PETALING JAYA – Malaysian Hockey Confederation president Datuk Seri Subahan Kamal prefers that the Speedy Tigers be feared by their opponents as a formidable side rather than single out a few of their players.
His response came after the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) identified the Saari brothers, Faizal and Fitri Saari, as their biggest threat to overcome in the quest for the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup title.
Under the tutelage of head coach Roelant Oltmans and boasting a team average age of 24, PHF has set a goal for the squad to become the invitational men’s hockey tournament champions.
The tournament, scheduled to kick-off in Ipoh from May 4 to 11, will see a total of six teams participating – Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Korea, and defending champions Malaysia.
Subahan said that he prefers to see a Malaysian team that plays consistently as a unit without players considering themselves superstar players.
“The biggest problem that we face is consistency. At times, we play like champions, and at other times, we play like we have never played hockey before. In the Asian Champions Trophy last year, we played so well, but in the Hangzhou Asian Games, we were bad.
“We have a huge talent pool, and let’s forget about Faizal and Fitri. The biggest thing that head coach Sarjit Singh has to do is make sure the players play good hockey all the time and not just once in a while.
“The Saari brothers are good, but I prefer not to have superstars on the team. Our opponents should fear the whole team and not just the Saari brothers.
“Sometimes, we rely too much on superstars, and they may fail us when the time comes. We prefer a group of players who are not superstars but go the extra mile for the team. We want players to play as if there’s no tomorrow,” he said at the 2024 TNB-QNET Selangor Hockey League launch here yesterday.
At the same time, Subahan openly admits he fears the whole Pakistan side, stating that the
Flying Greenhorses are a team to watch out for in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup.
“Pakistan fears the Saari brothers, but I fear their entire team. They are a really good side and are capable of stepping up their game when it matters most.
“The problem with Pakistan is that they, like us, have funding issues. If Pakistan had the same level of funding as India or us, they have the potential to be the number one team in the world with the talent that they have,” Subahan added.
Previously, Scoop reported that PHF is frustrated with their government’s low budget allocation to the sports body, which has led to disunity among members.
The sports body, led by opposition politician Shehla Reza of the Pakistan People’s Party, founded by the late Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, received only Rs25 million (RM430,822) from the government last year, which is now run by the Pakistan Muslim League party.
Pakistan is currently ranked 15th in the world, with 1775.78 points. – April 21, 2024