KUALA LUMPUR – Head coach Sarjit Singh appears to be not only forming a formidable Speedy Tigers team but also assembling a strong coaching set-up comprising former national players.
The 61-year-old coach has been meticulous in selecting his assistants, aiming for a power-packed coaching staff to propel the national team towards the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Malaysia have been absent from Olympic hockey since the 2000 Sydney Games, and the unsuccessful bid to qualify for Paris this year was traced back to the Hangzhou Asian Games, where the team fell short of the targeted gold and finished sixth.
According to sources, among the three assistant coaches allocated by the Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) for Sarjit, two of his predecessor Arul Selvaraj’s assistants have been retained, with the remaining coach being a mystery.
“The mysterious third assistant coach seems to be a local coach, not a foreigner as speculated.
“Former senior and junior coaches, as well as national senior and junior team managers such as Arul, I. Vikneswaran, Amin Rahim and Datuk Mirnawan Nawawi, will not be included in Sarjit’s set-up.
“However, S. Kumar, who was the goalkeeping coach before the team was disbanded, will be retained in the position, while Azrul Effendy Bistamam will also be part of the coaching set-up.
“But the identity of the third assistant coach remains a mystery for now; it could be a former national player but it’s not anyone who has coached in the Malaysia Hockey League (MHL),” said the source.
Kumar was a renowned keeper who played for the country in 321 matches over 20 years, and he has trained the national goalkeepers since retiring in 2020.
Azrul has been coaching Maybank in the MHL for the last six years and played for the Speedy Tigers from the late 1990s till the mid-2000s.
The MHC will announce the three assistant coaches and the list of 45 players for national training tomorrow. – March 11, 2024