IPOH – Japan, on course to clinch its inaugural Sultan Azlan Shah Cup title, has made it clear that Malaysia will not stand in their way of lifting the trophy.
Both sides will meet each other later today for their fourth fixture in the invitational tournament at the Azlan Shah Stadium.
The Samurais, making only their second appearance at the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup after the 2022 edition, fielded a team with an average age of 24 years under the tutelage of former 2006 World Cupper Yoshihiro Anai.
They have remained undefeated in the tournament after three matches.
Japan’s best performance in the history of the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup was finishing fourth in the 2022 edition. They lost 5-3 to Pakistan in the playoff for the bronze medal.
Anai said that his world number 16 side has everything in their locker to defeat their world number 13 opponents.
However, Anai said that Speedy Tigers’ forward Muhammad Azrai Aizad Abu Kamal will be his side’s biggest threat during the game.
The 24-year-old Azrai, who emerged as the back-to-back top scorer in the last two editions of the Malaysia Hockey League with a total of 72 goals under his belt, has been in scintillating form at the invitational tournament, scoring seven goals in the last three matches against Pakistan, Canada, and New Zealand.
“Looking at our fine form in this tournament, I can confidently say that we have the capability to defeat any team in the tournament, including the home team Malaysia.
“Our team is well-prepared to face and overcome them, but we also need to be careful as they have players like Azrai who will be able to punish us if we give him too much space.
“We have been observing his performance over the past few games, and he’s a player that everyone would definitely want to have on their team.
“But aside from him, we can literally take down the Malaysian team, and we believe we can maintain our fine form,” said Anai during a post-match conference yesterday.
Meanwhile, national head coach Sarjit Singh said that he’s not bothered about his opponents’ opinions towards his team.
Sarjit further said that his side is ready to showcase their full strength on the turf when they take on the Samurais.
“The Japanese head coach has given his opinion about my team, and I don’t care about it. For me, I’m not bothered if my team is being underestimated; all I want to see is my boys perform on the turf.
“I have always trained my boys not to take anyone’s words or compliments to heart but to focus on improving every day.
“It’s going to be an interesting match against the Japanese side, and we hope to win the game,” said Sarjit.
The last time both sides met was during last year’s Asian Champions Trophy in Chennai, India, where Malaysia emerged triumphant with a 3-1 victory. – May 8, 2024