KUALA LUMPUR – National hockey head coach Sarjit Singh has confirmed that the Speedy Tigers will be playing against South Korea in their second friendly match in preparation for the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup.
The tournament, scheduled to kick off in Ipoh from May 4 to 11, will see six teams participating – Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Korea, and defending champions Malaysia.
Originally scheduled to play against Pakistan on May 2 after their first friendly match against New Zealand, Malaysia opted for a match against South Korea instead.
Speaking to Scoop, Sarjit said that playing against South Korea would be a perfect match for his team, citing the recent progress shown by the world number 11’s side in the competitions they played over the years.
Previously, South Korea defeated China 2-1 to clinch a bronze medal in the Hangzhou Asian Games.
“South Korea is a strong side, and it will be a good game for our players before the tournament commences.
“Aside from South Korea, we also had plans to play Japan, but we chose South Korea instead.
“We were indeed supposed to play Pakistan after New Zealand, but we were unsure when they would be arriving for the tournament. Hence, we went for another alternative.
“My players are back in really good shape after the Hari Raya celebrations, and we just restarted our training today.
“The players will train until the 25th, and we will depart for Ipoh on the 28th,” said Sarjit when contacted.
A total of 30 players were chosen by the coach from a pool of 46 players who participated in the recently concluded Malaysia Hockey League, held from March 19 to 31.
Sarjit will announce his final 18-player squad for the upcoming Sultan Azlan Shah Cup after the Speedy Tigers’ friendly match against New Zealand on May 1.
Sarjit, 61, was appointed head coach by MHC on a two-year contract.
His main target is to build a formidable team for the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya and lead the Speedy Tigers to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
In addition to the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup and the Nations Cup in Poland, his team will participate in the Asian Champions Trophy in Inner Mongolia, China, scheduled for September 8 to 17.
The Speedy Tigers currently rank 13th in the world with 1,828.27 points. – April 16, 2024