IPOH — National hockey forward Azimuddin Kamaruddin hoped that his cancer-stricken father was at the Azlan Shah Stadium to witness him scoring his first goal in the ongoing Sultan Azlan Shah Cup.
The 18-year-old teenager, under the tutelage of head coach Sarjit Singh, opened his account for the Speedy Tigers in their second Sultan Azlan Shah Cup match against the world number 19 Canada last night.
Malaysia won the match 6-2.
The Johorian, who also made his second appearance for his country, said that he hopes to make his father proud by scoring more goals for his team in the prestigious tournament.
Azimuddin was among the 18 players named by national selectors after a friendly match against South Korea, in which Malaysia lost 2-1 on May 2.
“I wished my father was here to see me score my first goal for the national team as he has always been my pillar of support since the day I was interested in the sport.
“I managed to call my father after my first game against Pakistan yesterday, and he told me that he was sorry for not being able to attend the game and watch me play.
“But I told him that I’m aware of his health right now and told him to focus on his recovery. As a dad, he has always been there for me and has never missed any of my games.
“I dedicated my goal today to my dad, and I will make sure that I score more goals and make him proud in this tournament,” said Azimuddin when met after the match.
At the same time, Azimuddin said that he feels proud to be playing on the same turf as Faizal Saari, whom he has been idolising since he was nine years old.
“My favourite player has always been Faizal, and I have been admiring his gameplay from a very young age.
“I’m very grateful to be on the same team with him, and he has been giving me a lot of positive vibes that encourage me to do better every day.
“I admire the way he controls the ball with the stick, and his style of playing the game is out of this world.
“He’s now like a friend to me in the team, and I hope to learn more from him in the days to come in the national team,” Azimuddin added.
For the record, the 32-year-old Faizal has scored a total of 141 goals for Malaysia in 287 appearances.
Defending champions Malaysia will take on New Zealand in their third match tomorrow, while Canada will face defending champions South Korea on the same day. — May 6, 2024