KUALA LUMPUR – The Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) is adopting a realistic approach by setting a quarter-final finish in the upcoming Hockey Junior World Cup.
MHC president Datuk Seri Subahan Kamal believes that the inclusion of specialised foreign coaches will be a backbone for the junior Speedy Tigers to accomplish their mission.
“Of course, everyone wants us to become champions. But we must be realistic and take the competition one step at a time, as we are primarily focused on outperforming our previous edition, in which we finished eighth.
“The competition is challenging, involving some of the best teams in the world, and whether we like it or not, we are in the same group with formidable opponents.
“From our (MHC) perspective, we have provided the players with the best resources, including hiring some of the top foreign coaches to elevate their gameplay.
“I believe that the boys will perform well, and with the support of former national hockey players in the coaching squad, such as Megat Azrafiq Termizi and Baljit Singh, we are determined that our boys will showcase competitiveness in the World Cup,” Subahan said during a press conference at the National Hockey Stadium today.
Subahan also said that the recently concluded Sultan of Johor Cup has enhanced the junior team’s capability to compete with some of the top hockey nations.
“Despite our budget constraints, at MHC, we have always worked hard to provide our junior players with as much exposure as possible by allowing them to compete in some of the top tournaments worldwide.
“I believe that our players will never have a better experience than playing in the Sultan of Johor Cup, where they competed against teams like India, New Zealand, and South Africa. This has shaped their mental and physical strength in preparation for the upcoming World Cup.
“We, at MHC, would like to take this moment to thank the organising committee of the Johor Cup, and we hope to see the tournament continue for years to come,” Subahan added.
The 13th edition of the men’s Hockey Junior World Cup will be hosted in Kuala Lumpur from December 5 to 16.
Malaysia are placed in Pool A alongside defending champions Argentina, Australia, and Chile.
Malaysia’s best performance in the tournament came in the 2013 edition in New Delhi, India, where they finished fourth out of 16 teams. – November 17, 2023