KUALA LUMPUR – Former national hockey head coach Muhammad Dharmaraj Abdullah is motivated to make a comeback and take the helm as the Speedy Tigers head coach, which has been vacant since January 31.
Dharmaraj is currently the technical director of the Indonesian national hockey team, and his contract with them is from 2020 to 2025.
It was reported that the Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) has shortlisted a total of four coaches for the role, with the final decision on the head coach’s appointment expected to be announced on February 29.
Along with Dharmaraj, former national coach Sarjit Singh, and Olympic medalists Brendon Carolan from South Africa and Glenn Turner from Australia also made it to the final list.
Speaking to Scoop from Jakarta, Dharmaraj said that he is drawn to the challenge and pressure inherent in the role, which he is eager to embrace.
“The first thing on why I chose to apply for the job is that I wanted to have a new challenge. In Indonesia, the target is more into the likes of excelling in indoor hockey and the Sea Games compared to Malaysia, where they have more KPIs and also have higher targets.
“MHC, prefers the team to play in the World Cup, Olympics, and other prestigious tournaments, hence it motivates me more to take on a new challenge.
“If I happen to get the job, it’s going to be a big task as I have to rebuild a new team from scratch. I would prefer to build a team based on young players – I’m pumped up to make a change, and that’s what is driving me now to take on the job if given the opportunity.
“Changes can’t be made within a day, but I would like to start my job right away if I’m given the opportunity so that Malaysia’s qualification for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics can be a reality,” said Dharmaraj.
Dharmaraj expressed his foremost goal upon assuming the role which is to empower the junior players and facilitate their transition into the national team.
He firmly believes that nurturing the juniors is paramount, as they represent the future of the sport.
“I know all the players in Malaysia, especially the junior players with potential.
“There are a lot of fast-paced players in Malaysia, and I have a history of developing many of them during my time there. During that time, I promoted up to 200 to 300 players to the senior team by giving everyone exposure.
“I still remember the 2013 FIH Men’s Junior World Cup. I already had 20 players playing in the main national team (Speedy Tigers), and when they came back to play in the Junior World Cup, they brought back so much experience and made the team stronger with their presence and maturity.
“Right from the beginning when the boys were playing in the under 16 and 21, I already made sure that they were exposed to playing against top-ranked teams such as Germany, the Netherlands, and Australia.
“I’m a firm believer that it’s important for our Malaysian junior players to get the opportunity to rub shoulders with the best teams in the world on a regular basis so that they can grow to become better.
“A number of the current players who were in the national team before it got disbanded were also discovered by me through state-level scouting, and I think they have already reached their prime.
“It is time for new faces to make it into the team. If I’m given the chance, that will be the first thing I will be working on,” Dharmaraj added.
Among his achievements are guiding the national junior team to the 2011 Sultan of Johor Cup title, the 2012 Asia Junior Cup title, and fourth place in the 2013 Junior World Cup.
Dharmaraj, who was the national senior men’s team coach from 2014 to 2018, also helped Malaysia reach the 2014 Sultan Azlan Shah Cup final.
He also guided the Malaysian women’s team to the indoor gold at the 2019 Sea Games.
Ironically, at the 2023 Sea Games, Dharmaraj guided Indonesia to a shock win over Malaysia for their first-ever men’s indoor hockey title.
The new head coach will select his assistants and decide on coaches for the national junior team.
Aside from Malaysia’s participation in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup to be played in Ipoh from May 4 to 11, the Speedy Tigers will also take part in the Nations Cup in Poland from May 31 to June 9. – February 20, 2024