IPOH – The Speedy Tigers displayed an intense performance despite their 2-1 friendly defeat to South Korea at the Azlan Shah Stadium in Ipoh today.
It was Malaysia’s final preparation before their Sultan Azlan Shah Cup opener against Pakistan on Saturday, and the team showed urgency, teamwork and better defending in the fourth quarter of the match.
Prior to their friendly against the world number 11 Koreans, the national hockey team bounced back twice to beat Paris Olympics-bound New Zealand 3-2 in another friendly yesterday.
South Korea, under the guidance of Min Tae-seok, did not show any compassion to Sarjit Singh’s side, launching a total of eight attacks in the first quarter, resulting in Son Dain putting his side into a 1-0 lead.
The Taegeuks, who have won the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup three times (1996, 2010 and 2019), went 2-0 up through Jung Hyun-ho’s penalty corner in the second quarter.
Malaysia dominated the last two quarters, receiving a total of six penalty corners in a match which saw a total of 12 fouls committed by both sides due to the heavy downpour.
Syed Syafiq Syed Cholan scored the consolation goal for Malaysia through a penalty corner.
Speaking to Scoop, national head coach Sarjit said that he was impressed with his charges’ attitude in attempting a comeback after conceding early.
He further acknowledged his side’s ability to follow his tactics, where they could be clearly seen pressing their opponents throughout the match.
“We played really well against South Korea today, and I’m happy with the way my boys were pressuring our opponents on the highline.
“Honestly speaking, we had more chances to score in the match, and we looked like a better side despite playing with a young team.
“I’m also glad that the boys were fighting non-stop and showed no fear to our opponents.
“They have impressed me a lot in both the friendlies and it’s my duty now as a coach to ensure that every one of them gets an equal amount of playing time when the tournament commences,” said Sarjit.
The tournament, scheduled to kick off in Ipoh from May 4 to 11, will see six teams participating – Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Korea and defending champions Malaysia.
Malaysia will open their Sultan Azlan Shah Cup campaign against world number 15s Pakistan on Saturday.
Sarjit, 61, was appointed head coach by the Malaysian Hockey Confederation on a two-year contract.
His main target is to build a formidable team for the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya and lead the Speedy Tigers to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
In addition to the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup and the Nations Cup in Poland, his team will participate in the Asian Champions Trophy in Inner Mongolia, China, scheduled for September 8 to 17.
The Speedy Tigers are currently ranked 13th in the world with 1,828.27 points. – May 2, 2024