KUALA LUMPUR – Who will be the high-performance director for the Speedy Tigers?
It looks like the opportunity to bring master tactician Kim Sang-ryul of South Korea as the national team’s high-performance director seemed slim as he is under contract as a consultant for China’s Liaoning men’s and women’s teams.
For the record, the 69-year-old Sang-ryul guided China’s men’s team to silver at the 2006 Doha Asian Games and the women’s team to fifth place at the 2012 London Olympics.
He received his coaching certificate from India’s National Institute of Sports in Patiala in 1985 after studying under Olympic champion Balkrishan Singh.
However, the Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) is ready to support national hockey head coach Sarjit Singh in finding the right candidate for the high-performance director role in the coming months.
Speaking to Scoop, MHC coaching committee chairman Datuk Majid Manjit Abdullah said his committee would have a discussion with Sarjit to go through some of the candidates the gaffer has handpicked for the high-performance director role.
“To be frank, I have yet to meet Sarjit after he arrived from Poland for the Nations Cup. I’m aware that he needs a high-performance director, and we are ready to support him. I will make sure we fulfil his request.
“Initially, we had plans to bring Sang-ryul on board for the role, but I believe that Sang-ryul is currently busy with his team in China. He’s still under contract, and it will be hard for us to bring him on board for now, as he will only be available next year.
“I will definitely meet Sarjit in the days to come and discuss with him the options he currently has in mind for the role,” said Majid when contacted.
When Scoop contacted Sarjit to find out more about the candidate list he had in mind, he revealed that he would have a discussion with MHC’s coaching committee upon returning from his team’s assignment in Europe.
The Speedy Tigers will depart for Berlin next month and spend about three weeks playing Olympic-bound teams such as Germany, the Netherlands, and Belgium in a friendly series.
It is understood that the trip will be funded by the National Sports Council.
“Yes, it’s important for me to have a high-performance director to build the team for the long term, but for now, I have temporarily put the plan on hold.
“My main focus now is to get the team ready for the upcoming tour in Europe, as we have many important matches to play, and I have been busy working on tactics and strategies.
“I do have a few options, but I can’t reveal any of the names for now. I will discuss with the coaching team who I prefer to work with right after the European tour,” said Sarjit.
Sarjit’s charges will next participate in the Asian Champions Trophy in Inner Mongolia, China, scheduled for September 8 to 17, once they are back from their European tour.
Sarjit, who was brought in by MHC on a two-year contract in March this year, has requested the addition of a high-performance director to his team structure in hopes of forming a formidable side for the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.
The 61-year-old recently brought his revamped side to two tournaments, the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup and the FIH Men’s Nations Cup, where his squad, with an average age of 25 years, scored a total of 35 goals.
However, his team also conceded 20 goals in these competitions, sparking concerns about the weak backline and fitness issues, especially during the third and fourth quarters of their matches.
The Speedy Tigers currently rank number 12 in the world with 1,910.30 points. – June 20, 2024