KUALA LUMPUR — MHC president Datuk Seri Subahan Kamal expressed continued faith in the junior national hockey team’s prospects of securing a Junior World Cup spot next year despite a disappointing last-place finish at the Sultan of Johor Cup (SOJC).
The team, coached by I. Vickneswaran, ended the SOJC without a win, raising concerns ahead of the Asia Junior Hockey Championship on November 26 in Muscat, Oman, which is now less than three weeks away.
However, Subahan defended Vickneswaran and the team, explaining that MHC and the event organisers, the Johor Hockey Association, deliberately invited heavyweight teams, including two-time champions Australia, 2016 Junior World Cup winners India, New Zealand, and this year’s champions, Great Britain to provide the Young Tigers with top-level exposure before competing in Oman.
In Oman, Malaysia will face Pakistan, Bangladesh, China, and hosts Oman in Group B.
Only the top six teams in that tournament will automatically qualify for the 2025 Junior World Cup.
“At MHC, we see the Sultan of Johor Cup as a platform for young players to gain experience. The reality is that sending a team abroad involves significant costs, and our funds are very limited.
“Before the tournament began, I requested the organisers to bring only strong teams, like Germany or the Netherlands, to provide more challenging competition.
“In the end, we managed to bring in five top-tier teams to compete this year. Remember, winning the cup is a bonus, but our main goal is to provide the best exposure possible, and that’s not easy.
“To be fair, we didn’t score any points and ended the tournament in a position that, in my view, doesn’t reflect our true capability. However, this serves as a lesson for the coaches and players.
“I could have asked the organisers to bring teams like Singapore, Thailand, or Indonesia, and we would likely have won. But that’s not what we want, as our intention is to make this tournament a prestigious event,” said Subahan.
Subahan added that a meeting with the junior team’s coaching staff and the entire squad is scheduled for November 4 to discuss the path forward.
He expressed full support for Vickneswaran and his squad, noting some players had only recently debuted on this international stage.
“I am confident that we will qualify for the World Cup, and if possible, qualify in style. By ‘style,’ I mean I want them to be among the top four teams in Oman,” he added.
Last year, Malaysia hosted the Junior World Cup and finished in 12th place. — October 27, 2024