KUALA LUMPUR – Bukit Aman’s criminal investigation department director Datuk Seri Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain believes that the Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) should expand the number of teams participating in the Malaysia Hockey League (MHL).
The 52-year-old police officer, who was once a state hockey player for Selangor and Kuala Lumpur, besides turning out for Klang Municipal Council in the MHL during the 1990s, said that with more teams and a longer season, more talent would emerge for the national hockey team in the years to come.
“The MHL has been by far the top league in our country over the years, and we cannot underestimate its significance on a national level.
“However, times have changed. Back in the day, there were more teams in the MHL, and it was more competitive, with many top state and national players vying for spots in the national team.
“Aside from competitiveness, the league’s duration was much longer, with us playing for up to three to four months. Nowadays, the league structure has changed a lot, finishing very quickly with fewer competing teams.
“With a longer duration, players had more playing time, and we could see many top talents emerging from the league who ended up representing the national team regularly.
“I think the governing body should revisit the old tournament structure and consider how they can expand it to ensure more teams and players can participate in the league,” said Shuhaily when met at the C. Paramalingam Legends Trophy at the Tun Razak Hockey Stadium today.
Established in 1987, the MHL is the top league competition for clubs in the Malaysian field hockey league system.
The league once had approximately 15 to 20 teams participating in three divisions up till the late 1990s.
Since the mid-2000s, the tournament has seen a decline in the number of participating teams, with only seven teams in last year’s edition that saw Terengganu winning their sixth title.
In this year’s edition, there was a slight increase in the number of teams, with a total of 11 teams. It was also the first time that the MHC split the league into divisions in six years.
The last time the MHL was conducted in two divisions, the Premier and First divisions, was in 2018.
For the record, Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) were this year’s champions with several massive victories – including the season’s biggest win with their 22-1 thrashing of JM Antsbees – as well as a 15-1 whipping handed to the Malaysian Armed Forces and their 13-0 defeat of Kuala Lumpur City.
TNB also defeated arch-rivals Terengganu 4-2 to clinch the TNB Cup final at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil.
The side, managed by Nor Saiful Zaini Nasiruddin, have now created history by completing the treble of the TNB Cup, Charity Shield and this season’s MHL. – March 10, 2024