KUALA LUMPUR – Former national hockey head coach Stephen Van Huizen is ready to answer the national team’s call if his services are needed by current head coach Sarjit Singh.
The Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) hired Sarjit on a two-year contract last week, and he has yet to finalise his assistant coaches, as well as the manager and performance director for his team.
Speaking to Scoop, Van Huizen, who was head coach for the Speedy Tigers from 2015 to 2018, said that he always stayed committed and dedicated in helping the national team in all circumstances.
The 66-year-old recently also served as technical adviser to the Young Tigers during the men’s Junior World Cup last year, in which the team finished 12th.
“I’m always here to help the national team and MHC, and I’m ready to join the camp if Sarjit needs me in any role to serve the team. I know the core players, and I can lend my help to Sarjit to finalise the best team.
“We do have several good players in our pool of talent, and just because they didn’t do well in the Hangzhou Asian Games and failed to qualify for the Paris Olympics, we cannot just sideline them.
“About a year ago, we won the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, and we also finished second in the Asian Champions Trophy in Chennai, India. These players did not become bad players overnight. It could be because of tactical and injury reasons that they couldn’t perform to qualify for the Olympics.
“It’s our job as coaches to get the best out of our national team players, and I’m always here if Sarjit needs me to assist him,” said Van Huizen when met at the C. Paramalingam Legends Trophy at the Tun Razak Hockey Stadium on Sunday.
Van Huizen once shared the field with Sarjit in the Speedy Tigers’ triumphant journey to the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.
The 61-year-old Sarjit has scouted between 40 and 42 players from the Malaysia Hockey League and will begin training on March 19.
Sarjit, who previously coached the Johor state team, had also led the national side from January 2007 to December 2008.
The former national hockey captain also coached the national junior team from 2004 to 2006. – March 12, 2024