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Hoki: Peluang menjejak kaki ke London cerah


SULTAN AZLAN SHAH (sembilan dari kiri) dan Tengku Abdullah (lapan dari kiri) bergambar bersama skuad hoki negara selepas sesi latihan mereka di Stadium Hoki Nasional, Bukit Jalil semalam.

SKUAD hoki negara kini berada di landasan terbaik untuk memenangi slot Kelayakan Olimpik 2012 London di Dublin, Ireland pada 10 hingga 18 Mac depan.

Demikian keyakinan yang diluahkan jurulatih Malaysia, Tai Beng Hai mengenai peluang anak-anak buahnya pada kempen yang diibaratkan misi hidup dan mati skuad negara itu.

Selepas dua kali gagal layak ke temasya sukan terbesar itu di Athens 2004 dan Beijing 2008, skuad negara yang memenangi pingat perak pada Sukan Asia 2010 Guangzhou ini dilihat berkemampuan menghapuskan badi tersebut.

Justeru, Beng Hai optimis anak-anak buahnya berada dalam keadaan terbaik ketika ini dan berpotensi menggenggam slot kelayakan tersebut pada kempen kelayakan kelak.
"Persiapan kita berjalan dengan lancar dan saya rasa kita berada dalam landasan terbaik untuk memenangi kempen Kelayakan Olimpik tersebut," kata Beng Hai pada majlis pengumuman senarai 18 pemain skuad negara yang akan ke Dublin di Bukit Jalil semalam.

"Dalam kempen itu, Korea Selatan mempunyai kelebihan kerana berada di ranking lebih tinggi daripada kita, manakala tuan rumah, Ireland pula menunjukkan prestasi terbaik sejak kebelakangan ini.
"Namun, pasukan kita juga banyak menunjukkan peningkatan dan buktinya kita telah menang ke atas Australia dan Belanda dalam beberapa siri aksi persahabatan baru-baru ini, jadi tidak mustahil kita mampu melakukannya," jelasnya.

Kali terakhir Malaysia layak beraksi di Sukan Olimpik ialah pada edisi 2000 di Sydney dan sejak itu gagal dalam dua kempen kelayakan di Madrid, Sepanyol pada 2003 dan Kakamigahara, Jepun pada 2007.

Sementara itu, skuad hoki negara mendapat suntikan motivasi sebelum berlepas ke Dublin apabila Presiden Konfederasi Hoki Asia, Sultan Azlan Shah dan Presiden Konfederasi Hoki Malaysia (MHC), Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah melawat sesi latihan mereka di Stadium Nasional, Bukit Jalil semalam.



Oleh SHAHRIL NIZAM ABDULLAH
shahril@kosmo.com.my

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