KLHC keep clean record

KUALA Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) kept a clean record entering into the Second Round when they beat UniKL 4-0 in the Premier Division of the Malaysia Hockey League yesterday.
   KLHC, with maximum 15 points, got their goals off Syamim Yusof (seventh), Razie Rahim (ninth, 50th) and Akhtar Ali (31st).
  In another match, all-local outfit Tenaga Nasional beat Maybank 2-1, even though the Tigers had five foreign imorts in their ranks.
   Maybank took the lead off Hafifi Hafiz in the 43rd minute, but Tenaga replied two minutes later off Azammi Adabi and the winner was provided by veteran MHL player Amin Rahim with a powerful penalty corner drive in the 47th minute.
   Tenaga skipper Madzli Ikmar said their main problem is with converting chances into goals, as their attack-force is a young brigade.
   "We have Shahril (Saabah) upfront and he does most of the damage, but when he is rested, the young forwardline is still not ready to make sure when presented with a chance.
   "Overall, I believe the team has done well (with three wins) and we are looking forward to a better performance in the Second Round starting Sunday (today)," said Madzli.
   RESULTS: UniKL 0 KLHC 4; Tenaga 2 Maybank 1; Sapura 4 Terengganu HT 8.
  SUNDAY: Tenaga v KLHC (6pm, Pitch I); Maybank v Sapura (6pm, Pitch II); THT v UniKL (5pm, 
Terengganu).

STANDINGS

                                      P W D L F A Pts

KLHC                          5 5 0 0  19    5      15
TERENGGANU       5 4 0 1  22    10     12
TENAGA                  5 3 0 2     10    8    9
SAPURA                  4 1 1 3     8     16     4 
MAYBANK             5 0 2 3      8    13   2
UNIKL                     5 0 1 4       2    17   1

Hawgood for senior team?

THE Malaysian hockey team are set to receive an Australian coach, as soon as Neil Hawgood gets a release 

from the Indian HA.

Hawgood, 52, is a former Australian player who played in the 1988 Olympics. He played seven matches, 

scoring five goals, as the Australian team finished fourth.

Hawgood is currently coaching the Indian women’s team but he is expected to sort out his contract and be 

in Malaysia before the World League Round Two in Singapore on Jan 17-25. The Australian’s contract is till 

2016.

In the World League Round Two, top seeds Malaysia will play Bangladesh, Japan, Poland, Singapore, Oman 

and Ukraine. One more team will be the winners of the last Round One tournament which will be played in 

Suva, Fiji on Dec 6-13. The teams involved are Fiji, Samoa, Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu.

After Hawgood retired as a player, he had coaching stints in London, Scotland, Queensland, Western 

Australia and now India.

The Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) has been on the hunt for a foreign coach since South African 

Paul Revington left early in the year, and has been playing musical chairs with K. Dharmaraj, Arul Selvaraj 

and now Tai Beng Hai to lead the Singapore charge.

If Malaysia finish in the top three in Singapore, they will play in the semi-finals of the World League, either 

in Argentina or Belgium, for a shot at the 2016 Olympics.

MHC officials declined to comment on the latest development, as president Tengku Abdullah Sultan 

Ahmad Shah has imposed a gag order. 

Dharmaraj: Pressure on the chasing pack..

DEFENDING champions Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) are comfortable being the hare in the Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) Premier Division as the First Round Comes to an end Friday.
  Leading by one match over early favourites Terengganu Hockey Team, KLHC coach K. Dharmaraj aims to run down his opposition by keeping a clean slate.
  KLHC play bottom-placed UniKL today, where three points are almost assured.
  "Frankly speaking, we were lucky to beat THT (2-1), and top the charts entering into the second round. Now, all my players need to do is keep winning and place the pressure on the chasing team(s).
  "We need to keep the lead until we meet THT again in Round Two at their own back-yard," said Dharmaraj.
  After UniKL, KLHC meet Tenaga again in Round Two on Sunday and for the record, the four-time consecutive double champions beat Tenaga 5-3 in Round One.
  THT started promisingly with three wins, where their star was Faizal Saari, but after the five Koreans joined them, they lost some steam.
  "We will be playing at home (Terengganu) after this and I believe we will not drop any more points and out match against KLHC in Round Two will decide the League champions. So, nothing is lost yet, and there is plenty to look forward to," said THT coach Sarjit Singh.
  FRIDAY: UniKL v KLHC (6pm, Pitch I); Tenaga v Maybank (6pm, Pitch II); Sapura v Terengganu HT (8pm, Pitch II).
  SUNDAY: Tenaga v KLHC (6pm, Pitch I); Maybank v Sapura (6pm, Pitch II); THT v UniKL (5pm, Terengganu).

