KUALA LUMPUR – National hockey midfielder Fitri Saari cautioned that the Speedy Tigers need to be realistic about their chances of defending the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup.
The tournament is scheduled to take place in Ipoh from May 4 to 11 with six teams participating: Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Korea and Malaysia.
The veteran midfielder is among the 46 players selected by head coach Sarjit Singh from the recently concluded Malaysia Hockey League to join a selection camp from today to March 31.
On April 1, they will be narrowed down to 30 players to begin preparation for the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup and Nations Cup in May.
Speaking to Scoop, the 31-year-old, who has scored 79 goals in 172 appearances since making his senior international debut in 2011, has warned against complacency, saying the Speedy Tigers should not underestimate the participating teams.
“We need to be realistic in our approach to this tournament. The teams participating are currently in good form, and we need to be vigilant when facing them.
“We should not be overconfident and should approach the tournament neutrally. Coach Sarjit is building a formidable team, and we players should remain committed and consistently push ourselves in training sessions first.
“Once selected, we all need to play for our country rather than for ourselves. I’m not saying we won’t be able to defend our title, but we need to be careful, not overconfident, and realistic about our current situation,” Fitri said when contacted.
Most of the players selected by Sarjit for the training camp are under 30-years-old, with Fitri, forward Faizal Saari (33), goalkeeper Hafizuddin Othman (32) and midfielder Marhan Jalil (34) being exceptions.
Fitri also expressed hope he would play in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup after missing the previous edition due to injury.
“If I make it into the final 30-player squad, I will be more motivated to play in the tournament and give my best.
“It’s been nearly three years since I last played in the tournament due to multiple injuries. I’m happy that I’m injury free now and ready to give my all for my country in this tournament and for coach Sarjit,” Fitri added.
Malaysia won the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup for the first time in 41 years by defeating South Korea 3-2 in the 2022 final.
In addition to the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup and the Nations Cup in Poland, coach Sarjit’s team will also participate in the Asian Champions Trophy in Inner Mongolia, China, scheduled to take place from September 8 to 17.
The Speedy Tigers are currently ranked 13th in the world, with 1,828.27 points. – March 19, 2024