Skip to main content

How good is Hawgood?


AUSTRALIAN Neil Hawgood has emerged as the foreign candidate singled out by the Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) to coach the national team next year.

Hawgood, 52, announced his desire to coach a senior menā€™s team in Asia following his decision not to renew his contract with Indiaā€™s womenā€™s team last month.

He is best remembered for

guiding India to the bronze medal at the Incheon Asian Games in October and the Junior World Cup in 2013.

It is learnt that the offer from Malaysia was the reason he decided not to continue coaching India.
The agreement to hire Hawgood, however, has hit a snag as the understanding to hire him was reached when Datuk Seri Zolkples Embong was still the director-general of the National Sports Council (NSC) before Ahmad Shapawi Ismail replaced him recently.

MHC officials met Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin recently over the hiring of Hawgood but it is learnt that the minister did not give his go-ahead due to outstanding issues.

Despite the development, it is said that MHC will announce the appointment of a foreign coach this week.

MHC president Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, who favours a foreigner to train the senior team, was supposed to reveal the identity of the new coach last weekend but postponed it due to the floods in Pahang.

The national trainees are now under interim coach Tai Beng Hai, who replaced Arul Selvaraj, whose temporary appointment was until the Asian Games.

The other coaches, who handled the senior team this year were South African Paul Revington and K. Dharmaraj.

Newly appointed NSC director-general Ahmad Shapawi claimed he is clueless about MHCā€™s intentions to hire Hawgood.

ā€œI have neither received anything or got a phone call from MHC in regard to this matter.
ā€œI may have a clearer picture when I punch in for the first time as director-general on Jan 5.

ā€œI, however, heard that the MHC met the sports minister recently,ā€ said Ahmad Shapawi yesterday.
Beng Hai, who is assisted by Stephen van Huizen, is preparing his 25-member squad for the World League Round Two in Singapore on Jan 17-25.

Malaysia are favourites to win the tournament which will feature Japan, Poland, Bangladesh, Fiji, Oman and Ukraine.

The team will play friendly matches against Poland on Jan 4 and 6 followed by a game with Bangladesh (unconfirmed) before Beng Hai names 18 players for the competition, which is part of the qualification process for the 2016 Olympics.



By AJITPAL SINGH  - NST

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Ex-coach's jail sentence cut to a year

PUTRAJAYA: The Court of Appeal yesterday sentenced former athletics coach C. Ramanathan to 12 months' jail for molesting two junior athletes 19 years ago. A three-man bench led by Datuk Mohd Hishamudin Mohd Yunus unanimously dismissed Ramanathan's appeal against conviction, but varied the jail sentence of four years to a year, which was to run concurrently. Following yesterday's ruling, Ramanathan, 75, a former teacher, walked out a free man as he had served 10 months in Kajang Prison. Convicts get one-third remission for good behaviour while in prison. However, he will lose his pension. Hishamudin, who sat with Datuk Abdul Wahab Patail and Datuk Linton Albert, said the court found no merit to overturn the conviction. "However, in reducing the sentence, we considered Ramanathan's age and the long years the appeal has taken." Deputy public prosecutor Awang Armadajaya Awang Mahmud submitted that then High Court judge Tan Sri Abdull Hamid E...

Govt Always Gives Emphasis To Sporting Culture, Says PM

KUALA TERENGGANU, May 29 (Bernama) -- Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badaw i said the government always gives emphasis on cultivating a strong sporting culture in achieving excellence at the international level. As such, the Prime Minister said, it was important to scout for young talents in sports. "I observe that the Malaysia Games (Sukma) has become one of the important platforms to do so. "In this arena, the potentials and skills of the youngsters can be identified for development so that they can achieve greater success in sports," he said in his message in the souvenir book of the 12th Sukma from May 31 until June 9. Abdullah said he was aware that competition in sports was very keen and challenging but this did not mean that Malaysian athletes were incapable of competing at the international level. "The fact is that we have all the characteristics required to be excellent. We must inculcate a strong fighting spirit so that we don't easily surrender,...

Chance to catch Messi and company

  FAM deputy president Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah and vice president Datuk Hamidin Mohd Amin with FC Barcelona chief executive officer Antoni Rossich yesterday. Pic by Osman Adnan LIONEL Messi's presence alone could sell half the tickets despite reigning world club champions FC Barcelona's date with a Malaysian XI at the National Stadium on Aug 10 falling on the third day of Hari Raya. The much anticipated visit of the four-time European champions comes with expectations from fans who want a full star-studded line-up. "The summer will be a busy period with a lot of uncertainty with players moving away and coming in. "But yes, our plans are to bring our full team here," said FC Barcelona chief executive officer Antoni Rossich yesterday. Rossich was speaking at the announcement of the friendly match, which is part of the three-match FC Barcelona Asia Tour 2013, which sees the giants also visiting China and Thailand. Also pre...