KUALA LUMPUR — National junior hockey head coach Nor Saiful Zaini has demanded nothing less than a podium finish from his players at the Sultan of Johor Cup (SoJC), saying clear targets are essential for their development and progression to the senior national team.
Nor Saiful told Scoop that this year’s SoJC is not just another age-group tournament but a vital stepping stone towards the Junior World Cup (JWC), to be held in India from November 28 to December 10.
The six-nation Under-21 SoJC, scheduled for October 11 to 18 at the Taman Daya Stadium in Johor Baru, will see Malaysia take on defending champions Great Britain, Australia, India, Pakistan and New Zealand — all of whom will also feature at the JWC.
“Our minimum target is a podium finish,” said Nor Saiful, who guided Malaysia to third place in 2019.
“India and Australia are probably the strongest teams, but we must believe we can compete. We need to beat teams like New Zealand, Great Britain or Pakistan if we want to be ready for the Junior World Cup and face sides such as the Netherlands.”
The Young Tigers endured a disappointing campaign last year, finishing bottom under former coach I. Vikneswaran.
Determined to raise standards, Nor Saiful stressed that setting firm objectives is key to driving the team forward.
“I don’t want to be a coach who doesn’t set a target,” he said.
“Targets are important — not just for the team but for every individual player. Without them, progress stalls. I want the players to grow, develop, and eventually become quality senior internationals for Malaysia.”
He said the players are now fully aware of the expectations placed upon them.
“Everyone understands the target — they know they must give their best to achieve it,” he added.
“When you set a goal, it forces you to plan properly and work harder. We need to minimise mistakes, score goals, and defend strongly. That’s how we compete for the podium.”
The Young Tigers head into the SoJC in high spirits after sweeping four recent friendlies against Bangladesh at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil, winning 3-0, 5-3, 5-1 and 5-2.
While acknowledging that Bangladesh are not on the same level as their SoJC opponents, Nor Saiful said the matches showed promising signs, particularly in ball control and attacking play.
“However, I’m still concerned about our penalty corner defence. We also conceded goals from counter-attacks, so that’s an area we must fix quickly,” he admitted.
Malaysia will play Great Britain in a warm-up match before opening their SoJC campaign against Pakistan on October 11.
“Playing on home soil is an advantage, and I believe the gap in standard is not that big,” Nor Saiful said.
“The players must be disciplined and avoid giving away easy goals. Our focus is on learning, improving, and achieving our goal. A podium finish is the minimum — and I believe we can do it.” — October 4, 2025