IPOH – National hockey head coach Sarjit Singh slammed his team for playing to the crowd, which resulted in their 5-4 defeat to Pakistan in the opening match of the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup yesterday.
The fiery match between the two sides attracted approximately 5,000 to 6,000 Speedy Tigers fans at the Azlan Shah Hockey Stadium in Ipoh.
Sarjit said that he appreciated the attendance of the crowd but hopes his players will stay more focused in the remaining matches if they hope to defend the title they won in 2022.
“I think both teams played really well, and we were committed throughout the match. But the problem began when we started playing to the crowd instead of staying focused on the match.
“In matches like this, we need to be more vigilant and controlling. But I do understand because the players are still adapting to the system.
“That’s why we need to play more games so that we can be prepared to handle situations like this.
“Mistakes such as giving away penalty corners need to be rectified so that we don’t end up in situations like this in the future.
“We still have a long way to go in this tournament, and I believe that we can put on a better performance than today (yesterday) in our remaining matches,” said Sarjit in a post-match conference.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s head coach, Roelant Oltmans, described the match as the “craziest game” of the tournament so far and further commended his team for staging a comeback against the Speedy Tigers.
“The game was crazy, and I’m happy that my boys showed up against a strong side playing in front of their home fans.
“They were stubborn as they kept launching attacks toward us despite us pressuring them non-stop.
“Malaysia had more chances and was the better side than us, but with our experience on the turf, we managed to overcome their resilience.
“We hope to continue this fine form in our remaining matches in this tournament,” said Roelant.
Malaysia showed dominance in the first three-quarters of the match where they launched a total of 16 attacks into their opponents’ half, resulting in Azrai Abu Kamal scoring a hat-trick (13th minute, 28th minute, 45th minute).
Sufyan Khan, who scored three goals for the Flying Green Horses in the FIH Men’s Junior World Cup in Bukit Jalil last year, emulated his fine form in yesterday’s match by also getting a hat-trick for his side.
Veterans from both sides, Malaysia’s Marhan Jalil and Pakistan’s Zikriya Hayat, scored to bring the game to a 4-4 draw in the last seven minutes of the fourth quarter.
Abu Mahmood, who has scored a total of 24 goals for Pakistan, sealed the deal for his side with a fine finish through a penalty goal in the dying minutes of the game to give Pakistan a 5-4 win.
Roelant’s side will be taking on South Korea in their second match tomorrow, while the Speedy Tigers will take on Canada. – May 5, 2024