KUALA LUMPUR – The new national men’s hockey squad will put their strength to the test when they face New Zealand, the world’s 10th-ranked team, in a warm-up game ahead of the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup on May 4.
The friendly match scheduled for May 1 will be the Speedy Tigers’ first under new coach, Sarjit Singh, who was appointed by the Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) earlier this month.
In addition to New Zealand, MHC is negotiating for another friendly match, possibly against Pakistan, but it is still being discussed.
“New Zealand will arrive on April 28, and we will face them on May 1. They will send their best team, as they are also preparing for the Paris Olympics.
“We are trying to secure Pakistan, but currently, the situation is congested.
“I am not sure if the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup schedule has been released yet, as Canada and Pakistan will also be competing this year. We’ll see how it goes,” explained Sarjit, who met the media at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil last night.
A total of 42 out of 46 players reported for the national squad’s first training session yesterday.
Only one player, T. Prabu, withdrew due to personal reasons, while Andy Walfian Jeffrynus and Arif Syafie Ishak had to be sidelined due to injuries.
Key striker, Faizal Saari, is expected to rejoin the team on April 9 as he is currently playing for the Mohammedan Sporting Club in the Bangladesh Hockey League.
“Previously, Faizal was not in the national squad, so he had already planned to play in Bangladesh earlier. Even Fitri (Saari) wanted to play in Bangladesh, but he is in the national squad’s plans.
“I can’t stop them, but after this, if he makes the top 30 of the national squad, he can’t go,” he said.
Last month, MHC disbanded the men’s senior and junior national teams to reset Malaysian hockey after failing to meet their target at the Junior World Cup last year and missing out on qualification for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The players were selected by Sarjit from the Malaysia Hockey League to join a selection camp from today to March 31.
On April 1, the players will then be narrowed down to 30 to begin preparations for the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup and Nations Cup in May. – March 20, 2024