KUALA LUMPUR – The Malaysia Paralympic Council (MPC) is set to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Victoria Hockey Association (VHA) to enhance the performance of the national para-hockey team.
The signing is expected to take place in mid-February and will see the exchange of coaches and players between the MPC and the Australian-based club, including several independent grassroots clubs across the country, to foster invaluable opportunities for growth and development.
Speaking to Scoop, MPC president Datuk Seri Megat D. Shahriman Zaharudin said that para hockey is expected to be included in the Paralympics in the future.
The MoU is designed not only to provide exposure for para-hockey players but also to ensure they receive specialised training, preparing them for international competitions.
“We have 25 active associations within the MPC, and quite several associations have been producing players for the national para-athlete team. The team was created about a year ago, and we will slowly start to expose them to competitions.
“I have had a strong connection with VHA for the past seven years, and they have always wanted to help MPC since the first time I met them.
“There’s a possibility for para-hockey to be included in the Paralympics and the Asian Para Games in the years to come, so we need to start our elite training from now onwards.
“We also have a long-term goal of forming a team through our initiative so that one day the team will be able to participate in the Malaysia Hockey League,” said Megat.
Megat also said that this initiative is a stepping stone for MPC, and he hopes to have coaching and player exchange programmes for all the other para-sports that Malaysia participates in.
“MPC has a very good reputation across the globe, and many associations worldwide have always been surprised by how we achieve success on a global stage with fewer resources.
“We have always been an association that truly cares about our athletes’ development programmes, and we are not just going to stop with hockey.
“We will definitely work along with other associations worldwide to enhance the performance of our athletes in all sports with the aim of winning more medals for Malaysia,” Megat added.
Among Malaysia’s para-athletes, their most notable achievements include winning a total of 16 medals – six gold, four silver and six bronze – since their Paralympics debut in Heidelberg, Germany in 1972.
The world’s top-ranked para-shuttler, Cheah Liek Hou, became the first Malaysian to win badminton gold at an Olympic-level tournament after emerging triumphant at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics.
This accomplishment holds special significance, as able-bodied athletes have yet to secure any gold medals in the Olympics.
VHA is the governing body for the sport of field hockey in Australia. It is responsible for the administration of intrastate competitions, state representative teams, officials, and the financial position of the sport.
VHA has been involved in implementing its own statewide skills development programme known as VicStix.
It has also been active in providing affiliated clubs and associations with the tools to run Hockey Australia-accredited HookIn2Hockey programmes for primary-school-aged children and rookie programmes for younger children. – January 24, 2024