.

According to Dhaarmaraj, he first took notice of Kirandeep and Hasya’s budding talents during this year’s Malaysia Hockey League competition.

Champions Trophy: Good for Malaysia as well..

By Jugjet Singh

June 7, 2018 @ 5:00pm

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia will head for Perth to play in at least five friendlies against Australia in the run-up to the Jakarta Asian Games on Aug 19-Sept 1.
  The Games champion will receive direct entry into the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and Malaysia have set their mind on grabbing that historic ticket.
  And while Malaysia will play with the Aussies at the end of the month (with the composition of the Australian team yet to be known) Asian Games challengers India and Pakistan will be competing in the last edition of the Champions Trophy in Netherlands, on June 23-July 1.
  The other Asian teams which Malaysia must beat for gold in Jakarta are South Korea, China and Japan (qualified for Olympics as hosts).
  And when Malaysian coach Stephen van Huizen was asked about India and Pakistan's preparation: "Both the teams will be getting maximum exposure at the Champions Trophy, and I expect them to gain important exposure playing against top teams in the world ahead of the Asian Games."
  The other teams in the Champions Trophy are Netherlands, Australia (2014 World Cup champions), Argentina (2016 Olympic champions) and Belgium (2016 Olympic silver medallists).
  But there is also a plus factor for Malaysia in the Champions Trophy, where India and Pakistan will play the first match.
  "We will be able to watch Pakistan and India play in a real competitive tournament atmosphere and it will reveal how much both the teams have progressed and will also give us some insight on what to expect from them in Jakarta," said van Huizen.
  Pakistan have improved much under new coach Roelant Oltmans from Netherlands, as they held Malaysia to a 1-1 darw in the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games recently.
  "We drew with them 1-1 barely a week after Oltmans took over, so it would be interesting to see how much they have improved under the Dutch coach in the Champions Trophy. We can learn much about their form, from their matches in the Netherlands."
  The Champions Trophy was incepted in 1978 by Pakistan's Air Marshal Malik Nur Khan and the Pakistan Hockey Federation, and this will be the last tournament as the International Hockey Federation (FIH) will no longer host it anymore.
  Malaysia will be trying to break their jinx of winning the Asian Games Gold medal in Jakarta, as the highest was a silver medal in 2010 
Guangzhou, China, where Pakistan won 2-0 and qualified for the 2012 London Olympics.
  For the record, Malaysia last played at the Sydney 2000 Olympics.

1Mas programme runs out of money

By Jugjet Singh

June 4, 2018 @ 5:03pm

KUALA LUMPUR: The 1Mas Hockey Development programme, that has produced players for the men and women’s national teams, will be discontinued.

Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) president Datuk Seri Subahan Kamal said funds for the programme has dried out.

The 1Mas programme was started by the MHC in 2010 with an aim to widen the base of quality young players in the country.

While it did not work out in some states, the others are still actively involved with the grassroots initiative.

"The funding for 1Mas has dried out and we will stop the programme,” said Subahan.

“However, 1Mas development director Tai Beng Hai has been entrusted to come up with a new module on how to continue development at state level, under a new name, of course," said Subahan.

The programme, which focuses on the 13 and under group, produced several players who went on to represent the country.

"The 1Mas did help strengthen the base and also provided quality players for the national team but we have to discontinue it,” he said.

Beng Hai has been given a month to come up with a new plan and present it to MHC.

The decision to stop the programme could affect development in states.

At the recent National Under-16 Championships, 1Mas boys chief coach S. Velappan noted that players are of better quality in the tournament thanks to the development initiative.

“Some boys, who were under 1Mas, had very good basics and were skillful compared to the previous editions,” said Velappan.

Better chance in MHC's Plan B..

MHC at WORK..