STANDINGS

                 P W D L F A Pts

KLHC             4 4 0 0 15 5  12
TERENGGANU       4 3 0 1 14 6  9
TENAGA           4 2 0 2 8  7  6
SAPURA           4 1 1 2 4  8  4
MAYBANK          4 0 2 2 7  11 2
UNIKL            4 0 1 3 2  13 1

KLHC on a roll...

DEFENDING champions Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) turned on the power in the third quarter to beat Sapura 4-0 and register their fourth consecutive win in the Premier Division of the Malaysia Hockey League Wednesday.
  KLHC have maximum points from four matches and they are three points ahead of second placed Terengganu Hockey Team.
  Defender Razie Rahim was on the roll as he gave KLHC the lead off their third penalty corner in the 34^th minute. It was his fifth goal in four matches.
  Rashid Baharom (35th), Akhtar Ali (39^th) and Ahmad Kazamirul Nasruddin (41^st) scored the other goals for KLHC.
   FRIDAY: UniKL v KLHC (6pm, Pitch I); Tenaga v Maybank (6pm, Pitch II); Sapura v Terengganu HT (8pm, Pitch II).
  SUNDAY: Tenaga v KLHC (6pm, Pitch I); Maybank v Sapura (6pm, Pitch II); THT v UniKL (5pm, Terengganu).

STANDINGS

                 P W D L F A Pts

KLHC             4 4 0 0 15 5  12
TERENGGANU       4 3 0 1 14 6  9
TENAGA           4 2 0 2 8  7  6
SAPURA           4 1 1 2 4  8  4
MAYBANK          4 0 2 2 7  11 2
UNIKL            4 0 1 3 2  13 1 

Sarjit: We'll be back..

PIC: SARJIT SINGH

KUALA Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) kept their bragging rights intact, while Terengganu Hockey Team (THT) are silently plotting for a Round Two comeback in the Premier Division of the Malaysia Hockey League.
  The star-studded THT, with five Koreans on their side and a host of national players, went down 1-2 to four-time consecutive double champions KLHC, but have not given up hope of winning their first League title.
  "Plenty of mistakes, and bungling a handful of sitters cost us the game, but the tournament still has six more matches to go, and we aim to keep a clean slate until we meet KLHC again in Round Two.
  "The initial goal of winning our first League title is still in sight," said THT coach Sarjit Singh.
  Terenggnau has pumped millions into the team, and Menteri Besar datuk Ahmad Razif was present to watch Sarjit and his men at the national stadium on Sunday.
  After three convincing wins, THT were supposed to stream-roll KLHC, but their penalty corner battery was stopped by good runs.
  "Congratulations to KLHC as they were the better team, but we aim to be the best at the end of the day," said Sarjit.
  KLHC captain Razie Rahim, who nailed thw winner, lauded his teammates for playing their hearts out for the victory.
  “It is an important victory for us because we were able to prove that we can still compete with THT despite them spending a huge sum of money on new players. For us, it was a team effort which made the difference."
  KLHC and THT are tied on nine points, but the champions have one match in hand and will play Sapura tomorrow as their weekend match was washed away by rain.
  "I have many things on my mind right now regarding the THT match, but i will keep it to myself and let my players do the talking on the pitch. Yes, we have a crucial week with three matches lined up, but that's the kind of challenge we thrive upon," said KLHC coach K. Dharmaraj.
  WEDNESDAY: KLHC v Sapura (6pm, Pitch II).

STANDINGS

               P W D L F A Pts

TERENGGANU     4 3 0 1 14   6    9
KLHC           3 3 0 0 11   5    9
TENAGA         4 2 0 2 8    7    6
SAPURA         3 1 1 1 4    4    4
MAYBANK        4 0 2 2 7    11   2
UNIKL          4 0 1 3 2    13   1