IPOH – Amid the buzz within the hockey fraternity about the potential involvement of Kim Sang-ryul with the Speedy Tigers, South Korea head coach Min Tae-seok is optimistic that his mentor’s appointment would enhance the future of Malaysian hockey.
Regarded as one of the best coaches in the world, the 69-year-old Sang-ryul was in Malaysia as a consultant for China’s Liaoning men’s and women’s teams that competed in the Malaysia Hockey League (MHL).
His women’s side finished second in this year’s MHL and went on to win the Vivian May Soars Cup by defeating Malaysian University 3-0 in a penalty shootout following a 1-1 draw in regulation time at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil in March.
Speaking to Scoop, Tae-seok said that he learned his traits from Sang-ryul during his playing days for the South Korea national team in the 1980s.
He also said that Sang-ryul was the right person to give a strong direction to the Speedy Tigers’s coaching set-up to hunt for glory.
“Kim was my teacher, and he is a very experienced coach with an amazing track record over the years. He was the one who brought a renaissance to South Korea’s play when we were down with our performances at one point.
“He’s a no-nonsense coach, and he will not tolerate any mishaps with the team. His tactics are some of the best in the history of the game.
“I think he will be a great addition for Malaysia and head coach Sarjit Singh’s team as he knows how to deal with youngsters very well by instilling a very strong mentality.
“If Kim happens to come on board, I will not be surprised if Malaysia one day become one of the top-five teams in the world,” said Tae-seok when met after his team’s training session at the Azlan Shah Stadium in Ipoh.
Known for his aggressive coaching style, Sang-ryul is well-known for his 4-3-3 and 4-5-1 systems, where he aims for his players to always burst onto the flanks instead of moving on relatively flat lines, which has been the norm in Malaysian hockey over the past four years.
The Korean guided China’s men’s team to silver at the 2006 Doha Asian Games and the women’s team to fifth place at the 2012 London Olympics.
He received his coaching certificate from India’s National Institute of Sports in Patiala in 1985 after studying under Olympic champion Balkrishan Singh.
Tae-seok’s charges are set to use the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup as a platform to achieve their goal of clinching the gold medal at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.
The Taegeuks, who have won the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup on three occasions (1996, 2010 and 2019), will enter the invitational tournament with zero expectations as they aim to give exposure to their squad, with an average age of 26.
Ranked 11th in the world, South Korea will take on Japan in their opening match of their Sultan Azlan Shah Cup campaign tomorrow. – May 3, 2024