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) are confident of playing in the Tokyo Olympics aftar a lapse of 20 years, and to make sure, they have put Plan B into motion.
  Failing which, MHC president Datuk Seri Subahan Kamal reitrated that he will not seek re-election next year.
  "We are confident our men will qualify for the Tokyo Olympics by winning the Asian Games gold medal in Jakarta. But just to make sure, we will also bid for the World Series Final in June next year, which offers two tickets to the Olympics.
  "And if we fail at both attempts, I will not seek re-election, as I have said many times before," said Subahan after MHC's 12th Executive Board meeting.
  The Asian Games in Jakarta offers only the champion to play in the OLympics, a feat last achieved by Malaysia at the 2000 Olympcis. 
  The World Series is a better option, as many double qualifiers will also make the round and the early indications are that Malaysia only need to make the semi-finals to qualify for Olympics after 20 years.
  "The MHC knows it will not be easy to win the Asian Games gold and that's why we extended every help we could to Stephen van Huizen (coach) and his men.
  "They played six matches in Argentina, and even though they lost the first four, they managed to draw the Fifth and win the Sixth Test to show progress," said Subahan.
  The International Hockey Federation (FIH) have invited Malaysia to bid for the men's World Series: "We did not ask, but were offered by the FIH to put in a bid for the men's tournament. Which means we are almost assured of hosting the event in June 2019. Simultaneously, we will also bid for the Women's World Series as well as the next World Cup (2022)," said Subahan.
  In Argentina, Malaysis lost the first four matches 1-0, 6-1, 7-2, 2-1 and then drew the Fifth Test 1-1, before winning the Sixth Test 2-1.
  And for the record, Malaysia only managed to enter the final of the Asian Games once in 2010 in Guangzhou, China, but lost 2-0 to Pakistan.
  The Asian Games was incepted in 1958, and Malaysia only have one silver and six bronze medals to show.
  Malaysia need to beat India, Pakistan, South Korea and China as well as early Olympic qualifier Japan, as hosts, in Jakarta.
  And while Malaysia played Six Test matches against Argentina, India and Pakistan will be playing in the last Champions Trophy in Breda, Netherlands, on June 23-July 1.
  Netherlands, Australia, Argentina and Belgium are the other teams.
  Malaysia only qualified to play in the Champions Trophy twice, and both times as hosts -- 1993 (ended sixth) and 2007 (ended eighth).
  And our Jakarta Asian Games opponents India have played 16 times in the Champions Trophy, while Pakistan 32 times since its inception in 1978.
  History does not favour Malaysia to win the Asian Games gold, but nothing is impossible if one puts mind and heart into it.

TEST 6: A win for Malaysia, finally...

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian men's hockey team finally won a match after five tries against Olympic champions Argentina in Buenos Aires yesterday.
  Coach Stephen van Huizen and his men lost the first four matches 1-0, 6-1, 7-2, 2-1 and then drew the Fifth Test 1-1, before winning the Sixth Test 2-1.
  This is the second win against Argentina this year, as Malaysia beat them 2-1 in the pool stage of the Azlan Shah Cup, but then lost 3-2 in the Third-Fourth placing match.
  Malaysia travelled to Argentina to look for a strong sparring partner in their bid to win gold at the Jakarta Asian Games and qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, but the Argies fielded 10 new players and only eight Olympians in the Six-Test series.
  Shahril Saabah (18th) and Haziq Samsul (22nd) scored for Malaysia while Olympian Pedro Ibarra scored in the 41st minute.
  Van Huizen said this was their best game on the Tour.
  "Best game on the Tour as it was hard work all the way. Shahril scored when Razie (Rahim's) overhead flick was not collected cleanly by Gilardi (Juan). 
  "He ran and hit a high reverse to beat Vilvardi (Juan) in goal. They kept coming at us but we fought hard to keep them out and counter attack when we won possession.
  "In another breakaway before half time Haziq scored when the ball rebounded off the goal post.
  "They threw everything at us but we defended well to earn a deserved win. Proud of the players and the turnaround in the last two games (draw and then win)."
  Van Huzien believes his charges phusical condition is much better after the Commonwealth Games.
  "The tempo of the games here were very high. All the hard work the last three weeks has helped the players to play till the end of every match."
  Malaysia must beat South Korea, Pakistan, India, Japan and China in the Asian Games if they want to win gold and qualify for the Olympics -- which we last played in 2000 Sydney.
  The Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) have yet to release the Asian Games grouping, but Malaysia will meet all the teams above either at the group or knock-out stage in Jakarta.