KUALA LUMPUR – National hockey head coach Sarjit Singh is unfazed by criticism of his preparations for the upcoming Asia Cup in Rajgir, India, from Aug 27 to Sept 7.
The Olympian’s response came after detractors accused him of doing “insufficient homework” following Malaysia’s sixth-place finish among eight teams at the Nations Cup in Bukit Jalil in June.
Among the main criticisms was that Malaysia had not played any preparatory matches ahead of the Asia Cup.
In contrast, South Korea and Japan recently completed four friendlies in Jincheon, South Korea. The Koreans won the first two matches 2-1 and 3-2 before losing the next two 4-1 and 5-4.
Meanwhile, world number eight India, coached by South African Craig Fulton, will face world number six Australia in a four-match series in Perth this week.
Australia edged India 3–2 in both legs during the FIH Pro League 2024–25 in Europe.
Speaking to Scoop, Sarjit dismissed the criticism as “noise” and stressed that match planning is not as straightforward as outsiders might think.
“Some people don’t understand how hockey works. It’s not easy to simply slot in friendly matches, especially when the international calendar is packed and clashes with other tournaments.
We have to navigate league schedules in other countries too — for example, Australia’s A1 League is about to start soon — so planning must be precise,” said Sarjit.
He added that aligning the Asia Cup schedule with Europe’s major hockey calendar would make long-term planning more effective.
“Our Asia Cup timing should align with the European Championship so we can plan better. We’ll be playing at the end of the month, and the squad must remain intact,” he said.
Despite these challenges, Sarjit has secured two key friendlies before the Asia Cup.
“We will play India and China before the tournament begins. These matches will give us the competitive edge we need,” he said.
Malaysia are drawn in Pool C alongside South Korea, Chinese Taipei, and Oman. Only the top team from each pool will qualify for the next round.
Sarjit made it clear that his main priority is booking a place at next year’s World Cup.
“My job is to get Malaysia to the World Cup. That’s the focus. I’m not bothered by the critics,” he said.
The tournament champion will qualify directly for the World Cup, while the top five teams in the final standings will compete in the World Cup qualifiers in March next year. – August 14, 2025