KUALA LUMPUR – The Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) is urging the National Sports Council (NSC) to expedite the process of receiving its promised funds and the inclusion of its five-a-side hockey team in the podium program.
The governing body’s plea comes as it aims to prepare the five-a-side hockey team for the 2028 Hockey5s World Cup and upcoming international tournaments.
The national men’s and women’s five-a-side hockey teams have so far received invitations to play in invitational tournaments in Russia (August 15-20) and Thailand (November 25-30).
It was reported that the Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh has requested an allocation of RM3.9 million from the Finance Ministry (MoF) for a five-year development of the hockey5s team after their historic performance in the inaugural International Hockey Federation (FIH) Men’s Hockey5s World Cup, which was held in Oman in February this year.
Under the guidance of coach Wallace Tan, the Malaysian men’s team finished as silver medalists, succumbing to a 2-5 defeat against the Netherlands in the final, while the women’s team secured a commendable sixth-place finish.
Speaking to Scoop, MHC vice president Hasnizam Hassan, who is also the chairman of the national hockey5s, revealed that the governing body has so far only received RM80,000 in incentives for the players’ performance in the world cup.
“We need the allocation promised to us by Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh to be approved by the MoF, and we need NSC to act as an intermediary to expedite the process so that we can receive the funds in time.
“Expectations are high for us to perform even better in the next world cup, and we need to start preparing as soon as possible by identifying and nurturing some of the best talents in the country.
“The minister has also urged NSC to consider including us in the podium program, and it would be great if NSC could make this happen soon. Our players deserve the chance to be in the podium program so they can benefit from the programs at the National Sports Institute to improve their fitness levels and elevate their performance.
“At the same time, we hope NSC updates us after discussions with the Olympic Council of Malaysia on whether our team will be able to play in next year’s Bangkok Sea Games. Our teams have a high potential of winning medals in the tournament, and we really wish to participate and win for the country. Hence, we hope for a positive feedback from NSC,” said Hasnizam when met after a press conference at the Bukit Jalil National Hockey Stadium today.
Meanwhile, Hasnizam also announced that this year’s National Hockey5s League will see an increase in the number of participating teams compared to previous editions.
This tournament, to be held from July 16 to 20 at the Bukit Jalil National Hockey Stadium, will feature a total of 15 men’s teams and 12 women’s teams.
Pahang, Penang, Melaka, Polis Diraja Malaysia, Sarawak, Perlis, Perak, Angkatan Tentera Malaysia, Terengganu, Kuala Lumpur, Kelantan, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Johor, and Kedah are among the teams participating in this year’s league.
“We are delighted to witness a higher number of participating teams in this year’s league compared to last year where we could only manage to get 11 men and seven women teams.
“This league will be a great platform for us to scout for more talents and develop them for the 2028 Hockey5s World Cup.
“The league is open to all age groups, but we have also introduced a new rule where each team must have at least three players below the age of 23, providing them with an opportunity to showcase their hockey skills and be considered for the national team,” Hasnizam added.
The national men’s hockey5s team currently ranked number two in the world with 1,400.00 points, while the women’s team ranks number six with 1,250.00 points. – June 23, 2024