KUALA LUMPUR – The Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) has confirmed the appointment of Sarjit Singh as the national men’s team head coach replacing Arul Selvaraj, whose contract ended after the Olympic Qualifier in Muscat, Oman last month.
The 61-year-old Sarjit, who was previously the coach of the Johor state team, helmed the national side from January 2007 to December 2008.
MHC president Datuk Seri Subahan Kamal said Sarjit has been given a two-year contract and his main target is to prepare a strong team for the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya and also to lead the Speedy Tigers for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
The former national hockey captain also coached the national junior team from 2004 to 2006.
“We have been diligent over the past few months in finding the right candidate for the head coach, and today we finally made our decision by bringing Sarjit on board.
“We will be giving Sarjit a free hand to set up the team’s structure, and we will support him in every way possible to elevate the team. Sarjit, a former national player and head coach, has a good track record, and we believe he can lead us to glory.
“There were several criticisms suggesting that we failed, which is not true. The talent is already there; we just need the coach to unify the players to play for the badge.
“We won’t pressure the new head coach too much by setting a lot of KPIs – our main focus for now is to give Sarjit time to form a strong team before participating in prestigious tournaments,” said Subahan during a press conference at the Bukit Jalil National Hockey Stadium today.
Subahan further commended the former national head coach, Arul, for his services over the past four years (2020-2024).
He also mentioned that MHC’s coaching committee is in the midst of discussions to provide job opportunities for the other candidates who applied for the head coach role.
“We appreciate everyone who applied for the job, and the decision was made after several considerations.
“The coaching committee will also find ways to bring the other applicants on board, perhaps not for the national setup but possibly for other developmental roles to help MHC scout the best talents in our country.
“I would also like to thank coach Arul for his services to the national team and his assistants for their contributions over the years.
“The committee has never harboured any ill feelings towards Arul; he has always worked hard with the team, and his tactics have helped increase the national team’s world ranking over the past four years. We wish him all the best,” Subahan added.
The new head coach will select his assistants and decide on coaches for the national junior team.
In addition to 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. – March 3, 2024