KUALA LUMPUR – National head coach Sarjit Singh is taking heed of past shortcomings and is determined not to repeat them ahead of this year’s Nations Cup.
The 62-year-old Olympian is planning to organise up to 15 international friendlies for the Speedy Tigers in preparation for the tournament — a plan he was unable to implement for last year’s edition.
Following a six-match international tour in Australia last month, the Speedy Tigers will now head to South Korea for a five-match friendly series from May 18 to 29.
During the recent Australian tour, Malaysia lost four matches, drew one, and won one.
Speaking at a press conference today, Sarjit emphasised that playing more friendlies before the Nations Cup is crucial to keeping his young squad match-fit and on track to reach the semi-finals.
For the record, Malaysia — currently ranked 13th in the world — finished seventh out of nine teams in last year’s tournament, with the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup serving as their sole preparatory competition.
“We are far more prepared than we were last year, and of course, we want to perform better, especially as the hosts. To make that happen, we need to play more quality matches.
“The Australian tour was an eye-opener for me as I identified key areas for improvement among the younger players. The six matches we played were exactly the kind of exposure we needed.
“The upcoming five matches against South Korea will also be highly beneficial, as they, too, will be competing in the Nations Cup. These friendlies will allow us to analyse their strengths and weaknesses, so we’re fully prepared when we face them.
“We’re not stopping there. When some of the other teams arrive early for the tournament in Kuala Lumpur, we’ll definitely look to arrange at least four more friendlies—so our boys will have played 15 matches before the Nations Cup,” said Sarjit when met at the Bukit Jalil National Hockey Stadium today.
It is understood that the South Korean Sports Ministry will be sponsoring the Speedy Tigers’ accommodation, flights, and other expenses for the series.
Sarjit also revealed that he has selected 22 players for the South Korean tour and expects them to raise their game — particularly in defending against penalty corners.
“I’ve selected 22 players, and this time I’m going to experiment with more youngsters.
“My only advice to them is to step up and stop conceding penalty corners unnecessarily.
“We conceded over 20 penalty corners during the Australian tour, which is extremely concerning.
“We’ll use the South Korean tour to fix our defensive and goalkeeping issues,” he added.
Malaysia are grouped in Pool B alongside Pakistan, New Zealand, and Japan, while Pool A features France, South Korea, South Africa, and Wales.
The Nations Cup is scheduled to take place at the Bukit Jalil National Hockey Stadium from June 15 to 21. — May 16, 2025