KUALA LUMPUR – More than just happy to be part of the national hockey team’s training camp, midfielder Fitri Saari is committed to guiding the young players selected towards reaching their full potential.
The veteran midfielder is among the 46 players who have been selected by head coach Sarjit Singh from the recently concluded Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) to join a selection camp from today to March 31.
On April 1, they will be whittled down to 30 to begin preparation for the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup and Nations Cup in May.
Speaking to Scoop, the 31-year-old Fitri, who has scored 79 goals in 172 appearances for the Speedy Tigers since making his senior debut in 2011, said it was his responsibility to be a role model for the young players selected for the training camp.
The majority of the players selected by Sarjit for the training camp are below the age of 30, with Fitri, forward Faizal Saari (33), goalkeeper Hafizuddin Othman (32) and midfielder Marhan Jalil (34) being the exceptions.
“I’m happy to be selected for the training camp, but now I feel like I have a bigger responsibility to take on for the team. I’m now a senior player, and it’s my duty to guide all the young players that coach Sarjit has selected using my experience,” said Fitri when contacted.
“Senior players like myself are already at the peak of our career, and we need fresh players to take on our roles in the team, and I’m ready to help coach Sarjit by sharing my knowledge with the players.
“The (players) that coach Sarjit has called up for training have a lot of potential in them, and with more training, they can be moulded into top players.
“Based on my experience playing in the recent MHL, players like Andywalfian Jeffrynus have loads of potential to one day emulate the success that we seniors have achieved for the Speedy Tigers,” said Fitri.
The Saari brothers were outstanding for Terengganu in the MHL, with Fitri scoring eight times for Terengganu while his elder brother Faizal netted 23 goals.
Meanwhile, Fitri also said that he was delighted to once again work under coach Sarjit, having last played under him for Terengganu between 2014 and 2018.
Fitri also said that playing under an experienced coach like Sarjit would be a boost for a player like him, citing that the latter stimulated him to always perform better on the turf.
“Coach Sarjit was the one who made me into what I am today; he is a very passionate and patriotic coach, and I will never forget the days when he would put in the hours to train and mould me so that I could reach my full potential.
“More than that, he was more of a father figure than a coach as he has also helped me during my difficult times. I know that I can definitely perform my best under coach Sarjit as I know what he thinks and his way of management compared to all the other coaches that I have experienced in the past.
“At the same time, coach Sarjit also knows how to use me well in a team, and we both had great chemistry during my time at Terengganu.
“Coach Sarjit is someone who has loads of tactics and strategies with him, and it’s an advantage for players like us to work under a coach who is willing to experiment using us. I can’t wait to begin my training with him tomorrow,” Fitri added.
The 61-year-old Sarjit, who previously coached the Johor state team, had also led the national side from January 2007 to December 2008.
The former national hockey captain also coached the national junior team from 2004 to 2006. – March 19, 2024