KUALA LUMPUR — National hockey coach Sarjit Singh acknowledges that fitness issues were the Achilles’ heel of the Malaysian squad, leading to their disappointing performance in the recently concluded Asian Champions Trophy.
As such, he is asking for at least another 12 months to fully unlock the true potential of The Speedy Tigers.
In a press conference at the Malaysian Hockey Confederation headquarters in Bukit Jalil today, Sarjit revealed that world-renowned coach Kim Sang-ryul is helping him in devising a programme for the national squad.
Sarjit said that he needs around 18 to 24 months to deliver results, but has only had six months with the team so far, after taking over from Arul Selvaraj, whose contract ended on January 31.
At 69, Sang-ryul is regarded as one of the best hockey coaches in the world. While there have been discussions about him joining Malaysia as an assistant coach, he is currently contracted with China’s Liaoning men’s and women’s teams until December.
Despite this, the South Korean-born coach continues to assist the Malaysian squad, although his role remains on an ad hoc basis for the time being.
“We are working with Mr. Kim. He has been with us at every tournament, including this one, and he will be here in December.
“The day I took over this team, he was already with us, but only on an ad hoc basis.
“Why did I ask for 18 months? Because I believe in myself, and I’ve done this before when I was the national coach back in 2007. At that time, all the young players under my guidance were selected for the national team, and I’ve known them for a long time,” said Sarjit.
Malaysia endured a disappointing campaign in Inner Mongolia, China, as they not only suffered an embarrassing 8-1 defeat to India during the round-robin stage but also fell to Japan 4-2 in a penalty shootout for the fifth/sixth place playoff.
This marks Malaysia’s worst performance in the Asian Champions Trophy.
However, Sarjit remains confident in his team, despite external pressures calling for his resignation.
“Everyone has their opinion, and I respect that. Everyone was here when I was appointed as the coach.
“I said we need time, so please give us that time. I know that after five or six months, following two defeats, it brought us down and led to doubts. However, to be fair, give us some time, and we can improve,” he added.
Looking ahead, Sarjit will prepare his team for the Four Nations tournament in New Zealand next February, focusing on restoring the pride and reputation of the Speedy Tigers. — September 19, 2024