Skip to main content

HOCKEY: Izzat, Fitri get surprise inclusion

 A SULTAN, a prince and a former top cop were on hand at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil to lend moral support to the team who will be playing at the Dublin Olympics Qualifier on March 10-18.

    Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) president Sultan Azlan Shah, Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) president Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah and AHF secretary Tan Sri P. Alagendra watched the team train before 18 players were named for the Qualifier.

   The only surprise was the inclusion of youngsters Izzat Rahim, 22, with eight caps, and Fitri Saari, also 22, with only two caps.

   Fitri will be playing alongside his established brother Faizal for the first time in a tournament.

   Coach Tai Beng Hai decided on 16 players from the Asian Games silver medal-winning side and the two youngsters.

   Sultan Azlan Shah was the first to advise the players.

    "I have been watching the team closely and from my observation, Malaysia have been very vulnerable in the first and last five minutes of previous matches," said the former Malaysian Hockey Federation president.

   "A good example was the Champions Challenge I where we were leading India 4-2, but collapsed in the last five minutes to let India equalise and then win the match 5-4 in sudden death.

    "This must be avoided at all costs in Dublin if we harbour hopes of doing well."   Beng Hai said he has selected the best and even the two youngsters are ready for action.

   "The two players were included as cover for some of the regulars who are slightly injured.

    "However, Izzat and Fitri had also proved themselves during the tours and friendly matches so  should be able to give their best," said Beng Hai.

    Malaysia open accounts against Chile on March 10 before playing Russia the next day. And then it is Ukraine on March 13,  before playing South Korea on March 15.

    Hosts Ireland are last in the fixtures on March 17. The top two teams advance to the final. Only one ticket is on offer for the London Olympics.

    The squad: Roslan Jamaluddin (gk), S. Kumar (gk), Izzat Rahim, Amin Rahim, Marhan Jalil, Fitri Saari, Izwan Firdaus, Madzli Ikmar, Faizal Saari, Shahrun Nabil, Shukri Mutalib, Azlan Misron, Nabil Fiqri, Razie Rahim (skipper), Hafifi Hafiz Hanafi, Baljit Singh, Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin, Azreen Rizal. By Jugjet Singh

Read more: NST

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Malaysian junior athletes are just too ‘lembik’

Saya setuju. We are working on more coaches! “ @ManOlimpik : Malaysian junior athletes are just too ‘lembik’ http://t.co/7D7wmHWaNy ” — Khairy Jamaluddin (@Khairykj) June 10, 2014 The benchmark. Can our junior athletes train as hard as Malaysia's world No.1 badminton player, Lee Chong Wei? “IT IS okay lah. The training is not too bad lah. I will try lah … Wah, so hard lah today.” These are some of the common statements I hear from our juniors nowadays. It is not only in badminton. It is the easy-going, laid-back attitude and lack of competitiveness at grassroots level that we have problems producing quality players. I have travelled quite a bit. After ending my decade-long career with the national team, I went to play in the league in Europe. It’s different there. The European athletes know what they want. And they do it with real focus. Even the young ones possess admirable self-control and show a high level of commitment. During my time in the ...
12 comments
Read more

Organising Major Sports Events Can Inspire Sports Culture Among The People - Khairy

PUTRAJAYA, June 5 (Bernama) -- Organising major sports events can help inspire sports culture among the people and ensure a healthy lifestyle said Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin. Khairy said the Tour of Malaysia cycling race organised since 1963, for example, can encourage more people to take the sport in a more competitive way or just for recreation purposes. "A study carried out by a world renown medical journal, The Lancet, revealed that 61 percent of adults in Malaysia do not engage themselves in active sports. "A study by the Health Ministry revealed that only 25 percent of Malaysians exercise," he said in his speech when launching the 2013 Tour of Malaysia (Jelajah Malaysia) at the Youth and Sports Ministry, here, Wednesday. "Cycling, though not as popular here as in countries like Denmark, the activity is becoming popular among the people as can be seen through an increase in sale of bicycles for recreation," he sa...
Post a Comment
Read more

Sports press clippings on the 24 April 2008

Sports Minister Datuk Ismail Sabri Yaakob (centre) speaks to athletes after giving away the Olympic qualifying incentives in Putrajaya yesterday. — Pic: RAMDZAN MASIAM Thomas Cup Equally Important, Says Ismail PUTRAJAYA, April 23 (Bernama) -- Although Malaysia want badly a badminton gold at the Beijing Olympics in August, winning the Thomas Cup in Jakarta in May is equally important, said Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Ismail Sabri Yaakob. "My ministry deems all events participated by the national badminton squad as important including the Thomas Cup, which Malaysia last won in 1992. "Statements made that the Beijing Olympics takes precedence over other events is not the position of the ministry," he told reporters at his office here today. Ismail said no matter what events Malaysians competed, seeking glory for the nation should be the overriding priority. He said this when asked to comment on remarks by national badminton chief coach Yap Kim Hock on...
Post a Comment
Read more