KUALA LUMPUR – The FIH Pro League, an annual global elite hockey league where the top hockey nations in the world rub shoulders, has been an elusive dream for Malaysia since its inception in 2019.
Despite the Speedy Tigers reportedly receiving invitations on multiple occasions to be part of the prestigious league, local fans have always wondered about the justification behind the Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) not sending its players to compete in the league.
Speaking to Scoop, national men’s hockey head coach Arul Selvaraj has cleared the doubts by citing financial constraints as the primary reason behind his team’s absence in the league.
“The league is indeed a gateway for our players to gain invaluable exposure against top-tier teams, but we also need to understand the fact that we need to send a total contingent of 20 players and 10 officials, and that’s going to cost a lot of money.
“We are not a rich sports association like what some of the outsiders think, and our president, Datuk Seri Subahan Kamal, has been working hard by giving the best for the team with the funds that we receive to run the national teams under the association.
“It costs us approximately RM1.2 to RM1.4 million for us to participate in the league, and imagine us travelling to countries like Argentina, Ireland and Australia on a regular basis, it’s going to cost more, and our players will also get tired with just travelling, and that’s the reason why we had to reject the invitations to participate in the league,” said Arul.
Meanwhile, former national hockey full back Kerpal Singh said he would like to see MHC try a different approach, particularly in its approach to the local hockey league landscape, where the number of participating teams is limited.
“There is no use for the Speedy Tigers to participate in the FIH Pro League when our local players lack exposure to competitive hockey within our own borders.
“The number of teams playing in the MHL (Malaysia Hockey League) has always been eight every season, and we always end up seeing the same teams winning the titles and competing against each other,” Kerpal expressed his frustration.
Budget constraints may be an issue within MHC, but he questioned its rationale behind limiting the number of MHL teams.
“I have no idea how MHC administrates their confederation. I understand that they don’t have the budget to send a team to the Pro League, but what are they doing with the rest of the money?
“Why are they not trying to expand the MHL instead if they are being so stingy with sending a team for the Pro League? Back in my time, the league boasted numerous teams. It’s disheartening to witness the decline in numbers.
“Strengthening our local league is crucial. I believe it’s the key to witnessing Malaysia shine in the Pro League in the future.
“This approach mirrors the success of top nations like Argentina, India and the Netherlands, who leverage the strength of their domestic leagues to consistently field competitive teams in the Pro League,” he added.
For context, the FIH Pro League, which replaces the Men’s FIH Hockey World League, also serves as a qualifier for the Hockey World Cup and the Olympics.
The best team of the season – having accumulated the highest number of points at the end of the league among nine teams – are crowned champions and receive the coveted FIH Hockey Pro League trophy.
From the 2021-22 season onwards, the bottom team at the end of the season will be relegated and will be replaced by the winner of a new competition called the Men’s FIH Nations Cup. – November 26, 2023