KUALA LUMPUR – The Malaysia Hockey Confederation (MHC) hopes the Youth and Sports Ministry will consider building a proper indoor hockey facility, following the team’s recent success at the Men’s Indoor Hockey Asia Cup in Kazakhstan.
Malaysia, drawn in Pool B with Kazakhstan, Indonesia, and Oman, showcased impressive form throughout the tournament, scoring a total of 29 goals in six games.
Under the guidance of Rodzhanizam Mat Radzi, the world number 15 team qualified for the final for the second consecutive edition, but suffered a 7-1 defeat against world number two Iran yesterday.
By reaching the Asia Cup final, Malaysia automatically secured their spot for the 2025 Men’s Indoor Hockey World Cup, set to take place in Croatia from February 3 to 9 next year.
Speaking to Scoop from Vancouver, MHC president Datuk Seri Subahan Kamal expressed confidence in the men’s indoor hockey team’s potential to be among the world’s best with proper training facilities, akin to those in neighbouring countries.
He praised the team’s performance, noting that the players gave their all despite limited resources.
Previously, Scoop reported that the national men’s and women’s indoor hockey teams conduct their training at UTC Sentul, while the Hockey5s team trains in Seremban, with MHC covering accommodation and transportation costs.
“To be honest, we expected them to lose in the final as the team went through a tough journey throughout the tournament, playing against some of the best teams in the world. The boys were drained both physically and mentally.
“We at MHC are still proud of them for believing in themselves despite not having enough practice time, competitive matches, funding, and even a proper venue to train, compared to others in the region like Indonesia and Thailand, which spend millions on their facilities and world tours to prepare for this tournament.
“With this achievement, we pray and hope that the ministry will help us get extra funding for the team to tour and prepare for the World Cup, and look into the possibilities of building a proper indoor hockey facility.
“Now we know they are capable of matching any top team in the world, but they lack fitness, endurance, and strength, both mentally and physically. We need to find ways to invest in the team to prepare them for the World Cup,” said Subahan when contacted.
Subahan also said that the governing body will not only rely on the government for funding but has pledged to put in efforts to find its own funding.
“It doesn’t mean MHC won’t work towards anything. We will still look for sponsors and ways to provide more funding for our indoor teams, as I believe that we can even be the number one team in the world in the future if we resolve all our setbacks.
“Indoor hockey is the future, and we believe our teams have what it takes to go far, create upsets, and make our nation proud. As president, it is also my duty to secure extra funding for the team.
“Being number one or number two in Asia doesn’t matter, as at the end of the day, we don’t get anything from either the AHF (Asian Hockey Federation) or the FIH (International Hockey Federation).
“What matters most was qualifying for the World Cup and proving their worth for extra support from the government, and we are happy that the team achieved that feat,” Subahan added.
In 2022, Malaysia won the Men’s Indoor Hockey Asia Cup by defeating Iran 3-2 on penalties after drawing 4-4 in regulation time. – May 27, 2024