KUALA LUMPUR – National men’s hockey head coach Arul Selvaraj believes there is still room for improvement for his team, despite their emphatic victory against Thailand in their opening group match at the Hangzhou Asian Games today.
Arul said that he expects his players to learn from a few minor mistakes and work on them before their next match.
“It’s a promising start for us, and it was great to see our players giving their best today.
“However, there were a few tactical mistakes that we need to address, such as improving our positioning and defending on the turf,” Arul said.
Arul further said that he provided all his players with equal opportunities to perform and admired the commitment shown by his players, who are eager to showcase their skills for the Speedy Tigers.
“I’m happy to see my players’ enthusiasm to play and to fight for the team.
“Besides the two yellow cards, which I believe were not the fault of my players, the result was satisfying, and I believe they enjoyed this match.
“The team will have approximately 50 hours of rest before our second group match.
“We will analyse the opponent’s game today to gain insight into their strengths and weaknesses,” Arul added.
Malaysia defeated Thailand 9-0 in their opening Pool B match at the Gongshu Canal Sports Park hockey stadium today.
The Speedy Tigers scored three goals by halftime, and they went on a scoring spree, after a 10-minute break, adding another six.
The nine goals were scored by Azrai Aizad Kamal (eighth, 34th), Firhan Ashaari (21st), Nik Aiman Rozemi (30th, 32nd), Aminuddin Zain (43rd, 45th), Abdul Khaliq Hamirin (57th), and Amirul Hamizan Azahar (60th).
Malaysia will face Oman, ranked 27th in the world, in their second group match on Tuesday.
The Speedy Tigers are currently ranked 10th in the FIH world rankings with 2041.37 points.
Their best finish in the Asian Games came in the 2018 edition in Jakarta, where they won a silver medal. – September 24, 2023