KUALA LUMPUR – National men’s indoor hockey head coach Rodzhanizam Mat Radzi believes that his team needs to play more international matches if they hope to achieve a top-three finish in the Men’s Indoor Hockey World Cup.
Under the former national player’s guidance, the world number 15 side qualified for the World Cup, scheduled to take place in Croatia in 2025, after finishing as runners-up in the Asia Cup, held in Taldykorgan, Kazakhstan.
Malaysia, drawn with the home team Kazakhstan, Indonesia, and Oman in Pool B, was in scintillating form, scoring a total of 30 goals in the tournament.
The team lost 7-1 to world number two-ranked Iran in the final on May 25.
The Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) rewarded Rodzhanizam’s charges for their historic performance at the Asia Cup, giving them an incentive of RM5,000 for their efforts in the 10th edition of the tournament.
Speaking to Scoop, Rodzhanizam said that he feels no burden in meeting the KPI set by the governing body and revealed that his team will begin their intensive training next month for the World Cup.
“We need to play more games with the teams that qualified for the World Cup in order for us to become a much more formidable side. Currently, we are in the process of finding teams for the boys to play against.
“The reward given by MHC is a big boost for us. We hope to increase the pool of talent in the squad to up to 24 players so that we can also rotate them for the 2025 Bangkok SEA Games to clinch the gold medal.
“I don’t feel pressured by the KPI set by MHC for the World Cup, as we have proven our capabilities in recent tournaments. Now it’s time for us to focus on our fitness and ensure the boys get enough game time by competing against the best.
“We are motivated, and I can guarantee that within the next month of intensive training, we will be better than we are now,” said Rodzhanizam when met at a press conference today.
For the record, Malaysia won the 2022 Men’s Indoor Hockey Asia Cup by defeating Iran 3-2 on penalties after drawing 4-4 in regulation.
Both the Malaysian men’s and women’s indoor hockey teams won silver at the 2023 Phnom Penh SEA Games. – June 15, 2024