KUALA LUMPUR – Can T. Perabu remain committed to Kuala Lumpur?
A few days after withdrawing from the national hockey training camp, he is showing some commitment to the Kuala Lumpur hockey team in preparation for the upcoming Malaysian Games (Sukma).
The 21-year-old penalty corner specialist, who played for Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) in the Malaysia Hockey League (MHL), was among the 46 players called up by head coach Sarjit Singh for national training.
He withdrew citing personal reasons forcing coach Sarjit to replace him with defender Syafiq Hassan.
This is not the first time Perabu has passed on an opportunity to represent the nation.
Last year, he also withdrew from the FIH Men’s Junior World Cup squad due to personal reasons.
Speaking to Scoop, Kuala Lumpur state hockey head coach I. Vikneswaran said that he is impressed with the commitment shown by the talented defender so far.
He further said that Perabu could be a valuable addition to the team if he makes it into the final cut before Sukma.
“At Kuala Lumpur, we give a fair chance to everyone and it doesn’t mean that something happening elsewhere should be considered a reason to omit a player from the team.
“He played for UiTM in the MHL and couldn’t attend training during that period. But we didn’t make an issue out of it as we understood that because we also have our players playing in KL City who participate in the MHL.
“Perabu’s name is also listed in the long list of Kuala Lumpur players, and to be fair, he has been showing up for our training after the MHL.
“So far, his commitment has been 100% for KL. He has his strengths, and everybody knows that he is good at penalty corners, so that’s his plus point.
“But we also have other players who can flick penalty corners as a backup plan if anything happens at the eleventh hour,” said Vikneswaran.
Vikneswaran, who was also the former national junior team manager, warned that Perabu should not take the opportunities given to him for granted, citing that no player is greater than the team.
“In terms of playing experience, he has everything in his locker as he has played in the Sea Games and the Sultan of Johor Cup, and that’s very valuable for our Kuala Lumpur team if he makes it into the final list.
“But at the same time, we will not take anything for granted. As much as we provide opportunities, anything can happen along the way.
“In Kuala Lumpur, our policy is simple: we don’t look at any player as a superstar, and no player can simply walk into the team.
“It doesn’t work that way.
“We value every individual and give them equal opportunity because, at the end of the day, the team is bigger than any individual,” Vikneswaran added.
Perabu, who took up hockey at 11, joined the 1MAS development programme under coach James Murthy in 2014.
His hard work paid off when he was selected as the KL team captain for the National Schools Under-12 competition (MSSM) in Kuantan in 2015.
Since then, he has established himself as one of the top drag flickers in the country, scoring a total of 37 goals throughout his junior career over the past decade.
The 21st edition of Sukma is scheduled to take place from August 17 to 24, with Sarawak hosting the prestigious event for the third time, with the last two times being in 1990 and 2016. – March 24,2024