KUALA LUMPUR — Sarjit Singh is considering scouting new talent due to the current Speedy Tigers lineup’s difficulty in grasping instructions.
Speaking to Scoop, the 61-year-old coach’s response came after his team, with an average age of 24, conceded 14 goals in their last four pool matches at the ongoing Asian Champions Trophy (ACT).
Despite a 2-2 draw against Pakistan in their opening match on Sunday, the Speedy Tigers were stunned by a 4-2 defeat to China in their second pool match.
Their toughest outing came yesterday when they faced India. Malaysia suffered their heaviest-ever loss to India, an 8-1 thrashing, marking their worst defeat in 36 encounters with the world number five side since the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.
With slim chances of reaching the semi-finals after the first three matches, Sarjit’s team managed to secure their first tournament win by edging Japan 5-4 today, keeping their hopes alive for a top-four finish.
Speaking to Scoop from Hulunbuir, China, Sarjit expressed concern over his players’ inability to translate training into on-field execution.
“I don’t know why my boys always seem under pressure and nervous when they step onto the turf. Sometimes I wonder if they even understand the instructions my coaching team and I give them during training.
“In practice, they always respond ‘okay,’ but their play on the field is completely different from what I ask them to do.
“We are doing our best to coach them, but at the end of the day, players need to have hockey sense. My players lack the ability to read the game, and this is what sets us apart from the other teams.
“These are currently the best players we have after two tournaments (Sultan Azlan Shah Cup and Nations Cup). I hope they step up and improve before it’s too late. They’re young, but now is the time for them to learn. Players like Azraai Abu Kamal’s form is concerning.
“I’m disappointed that we’re still discussing these issues after five or six months of touring and friendlies against many countries. My coaching team and I need to take serious action, go back to the drawing board, and start scouting for more players,” Sarjit said when contacted.
On the brighter side, Sarjit praised the team’s 5-4 win over Japan in their fourth pool match today, though he felt his side could have won by a larger margin if they had capitalised on their opportunities.
“It was a good effort by the players, even though there were a few mistakes on the turf. The team deserved to win today.
“Scoring five goals at the international level is actually a positive achievement, but if the players had seized every opportunity, we could have netted more goals today,” Sarjit added.
Malaysia currently sits fourth in the ACT standings out of six teams (China, India, Japan, South Korea, and Pakistan) with four points. — September 12, 2024