KUALA LUMPUR – The national junior hockey coaching team is resolute in finding talented players for the revamped Young Tigers squad in preparation for this year’s Sultan of Johor Cup and the Junior Asia Cup (JAC) in China.
The junior coaching team, which includes former national players I. Vikneswaran and Hairi Abdul Rahman, was brought in by the Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) to assist national head coach Sarjit Singh in selecting the right players for the team through the ongoing Malaysian Junior Hockey League (MJHL).
For the record, Sarjit is the first Malaysian hockey coach to handle both senior and junior teams.
MHC’s main target for the junior team is to qualify for next year’s Junior World Cup through the JAC.
Hairi, a former national goalkeeper, has played a total of 47 games for the Speedy Tigers since making his debut in the 2016 Sultan Azlan Shah Cup.
Vikneswaran, a former international player, represented the country in the 1993 Junior World Cup in Spain.
The 51-year-old is also the Kuala Lumpur Hockey Association president and was the national junior team manager at the Junior World Cup in 2021 and 2023, respectively.
Speaking to Scoop, Vikneswaran revealed that the coaching team has been monitoring players from the ongoing MJHL and will only be able to assemble the team once the league is over.
He also said that the coaching team is looking for players who have the capability of elevating their club’s level in the MJHL through their performances with strong basic hockey skills.
“We have been monitoring a few players, but we haven’t definitively decided on selecting these players.
“We evaluate the players and how they carry and lead their clubs, and for now, it’s too premature for us to conclude.
“We don’t have a deadline to assemble the team, but obviously, I would like to start the team-building after the league is over.
“Once the players are shortlisted after the league, we will bring them in for the next phase of training sessions and then trim them down. For now, they are being monitored.
“We are looking for functional players. Functional players are very important as they are the players who can change the game, carry the team, possess leadership qualities, and adapt to the changing game.
“Just because a player can dribble well, that doesn’t make him a good player. He might be a good entertainer, but a good player is someone with strong basic hockey skills,” said Vikneswaran when contacted.
At the same time, Vikneswaran also mentioned that his thought process aligns with Sarjit, and he is ready to work together with the gaffer to establish a formidable Young Tigers team in the months to come.
Previously, MHC president Datuk Seri Subahan Kamal told Scoop that both Vikneswaran and Hairi are the right fit to mould the junior team to follow the same DNA as the senior team under Sarjit’s guidance.
“I can cope with Sarjit’s senior team DNA as our relationship goes a long way back. We have played together and have known each other for almost 40 years.
“It’s not today or yesterday. We have a very good understanding, and obviously, he is a very established coach.
“We work very closely and are always in touch regarding the development of junior hockey. He’s a good coach, and his ideas and thoughts are very visionary.
“It’s very important that we work together, and it’s important for the whole national team landscape,” Vikneswaran added.
Selangor Hockey Association president Ganesh Shanmugam is currently the new team manager of the national junior squad.
The previous junior team was disbanded following its debacle in the Men’s Junior World Cup last year, where they finished 12th under the guidance of former head coach Amin Rahim. – June 10, 2024