KUALA LUMPUR – The Malaysia men’s hockey team vow to go all out for gold at the coming Asian Games, despite acknowledging the difficult task that awaits them in Hangzhou.
Head coach Arul Selvaraj said his confidence comes from his team, whom he sees as on the right track to accomplish their mission to secure direct qualification for next year’s Paris Olympics.
“Our players are in good shape, and we are more than capable of winning gold in the Asian Games this time.
“I’m delighted to see not only myself but also my players sharing the same level of hunger and mentality to win at the Asian Games.
“We are mentally and physically prepared, and we are going to approach the tournament one game at a time.
“I would like to see our team playing in the Olympics, and I have full trust in my players to turn my dream into reality,” said Arul at a press conference here, today.
Arul, who was recently awarded Best Male Coach of the Year at the National Sports Awards, however, added that his charges realise they are on a tough mission to bag gold as the team will be facing South Korea in the groups.
“We have selected a pool of experienced players in our squad, such as Ramadan Rosli and Nik Muhammad, who have experience playing against top nations in the past.
“I think we can make use of their experience, especially in improving our set pieces, such as penalty corners, as South Korea have an advantage in that area based on our previous encounters with them.
“We recently won against them in the Asian Champions Trophy, and I believe that we can maintain our winning momentum against them,” Arul added.
Meanwhile, Nik Muhammad Aiman Nik Rozemi, an attacker with vast experience in representing Malaysia in hockey championships, is determined to repay coach Arul’s faith in him by giving his best in the forthcoming Asiad.
Nik Muhammad said that he would like to relive the memory of winning a gold medal for Malaysia at the 2015 SEA Games.
“As an all-round midfielder, I’m delighted that coach Arul has selected me to be a part of his squad based on my experience and versatility.
“It’s been a while since I last won a gold medal for Malaysia, and I would like to recreate the moment when I celebrated with fans and my family after winning the 2015 SEA Games gold in Singapore,” he said.
As for the women’s team, head coach Mohd Nasihin Nubli Inrahim said that his team have decided to play it safe by not setting a medal target as they are experimenting with a mixture of young and experienced players.
“We have given an opportunity to new faces, such as 19-year-old Sit Nur Irdina Mohd Noor, to earn her first international cap, and we hope the fans will trust our process and support us throughout the tournament,” said Nasihin.
Malaysia’s men’s team is currently ranked 10th in the FIH world rankings with 2041.37 points.
Their best finish in the Asian Games came in the 2018 edition in Jakarta with a silver medal.
The Speedy Tigers will begin their Asiad campaign against Thailand and will be in the same group with Oman, Indonesia, South Korea and China in Pool B.
The Speedy Tigress will begin their campaign against Hong Kong and will be in the same group with India, Singapore and South Korea in Pool A. – September 14, 2023